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 season brings difficult choices: pay the heating bill or put food on the table. That means there’s a working mom who isn’t sure how she’s going to afford a meal for her children tonight – much less a holiday meal.
Over the last year, Ozarks Food Harvest provided 23 million meals through our network of faith-based and community charities across southwest Missouri.
Imagine you’re an older person standing in line at your local pharmacy for your heart medication. The pharmacist rings up your total, and you suddenly realize you don’t have enough money to pay for your prescription and the groceries you were going to grab for dinner on your way home. How do you choose?
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 like dairy, fresh and frozen produce, meat, non-meat protein items like eggs and beans, and other foods that are fresh or refrigerated. Fresh fruits and vegetables alone now account for 20% of the food we provide for our neighbors facing hunger.
Six-year-old Harley lives with her grandparents full-time while her parents figure out a stable place to live. Together, she and her grandparents color, make bead bracelets and play in the yard when the weather is nice. Harley’s grandmother Glenda says they love having Harley around, but raising – and feeding – a grandchild during retirement comes with challenges.
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 break down what’s happening, how Ozarks Food Harvest is responding and how you can get help if needed.
Access to nutritious and healthy food changes lives.
Kaela Anderson, Regional Lead and Administrator at Ozark County Senior Center, received an email a few years ago introducing her to a gentleman on hospice that had been approved for home delivered meals. He was on oxygen 24/7, and had decreased mobility that prevented him from walking even short distances without having to stop. In addition, he wasn’t getting proper nutrition, which left him underweight.