Missouri’s Hannibal. Based in Hannibal, Douglass Community Services is a private, non-profit organization. The counties of Marion, Ralls, Monroe, Lewis, Pike, Shelby, Macon, and Randolph are included in its service region. Being a dependable leader in creating strong children, strong families, and strong communities is the goal of Douglass Community Services.
Head Start, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Kids In Motion, emergency food pantry, monthly USDA commodities food, senior food boxes, emergency utility assistance, foster grandparents, and the Nifty Thrifty clothes store are among the programs supported by Douglass Community Services.
Food insecurity is one of the many ways that Douglass Community Services assists those in need.
The COO of Douglass Community Services, Emily Trevathan, stated in a press statement that the organization operates multiple food programs. The senior snack boxes are one example. They are provided by the Central and Northeast Missouri Food Bank. We receive those every month, and we use them to provide food boxes to roughly 250 seniors in Marion County and 15 in Ralls. Eligibility is based on age, income, and stuff, of course.
Those food baskets are essential to many seniors’ monthly survival.
Additionally, we have veterans boxes that we may distribute to veterans, Trevathan stated. For everyone in Marion County, we also have emergency food. Every month, we also handle USDA commodities.
A person or family must reside in Marion County and fulfill income qualifying requirements in order to be eligible for the USDA program. Douglass Community Services has a food pantry intake form on their website.
This summer, Douglass Community Services is launching a new initiative for Palmyra: a food program.
“We are launching a summer food program in Palmyra for the Palmyra School District this summer,” Trevathan stated. We refer to it as a rural non-congregate. It’s similar to the food boxes we provide, but it’s for the children who will be receiving lunches five days a week throughout the summer.
Food insecurity may be hard for people who have a full refrigerator to understand. However, a large number of people in our community do depend on food pantries and food boxes in order to provide for their families. Some families have been reported to be only a paycheck away from having to use a food pantry.
“Anyone can be one of our clients,” Trevathan stated. Sometimes kids need a little more help to get through a difficult period, which could be two weeks or one to two months. People who wish to see a friendly face have stepped up to pay the costs that have piled for whatever reason. Our elders see familiar faces since they may not get out or have as much community.
Douglass Community Services uses volunteers at the food pantry for anyone who can afford to donate their time or skills.
According to Trevathan, we use volunteers to assist with food distribution and truck pickup. There are several ways to help the food banks without actually distributing food or sending a check.
The volunteers at the food pantry are crucial.
According to Trevathan, the patrons of the food pantry are familiar with our volunteers. The anticipation of seeing them is high. Seeing that grin and being recognized as someone important.
Douglass’ food pantry is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and Tuesday through Thursday from 1 to 4 p.m.
All donations are used to meet the needs of our community, whether they are sent directly to Douglass Community Services or another nearby food bank.
“If you’re doing your weekly shopping and you have an extra $5, you can fill a bag for one of us,” says Trevathan. All of us are partners. The food is aiding those in need around our community. And that might change every week, every month, or perhaps not. Food distribution, in my opinion, is crucial because it enables people to reallocate their funds to other needs. This month, they could have to pay an electric bill. The family can have additional needs. It is crucial to take advantage of any opportunity to help defray the expense of food in order to meet another demand.
A collaboration with the Hannibal Farmer’s Market at Central Park is one initiative that many people might not be aware of.
According to Trevathan, SNAP and EBT are available at the Farmers Market. The Farmers Market has a station where people can utilize their EBT or SNAP to receive SNAP tokens and a matching pair of double-up tokens for fruits and vegetables worth up to $25. We are thrilled to be able to provide the double up. Last year, we had a strong SNAP participation rate. Depending on how much a SNAP participant wants to use, this adds an additional $25 per week. Fresh fruits and vegetables are available from many vendors, but there are other choices as well.
To learn more about Douglass Community Services or to volunteer with its food pantry, visitdouglassonline.orgor check out their Facebook page.
