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Bart Brown: Walmart grant makes big impact

October 14, 2015 in Bart's Hope Notes Harvest Time Newsletter

View More: http://twintownstudios.pass.us/ozark-food-harvestAt Ozarks Food Harvest, we understand the power of a $1 donation. Consider that every dollar donated is stretched to provide $10 worth of food to our neighbors in need.

That’s why we’re thrilled to once again take part in the Walmart Hunger Challenge.

If you’re new to The Food Bank or haven’t heard of this grant, let me tell you more about it. For the past six years, the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program has awarded a grant to Ozarks Food Harvest to provide funding for our agencies. Those agencies then fundraise to receive the grant as a match. For instance, if we select one pantry to receive $5,000, the pantry raises an additional $5,000 to receive the full matching grant.

This year, Walmart is offering $125,000 in grants to nonprofits selected by The Food Bank. But because of the power of this match grant, at the end of the grant cycle, agencies will have raised and been awarded a combined $250,000. That’s over 1.25 million meals for those in need.

Our hunger-relief partners will be able to obtain nutritious food with this grant money and provide more food to its clients than they could alone. This is all because of Ozarks Food Harvest’s buying power.

I’m proud that we are able to stretch every dollar to provide $10 worth of food. This allows our partner agencies to help more people every day, and that is truly at the heart of everything we do at Ozarks Food Harvest.

Our friends at Christian Action Ministries in Branson shared a story of how this matching grant is making a big difference for one client: “It is challenging to afford good food only on social security payments and such a small amount of food stamps. Medicine is expensive, and it becomes a question which do I purchase  — food or my medications? Thank you for helping out.”

We hear stories every day from children, families and seniors who share that without Ozarks Food Harvest, they don’t know how they would survive. Grants like the Walmart Hunger Challenge help give hope to those struggling in southwest Missouri.

Nita Banks, Executive Director of the St. Clair County Food Pantry shared, “Our partnership with Ozarks Food Harvest and the Walmart Foundation is invaluable to us. We could never afford to serve our client base without the purchase power we have through OFH and the generous donations of private citizens, civic and church groups and businesses, like Walmart. God bless you all for your servant hearts.”

We can’t wait to hear the stories of how this year’s grant impacted the Ozarks. Learn about how your donations are helping our neighbors in need at by clicking here.

Bart Brown is the president/CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest.