Ozarks Food Harvest’s Summer Harvest campaign provides nearly 84,000 meals for children facing hunger
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Ozarks Food Harvest wrapped up their Summer Harvest campaign, presented by Paul Mueller Company, and raised enough food and funds to provide 83,649 meals.
The Summer Harvest campaign brings attention to the increase in child hunger when students lose access to free and reduced-price meals from their schools for up to 90 days during summer break. More than 2 out of 3 children served by Ozarks Food Harvest receive free or reduced-price school meals.
There were several events that contributed to the Summer Harvest campaign such as Splash & Sizzle with the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, a food donation race night with Lucas Oil Speedway, LifePoint donations through the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks and more.
“There’s a child in our community going to bed tonight that doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from. That’s what makes this event so important,” said Bart Brown, president and CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest. “We’re so appreciative of our partners and folks in the community for making this another successful Summer Harvest campaign.”
In Ozark Food Harvest’s service area, 1 in 5 children face hunger. Ozarks Food Harvest works to end child hunger over the summer through its Summer Food program that provides nearly 25,000 meals each year. The Food Bank also utilizes its Mobile Food Pantry program and network of 270 hunger-relief charities to serve 70,000 individuals each month as the demand for food continues to rise.
Ozarks Food Harvest 2025 Summer Harvest partners included presenting sponsor Paul Mueller Company, as well as Caliber Collision, Pinegar Honda, Springfield-Greene County Park Board, Tremendicon, Lucas Oil Speedway, United Way Day of Caring and the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks.
For more information, visit ozarksfoodharvest.org/help-end-summer-hunger-with-summer-harvest/.
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About Ozarks Food Harvest — The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving 270 faith-based and community charities across a third of Missouri. The Food Bank reaches 70,000 individuals monthly and provides more than 20 million meals annually. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or instagram.com/ozarksfoodharvest.