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Before the COVID-19 crisis, Mike believed people only cared about you if they wanted something from you. Even when he was short on food and needed help, he wouldn’t ask for it. But during the pandemic, Mike was moved to help his community. He heard about Crosslines and decided to drop off a donation – a decision that led him to comradery, and of course food, that helped him thrive.

“I couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth,” shared Mike, recalling the first time he visited Crosslines food pantry. “But while I was there, I said, ‘Do you need any help?’ I’ve
been volunteering here ever since.”

Mike had been volunteering at Crosslines for a short while when his father passed away two years ago. A retired senior himself, Mike was suddenly living on just a single fixed income. It wasn’t enough to make ends meet. But through his time at Crosslines, he’d gotten to know the staff and volunteers and finally felt comfortable sharing his situation. The staff quickly got him on the waitlist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Senior Food Box Program run through Ozarks Food Harvest.

“I didn’t know the kindness of people,” Mike said. “I never grew up that way, so to ask for something was different for me. And then to find out that they actually cared about me meant quite a bit.”

One of the caring people he met was a volunteer named Annie. At 81-years-old, she’s one of Crosslines’ core volunteers, giving about 36 hours a week to help her neighbors get food. Among her many responsibilities, one includes keeping track of seniors on the Senior Food Box Program. That’s how she knew where to get food herself when her fixed income wasn’t lasting the month. “I get my Social Security and small pensions,” she explained, “but by the end of the month, you don’t have any money left.”

Annie and Mike’s experiences are similar to many seniors in southwest Missouri. As you’ll read on page two, thousands of older adults over age 60 face challenges like limited income and increased costs that mean they sometimes have to make tough choices. Mike said, “It might make the difference between whether they choose to get medication or not, because I’ve been in that situation myself in the past couple years before I started getting the Senior Box.”

Seniors should never have to choose between food and other necessities such as medicine and utilities. That’s why Ozarks Food Harvest partners with senior centers, churches and food pantries like Crosslines to ensure older adults can eat nutritious meals to stay healthy and independent.

For Mike and Annie, they particularly appreciate foods like produce, whole grain cereal, juice and cheese that aren’t always affordable at the grocery store. These items support a healthy diet, and they’re easy to prepare for seniors with mobility issues.

Your support makes programs like our Senior Food Box Program, Senior Mobile Produce Pantries and more possible. Crosslines Senior Services Coordinator, Mellissa Potts, said, “Without Ozarks Food Harvest, we wouldn’t be able to do it. There’s many times we can get things from Ozarks Food Harvest, as costs have increased, that allow us to keep a full pantry.”

As for Mike, he has advice for local seniors who aren’t sure where their next meal is coming from. “If you need help,” he said, “put your pride aside. You go ask for help and you’ll find it. You have to give people the opportunity to show you they care. When I see people in need today, I tell them about Crosslines. I tell them about the Senior Boxes.”

Will you make a gift today to help Ozarks Food Harvest ensure our partner charities have the resources to feed seniors like Mike, Annie and the neighbors they serve? To give now, visit ozarksfoodharvest.org/donate.