John Deere is a company focused on advancing humanity, and Dave Ahlstrand, manager of financial analysis at John Deere Reman, says the best way to do that is to first address basic necessities. “Making sure people have access to food – What’s a higher purpose than that?” he says. “When people can’t eat or feed children, they won’t have the energy to accomplish anything else.”
An important part of aging is staying connected – to people and resources – but for older adults, staying connected is more difficult. If you’re a senior in the Bolivar area, SeniorAge Bolivar is ready to connect you to the food and services you need to thrive at the Polk County Senior Center.
Hunger isn’t always obvious. In children and teens, hunger disguises itself as behavioral issues, dropping grades and isolation. Perhaps no one knows this better than teachers and school staff, who are often the first to identify when students aren’t getting enough to eat at home. Crocker School Pantry coordinator and library aide Jackie Scholfield is all too familiar with the effects of child hunger.
Thanks to supporters like you, Ozarks Food Harvest provided 20 million meals through our network of faith-based and community charities across a third of the state of Missouri in the past year.
Right now, we’re dealing with an emergency. The demand for food assistance in southwest Missouri continues to increase every month to be higher than it was during the peak of the pandemic. In June 2023, The Food Bank’s network of faith-based and community charities served more than 70,000 individuals in a month; that’s nearly 20,000 more than during the height of the COVID crisis.
The 25th annual Hungerthon was a success, raising $252,900, which will provide 703 children with nutritious meals and snacks every weekend of the school year!