Local pantries to donate to or receive food from in Boone County amid federal government shutdown
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Governor Mike Kehoe is asking Missourians to support their "neighbors" by donating to local food pantries while the government remains shut down and Congress is gridlocked on a funding bill.
Hundreds of thousands of SNAP users won't receive their November benefits and according to Gov. Kehoe, an estimated 56,000 federal workers won't receive their paychecks during the government shutdown.
With food insecurity rising, here are food pantries in Boone County that people can donate to or access free food.
- The Food Bank Market, located at 705 Business Loop 70, Columbia.
- Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Saturday 10 a.m.-2p.m.
- Annie Fisher Food Pantry, 1201 Paquin St., Columbia.
- Wednesdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
The City of Columbia has an extensive list of food pantries in network with the Food Bank for Central Missouri, which includes pantries in Hallsville, Centralia, Sturgeon and Ashland.
The Food Bank also has a food locator on its website.
Columbia has three free pantries that are registered on the Mini Pantry Movement, which is a grassroots movement designed for neighbors helping neighbors.
Columbia Meals on Wheels is expanding its hot meal service to people who lost their SNAP benefits, according to a Facebook post. Under regular circumstances, when the government is properly funded, Meals on Wheels delivers free hot meals to people 65 years old or older.
In its Facebook post, the organization said it's opening meal plan applications on Wednesday. ABC 17 reached out to the organization's director.
The Food Bank is working with Boone County Commissioners to receive additional funding to keep its shelves stocked across its pantry partners as the need increases.
About 656,600 Missourians received SNAP benefits in 2024, and households received an average of $332 a month in 2022, according to a January report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
