ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A regional fund created to support food access during crises is falling behind the needs of its partner organizations amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.

The Regional Response Team’s Rapid Response Community Fund has received about $574,000 in requests from local nonprofits, but so far only has a fraction, about $20,000, on hand to distribute, leaving a significant gap between what agencies say they need and what is currently available.

The Regional Response Team was formed in March 2020 on the heels of the pandemic to better connect marginalized communities with services like food, housing and transportation. It operates as a fiscally sponsored project of the St. Louis Community Foundation, bringing together philanthropy, nonprofits, government

See Full Page