St. Louis CITY SC are partnering with MLS WORKS to raise funds for official food rescue partner Operation Food Search to provide meals for families ahead of the club's inaugural home match at CITYPARK on March 4 against Charlotte FC (8:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass)
MLS WORKS and St. Louis CITY SC donated funds to pay for over 46,000 meals for people at risk for hunger to Operation Food Search as part of a food kit packing event with St. Louis CITY SC players, coaches, and staff that took place on March 1. The partnership is part of St. Louis CITY SC's “Our CITY” sustainability initiative, which aims to take a sustainable approach to addressing food security in the community.
During the event on March 1, STL CITY players packed over 1,600 meals in backpacks for children to take home to their families over the weekend.
“Here at St. Louis CITY, we are building a culture of community involvement, including our players, coaches, and front office,” director of community relations Barbra Silva said in a release.
“With Operation Food Search and MLS WORKS, we want to support and commend students who are helping their families by bringing food home. Whether it’s on the pitch, in the stadium or in our homes, being part of a team means being there for one another.”
The partnership will also aim to address food waste by rescuing excess food generated from CITYPARK game day operations throughout the 2023 season. Over 3000 pounds of food from CITYPARK is set to be diverted to area food banks after every home match as part of CITY SC’s Our CITY sustainability platform.
“We recognize the responsibility of our enterprise to protect the environmental well-being of the communities where we live and play our games,” MLS vice president of social responsibility Jan Greenberg Mirman said.
“St. Louis CITY SC and Operation Food Search’s innovative partnership is another great example of how MLS teams are working to help create cleaner, healthier communities. We‘re proud to partner on this initiative and showcase the positive impact our newest expansion team has been making in the community even before their first home match.”
