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Eighty grocery stores partnered with Ozarks Food Harvest during the holidays to help Check Out Hunger, collecting a record $49,786 in check-out lanes across the Ozarks.

“While this campaign runs in November and December, we don’t receive all the checks until January and February — but it’s an ideal time for us to receive this kind of gift, because donations drop just after the holiday season,” said Denise Gibson, Development and Communication Director at Ozarks Food Harvest. “This is a record-breaking year for this fundraiser and we’re happy to say now that the final check is in, we’ll be able to provide about 250,000 more meals for our neighbors who struggle with hunger.”

Check Out Hunger gives shoppers in more than 50 communities the opportunity to add a $1, $3 or $5 tax-free donation to their bill when checking out at area grocers, including Akin’s, Bistro Market, Cash Saver, Country Mart, Dillons, Harter House, HyVee, Murfin’s Market, Pennington’s, Price Cutter, Ramey, Rhodes Family Price Chopper, Richards Supermarket, Smitty’s, Summer Fresh, Town & Country and Woods Supermarket.

The funds raised during the 16th annual campaign will help feed those who access services from Ozarks Food Harvest’s 200 member food pantries and hunger-relief programs in 28 southwest Missouri counties.

Every dollar donated to The Food Bank provides five meals for those in need.

Last year, Check Out Hunger raised $36,500. This year’s goal was $40,000. Since 1998, the grocer-food bank partnership has collected more than $320,000.