How Your Donations Will Help TEAM Food Pantry:

As we enter the holiday season and work to support families in need throughout the Florissant and Hazelwood areas, your donation is more critical than ever. The rising demand for food assistance means that TEAM Food Pantry must continue to provide not only non-perishable items, but also fresh, nutritious options like fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meats.

Why Cash Donations Matter: While non-perishable food items are always in demand, managing perishable food presents unique challenges. Fresh food requires specialized storage to ensure it remains safe and nutritious, and that requires resources—especially refrigerated space and equipment. Here’s how the funds raised through this campaign will make an immediate impact:

1. Purchasing Perishable Foods: Cash donations allow us to buy fresh produce, dairy, and proteins at wholesale prices to supplement our pantry. These items are vital for ensuring that families have not only the basic staples but also healthy, nutritious food during the holidays and beyond.

2. Maintaining Storage Equipment: Perishable food needs proper refrigeration, which means maintaining and sometimes upgrading our storage equipment. Your donations will help ensure that our refrigerators and freezers are running smoothly, preventing spoilage and waste, and allowing us to store more fresh food for distribution.

3. Operational Costs: Managing a food pantry comes with operational costs—rent, utilities, supplies, and transportation. Cash donations make these costs much more manageable, ensuring that we can continue providing our services without interruption. This support is essential for us to purchase food in bulk, handle transportation to and from donation sites, and maintain day-to-day operations.

4. Flexibility and Responsiveness: With cash, we can respond quickly to shifts in demand. If there's a sudden need for more perishable goods (like milk or fresh produce), we can act fast. This level of flexibility ensures that we're meeting the needs of the families we serve in real-time.

5. Reducing Waste and Maximizing Impact: Food pantries often face challenges with the shelf life of donated food, especially perishable items. Having the ability to buy food when it's needed, rather than relying solely on donations, means we can maximize the shelf life of fresh goods, minimize waste, and ensure that everything we distribute is safe, nutritious, and ready for families to use.

Why Cash is More Tangible in These Times:

When you donate money, you are providing us with the most tangible and flexible form of support possible. Money allows us to:

• Quickly purchase exactly what we need to fill gaps in our inventory.
• Buy in bulk to ensure the pantry can meet the growing demand.
• Safely store and handle fresh food, ensuring it’s distributed in a timely and safe manner.
• Be more efficient with our resources, allowing us to serve more families each month.

A Direct Impact on Families:

Every dollar donated goes directly toward keeping the pantry stocked with the food families need. Whether it's buying fresh fruit for a family’s table or ensuring that we have enough space to store it safely, your gift plays a vital role in feeding families, keeping them nourished, and providing hope during this critical season.

Together, we can ensure that no one in our community goes hungry—whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any time of year.

By donating through our TEAMing Up for Christmas, you’re not just contributing to a one-time effort. You’re helping to sustain families in need, and your support allows us to adapt and respond to challenges as they arise—ensuring we continue to serve the Florissant and Hazelwood communities, and the broader St. Louis County area, now and in the future.

Thank you for your generosity, and for helping us make this season brighter for those who need it most.