New Madrid volunteers fighting hunger through drive-thru food pantries

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. (KFVS) - In southeast Missouri, SEMO Food Bank reports 1 in 7 adults and 1 in 6 children don’t have enough to eat at home.

In Portageville, volunteers are wanting to make food more accessible at ‘Reaching All In Need’.

The organizer of RAIN, Mark Gibbins said, that they help a lot of people.

“A lot of our people that come through, they have full-time jobs, they just need a little bit extra to stretch, especially at the end of the month,” said Gibbins.

He also said they feed nearly 150-200 families each drive-thru event they have.

One volunteer, Elaine Musgrave said she helps volunteers because she feels that she should.

“Why do I do this? I feel like I need to. It’s part of my stewardship, being grown and raised up helping others,” said Musgrave.

This isn’t Musgrave’s first time volunteering, the last five years across multiple organizations keeps her busy.

SEMO Food Bank reports that just last year across southeast Missouri, they provided monthly food boxes to more than 5,000 senior citizens, more than 2 million pounds of fresh produce, and helped feed almost 1300 students through their weekend backpack program.

Gibbins said he enjoys helping the children have the food they need.

“There’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing a child that comes through and that child’s going to have something to eat,” said Gibbins.

If you are looking for the next mobile food pantry, click this link.

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