Healthy Foods Program
The Healthy Foods Program was created to address food insecurity among seniors and was the first food-delivery program of its kind in the St. Louis area. This program provides seniors with healthy groceries, nutrition education, and community resources because no one should have to overcome food insecurity alone. By offering these resources, St. Andrew’s Charitable Foundation hopes to further its mission of helping our seniors be happy and healthy while remaining in their homes for as long as possible.
In 2020, the State of Senior Hunger found that 7.3% of seniors living in the St. Louis metropolitan area experienced food insecurity. Food insecurity among seniors is prevalent in our community and can have serious negative effects on a person’s physical and mental health.
This multi-faceted program launched in June 2021 to serve low-income seniors living in St. Louis County and St. Louis City who are experiencing food insecurity. There is a myriad of factors that cause seniors to lose food security such as:
- Financial Limitations to Food Security: 56% of St. Louis City seniors live below the economic security threshold. Not having financial security has forced some seniors to choose between buying groceries or their medications.
- Geographic Limitations to Food Security: 32% of senior households do not have access to a vehicle. Oftentimes low-income seniors live in food deserts, or lower-income neighborhoods with little access to grocery stores supplying healthy food. If seniors don’t have access to transportation or a grocery store in their neighborhood, gaining access to healthy food can be a monumental challenge.
The Healthy Foods Program Components
- Grocery Delivery: Seniors receive healthy groceries delivered to their home on a regular basis through a food delivery vendor. St. Andrew’s Social Services Director personalizes the process to meet each senior’s nutritional needs.
- SNAP Guidance: Benefits counselors at St. Louis Area Agency on Aging and Aging Ahead are connected with qualified seniors to offer guidance in applying to SNAP.
- Nutritional Education: Educational materials and healthy recipes are provided to seniors.
If you would like more information about our Healthy Foods program, please contact Heather Spindler at 314-726-5766 or [email protected]
Thankful for our funding partners:
Pershing Charitable Trust
Donations to our Healthy Foods Program are
eligible for Missouri Food Pantry Tax Credits!
If you donate to our Healthy Foods program, you could get tax credits equal to 50% of the amount of the donation to a maximum of $2,500 per tax year, per tax payer. These tax credits allow you to subtract a portion of your donation from your Missouri and Federal taxes.
We hope this incentivizes you to support our Healthy Foods Program which provides low-income seniors living in St. Louis with healthy groceries delivered to their home, contact free.
Food Pantry Tax Credits (FPT)
Purpose
Provides a tax credit for taxpayers who make donations of cash or food supplies to a qualified local food pantry, homeless shelter, or soup kitchen.
Eligible Food Pantries and Applicants
- A local food pantry is defined as an organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and distributes emergency food supplies to low-income people in the area the taxpayer claiming the tax credit resides.
- A local homeless shelter is defined as an organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and provides temporary living arrangements for individuals and families who otherwise lack fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and lack resources to support networks to obtain other permanent housing, in the area in the taxpayer claiming the tax credit resides.
- A local soup kitchen is defined as an organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and provides prepared meals through an established congregate feeding operation to needy, low-income persons including, but not limited to, homeless persons in the area in which the taxpayer claiming the tax credit under this section resides.
- Any taxpayer (individual, corporation, or trust) that makes a donation of cash or food supplies to a local food pantry, homeless shelter, or soup kitchen may receive a credit of up to $2,500 per taxpayer, per year. The taxpayer may take a credit of 50 percent of their donations.
How to Claim the Food Pantry Credit
To claim the Food Pantry Tax Credit, the claimant must attach the following to their Missouri tax return:
- A completed Miscellaneous Income Tax Credits Form (MO-TC); and
- A completed Food Pantry Tax Credit Form (MO-FPT) or documentation from the food pantry which specifies the name of the food pantry, the dates and amounts of donations, and the name of the person making the donations. A separate MO-FPT or letter documenting the donations must be submitted for each food pantry to which donations were made.
Eligible Use of Tax Credit
- The amount of the credit claimed may not exceed the amount of the claimant’s tax liability. If the credit exceeds the claimant’s tax liability, the excess amount may be carried forward three subsequent years.
- If the claimant reports donations used to calculate the Food Pantry Tax Credit as a charitable contribution on their federal Schedule A, the donation amount must be reported as a modification (addition) on Missouri Individual Income Tax Adjustments Form MO-A.
- Anyone employing persons not authorized to work in the United States under federal law is not eligible for the credit.
Authorization
- This Food Pantry Tax Credit may be applied to individual income tax, corporation income tax, and fiduciary tax, or any other tax incurred under the provisions of Chapter 143, RSMo, excluding state withholding tax.
- The Food Pantry Tax Credit is nonrefundable, and cannot be transferred, sold, or assigned.
Due Date and Funding Limits
- Returns claiming the Food Pantry Tax Credit must be filed by April 15 of each fiscal year.
- The total amount available for the Food Pantry Tax Credit is $1,750,000 in any one fiscal year. A fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30.
- All claims will be held until after April 15 to determine if the total claimed exceeds $1,750,000. If claims exceed $1,750,000, the Department will apportion credits in an equal ratio among all valid returns filed.
- If the Food Pantry Tax Credit is reduced because of apportionment, an amended return may be filed on or after July 1 to be considered for the following fiscal year beginning July 1, or the credit may be carried forward to the next year's tax return. Amended returns may be filed until the credit is exhausted or the returns go out of statute. Generally, a return goes out of statute three years from the due date of that year’s return.
Forms
- Form MO-TC, Miscellaneous Tax Credits
- MO-A, Missouri Individual Income Tax Adjustments
- MO-FPT, Food Pantry Tax Credit
Contact Missouri Department of Revenue, Taxation Division:
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 573-526-8733 (for individual and fiduciary tax) 573-751-4541 (for corporation income tax)