Our community will have a distribution through this LFPA grant on November 20, 2023 at 5:30 in the Catholic Church parking lot. We appreciate the Communnity Partnership organization for reaching out to provide this opportunity for our area families.
The Community Partnership has been awarded a grant to operate the Local Food Purchase Agreement program (LFPA) in 11 mid-Missouri counties. Through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Social Services, The Community Partnership will coordinate the purchase of food from socially disadvantaged producers and facilitate the distribution of the food in underserved communities.
The purpose of the grant is to identify underserved communities and to develop new routes of food distribution for individuals who are unable to access food banks due to location, stigma, hours of operation or other reasons. The grant will also work with socially disadvantaged producers and vendors to purchase food according to LFPA guidelines.
“The unique thing about this food program is that it is designed to serve both the producers and consumers who need it most. While reducing food insecurities and increasing consumption of healthy foods in underserved populations, it also strengthens local and regional food systems and expands economic opportunities for socially disadvantaged producers,” says The Community Partnership Executive Director Jean Darnell.
The program sources foods that are healthy and nutritious, then distributes the food through existing or newly created outlets in underserved population areas. Darnell says The Community Partnership will operate LFPA in Phelps, Pulaski, Osage, Miller, Maries, Laclede, Gasconade, Dent, Crawford, Cole and Camden counties.