Food Bank hopes to expand program for veterans

The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri celebrated its 35th year with an open house Thursday . At the event, officials spoke with ABC 17 News about its VIP Veteran Pack program. The goal is to give veterans living at or below the poverty line food and toiletries. The Food Bank said, according to census data, more than 5,000 U.S. veterans are living in poverty in the 32-county area it serves. Nearly 650 of those veterans live in Boone County. Right now, the packs are going out to more than 600 veterans as a pilot program in Boone County. So far, the organization has received positive feedback. “The feedback we’ve gotten from the veterans who have received these VIP packs has just been terrific,” said Executive Director Lindsay Lopez Young.

The Food Bank hopes to make the program permanent and expand to other counties.

For more information on the Food Bank, click here.