Transforming
Hunger Into Hope ™
We serve charities who end hunger in southwest Missouri
Watch Our StoryEvery $1 donated to Ozarks Food Harvest provides 3 Meals.
By rescuing, growing and obtaining food, The Food Bank distributes over 1.7 million meals per month to children, families and seniors facing hunger.
News and Events
How Ozarks Food Harvest is responding to the government shutdown
October 10, 2025
Congress was unable to pass legislation that would continue to fund the government beyond October 1. Without funding, a government shutdown has begun. Below, we...
Turkey Trot 2025
Join Ozarks Food Harvest at the 31st annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day! This annual 5K run/walk in downtown Springfield is one of The Food...
Fresh foods now make up two-thirds of The Food Bank’s distribution
October 17, 2025
Over the past 15 years, perishable products have grown to make up almost two-thirds of the food Ozarks Food Harvest distributes annually. These include foods...
Help put a holiday turkey on every table
October 17, 2025
For many of us, the holidays mean gathering with loved ones around a warm meal. But for 1 in 6 households in the Ozarks, this...
Our Programs
Weekend Backpack Program
Weekend Backpack Program
The Food Bank’s Weekend Backpack Program provides children facing hunger with a bag of nutritious, child-friendly food to take home every weekend of the school year when they might otherwise go without.
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After-School Food
The After-School Food Program
During the school year, Ozarks Food Harvest sponsors local after-school sites through federally funded programs that help provide nutritious meals to children when they’re not at school. Sponsored sites offer meals to children at a variety of community locations where kids are already gathering like Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA’s, churches and schools.
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Summer Food
The Summer Food Program
Children who rely on school meals during the school year are also at risk of hunger during the summer months. Ozarks Food Harvest sponsors local summer kids’ sites through federally funded programs that help provide nutritious meals to children when they’re not at school.
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Mobile Food Pantry
The Mobile Food Pantry Program
Ozarks Food Harvest’s Mobile Food Pantry program delivers groceries directly to towns where food assistance is scarce. Product is served off a truck to families and seniors facing hunger in just a couple hours. These distributions remove barriers to food assistance like limited storage at our partner charities and transportation issues.
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Senior Food
The Senior Food Program
Ozarks Food Harvest partners with senior centers, churches and food pantries to distribute more than 4,000 boxes of USDA food to income-eligible seniors every month. Senior Food Boxes are assembled by volunteers at our distribution center and delivered to partner charities who serve local seniors directly.
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SNAP
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Ozarks Food Harvest provides application assistance to individuals applying for SNAP benefits. Applying to SNAP can seem daunting and complicated, especially when people are already facing tough times. Our SNAP outreach coordinators remove this barrier so our neighbors can access the food they need.
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Retail Pick-Up Program
The Retail Pick-Up Program
The Retail Pick-Up Program rescues food from local retailers that does not meet standards for retail sales, but is still safe for consumption. This program diverts hundreds of truckloads of food from ending up in landfills and distributes it to our neighbors facing hunger.
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Full Circle Gardens
The Food Bank's Garden & Glean Team Program
Full Circle Gardens increases our community’s access to fresh produce by growing fruits and vegetables at our Food Bank Farm, gleaning excess crops from local farms, and receiving donations from backyard gardens and farmer’s markets. Full Circle Gardens also offers garden education opportunities to increase local food sources in our community.
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