2022
Annual Report
Strengthening Our Future
Here’s how we helped 200,000 people each month this past year.
Scroll down to view the report or click a box to jump to that section.
Our Mission
We heal hunger with innovative and collaborative solutions that provide food today and help create a hunger-free tomorrow.
BE THE CHANGE
How do we create change? Learn more and get inspired in this one-minute video.
CORE Values
We believe that food is a basic human right and that all people should have access to the food they need to live healthy lives. We are committed to solving the problem of hunger while strengthening individuals and communities.
Innovation
Collaboration
Respect
Integrity
Equity
“In a year marked by continued challenges, we’ve continued to see a community of caring come together to help ensure children, families and individuals have the food they need, while working toward a future free from hunger.”
A Dedicated Team
Operation backpack
Agency distribution
OUT-OF-SCHOOL MEALS
Supporting Our Community Through
IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS
Click the links on the right to learn about each program.
Emergency distribution
Operation Food Search secures funding for rescues, sources and purchases food, and then sorts and distributes it for immediate hunger relief.
41,000+
Individuals Served
225
Stops
13,000+
Transactions
Child nutrition
OFS works with private funds and federal nutrition programs, adapting them to fit the needs of the community and reach as many children in the region as possible. Through our network of community partners, we provide food, nutrition education and enrichment to improve overall health, development and academic achievement.
15
Counties
6,361
Kids
644,583
Meals
Community Nutrition
OFS teaches kids, teens, families and adults how to plan, shop for and prepare healthy and delicious meals that are affordable. Education about shopping, cooking and nutrition helps build the food skills needed to put healthy meals on the table every day.
Innovation
Operation Food Search Innovation Programs are designed to address long-term solutions to hunger and improve the overall health of individuals and communities.
Policy & Advocacy
OFS works beyond immediate food assistance to address the root causes of hunger. We advocate for policies that strengthen families by increasing opportunities for them to put food on the table and live healthier lives.
3,000
People Surveyed
45
Interviews Conducted
White Paper Published
Wic Innovation
OFS is working to increase overall WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) utilization and satisfaction through extensive research and community feedback. Findings will be transformed into innovative program and policy solutions that increase overall Missouri WIC utilization.
EXEMPLARY ADVOCATES
OFS participates in the Exemplary Advocates Cohort convened by the Missouri Foundation for Health. The goal of the cohort is to build an effective and coordinated field of health advocates so that we can improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities most in need in Missouri.
Supporting Families in
40 COUNTIES
& 2 STATES
through Food Distribution & Nutrition Education
We couldn’t do any of this without our
Community of Caring
5,309 Volunteers devoted 41,776 hours, saving OFS $1.2 million during the fiscal year.
Community of CaringVOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are critical to our mission. Individuals and groups help sort and pack food, assist at events, glean produce at farms, support our program operations and lend a hand in the office. We rely on their passion for our mission, and their work saves us significant financial resources, allowing that money to be spent on helping more people every year.
Community of CaringEVENTS
Click the left or right arrows on the edge of your screen to see more events.
Our Generous Supporters
Operation Food Search values gifts of every level and amount. We are extremely grateful to all our donors for making this work possible. We simply could not do our work without the help of all those who invest in our mission to heal hunger.
See the links below to view our leadership donors. We make every effort to maintain accurate records. To advise us of a change, please contact Ellen Reed-Fox at (314) 451-1950.
Leadership Donations
The generosity of these gifts demonstrate a true commitment to healing hunger and empowering children, individuals and families in our region.
$100,000+
$25,000+
$5,000+
$1,000+
Leadership In-Kind Donations
The contribution of these goods and services is vital to our ability to meet the immediate need for food in our region.
$1,000,000+
$500,000+
$100,000+
$25,000+
Food & Funds Drive
These volunteer-led efforts are crucial to our ability to get food to individuals and families in our service area.
286,201
Pounds of Food
$500,852
Total Money Donations
$256,044
Total Food Value
$756,895
Total Food & Money
Leadership Food Drives
- Anheuser-Busch
- Elara Caring
- St. Charles County Ambulance District
- Scouting for Food
- Shop Out Hunger
- St. Louis County Library
- Tackle Hunger—KSDK
- Neighbors Credit Union
- UniGroup
Leadership Fund Drives
- 105.7 The Point
- The Dave Glover Show 97.1 FM
- ELCO Chevrolet Cadillac
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
- Masonmade Stone Design + Supply
- Millipore Sigma
- Miracle on Summit
- RGA Reinsurance Company
- Reitz & Jens, Inc.
- Washington University School of Medicine
Monthly Donations
Known as Hunger Healers, recurring donors are valued advocates who sustain our work while ensuring consistent access to the funds OFS needs to heal hunger. We appreciate this special community of OFS supporters.
Monthly
FiscalResponsibility
Operation Food Search upholds the highest standards of nonprofit accountability. We work tirelessly to ensure that donations are used efficiently to maximize benefit to the community we serve.
TOTAL REVENUE
$34,078,385
Investment Loss: -$1,590,036
TOTAL EXPENSES
$34,683,675
Value of Food and Other Items Distributed
$29,474,607
PROGRAMS & INITIATIVES
$33,232,088