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AIGA

AIGA sets the national agenda for the role of design in its economic, social, political, cultural and creative contexts. AIGA is the oldest and largest membership association for professionals engaged in the discipline, practice and culture of designing. Founded as the American Institute of Graphic Arts in 1914 as a small, exclusive club, AIGA now represents more than 16,000 designers through national activities and local programs developed by 48 chapters and more than 150 student groups.

AIGA supports the interests of professionals, educators and students who are engaged in the process of designing, regardless of where they are in the arc of their careers. The disciplines represented in the profession range from book and type design through the traditional communication design disciplines to the newer disciplines of interaction design, experience design and motion graphics. In addition, AIGA supports the interests of those involved in designing from other disciplines, professions and business who share designers' commitment to advancing understanding of the value of design.

Through the relationships members develop within the community of designers, the information they share and the standards they develop for the profession, AIGA helps the profession to validate its own ethos and role in business and society.

AIGA serves as a hub of thought-leadership and activity for the designing community. The association is committed to stimulating thinking about design through conferences, competitions, exhibitions, publications and websites. AIGA inspires, educates and informs designers, helping them to realize their talents and to advocate the value of design among the media, the business community, public agencies and the general public. While AIGA was created to advance the design profession, its members now place a higher priority on AIGA's work in communicating the value of design to audiences outside the profession.

Operation Food Search

Impacting Lives and Turning Hunger into Hope, One Meal at a Time

Founded in 1981, Operation Food Search (OFS) is a leader in hunger relief and the largest distributor of free food in the bi-state region. Each month 130,000 low-income individuals receive Operation Food Search’s nutrition services and food assistance, through its network of 250 community partner agencies (food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, etc.). One-third of those who benefit from these services are children.

Operation Food Search rescues food from grocers, retailers, manufacturers, distributors, restaurants and caterers that is near freshness date and no longer salable, yet is safe, nutritious and edible to help feed the hungry. With today’s uncertain economy, Operation Food Search’s community partner agencies are experiencing a 30 percent increase in the number of people requesting help. In order to meet a growing demand for basic daily sustenance, Operation Food Search collects more than 2 million pounds of food each month for immediate distribution to throughout the St. Louis community and 30 surrounding counties in Missouri and in Illinois.

Operation Food Search programs include Cooking Matters, where staff dietitians, nutritionists and volunteers provide hands-on classes teaching proper nutrition, healthy cooking and food budgeting skills for nearly 4,000 low-income adults and children annually.

Operation Backpack feeds hungry children by providing backpacks full of food for the weekend to nearly 3,000 at-risk children attending St. Louis City and County Public Schools. These children receive weekly backpacks filled with nutritious, easy-to-prepare, kid-friendly foods and “easy-to-digest” nutrition information.

For 30 years, Operation Food Search has responded to local people in dire need of food and nutrition. Operation Food Search is a trusted, proven community asset that meets all Better Business Bureau standards to achieve its Wise Giving Seal of Approval, and boasts a coveted 4-star rating for sound fiscal management from Charity Navigator, America's largest and most-utilized independent evaluator of charities. The St. Louis community looks to the leadership of Operation Food Search to make wise use of local resources in order to meet an increased demand of basic, day-to-day sustenance.

For every dollar donated by individuals, corporations, foundations and organizations, OFS provides $20 worth of food and services to support the hungry.