We strive to bring you the latest information and developments at The Food Bank. This page was originally published on 3/16/20 and most recently updated on 4/9/20.

Ozarks Food Harvest is closely monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation and following guidance from the CDC, Springfield-Greene County Health Department and Feeding America. The Food Bank remains committed to our mission to provide nutritious food to anyone who needs it. Ozarks Food Harvest provides an essential service in providing nutritious food that is critical to maintaining good health. We know the people we serve may be the hardest hit by this pandemic, and it is more important than ever to reach our community members in need.

We are monitoring local, state and federal information and are in contact with health departments and our national hunger-relief partner, Feeding America. The health and safety of our team members, our agencies, the individuals we serve, and our volunteers is our top priority. By following food safety procedures we already have in place, we can effectively protect ourselves against viruses of all kinds.

We are working with our network of 270 hunger-relief partners to continue to provide food throughout our 28-county service area. We are working in conjunction with each other on plans to increase and change food distributions to make sure that we can continue to meet the growing need.

We will continue to work diligently to provide safe, nutritious food for our neighbors during this time. Thank you for your trust and patience!

Stay tuned here and on our social channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) for additional updates.

1 Million Meals in 90 Days

Over the next 90 days, we need your help to provide 1 million meals for families affected by the pandemic. Every dollar donated will help provide $10 worth of groceries for families who need help.

LEARN MORE

Thank you for your support!

Need help?

Our food pantries are open and ready to serve you. The majority of our sites have adopted a drive-through or walk-up model for food distribution at this time.

Click below to find a pantry near you. Hours and services may vary, so please call the pantry to get the details before planning your visit.

FIND A FOOD PANTRY

For information about SNAP (food stamps), please click here.

 

How the community can help

Ozarks Food Harvest has established a COVID-19 Hope Fund. We are encouraging the community to help support this by donating money. For every dollar donated, $10 worth of groceries is provided to people in need.

Your donations will help us ensure we have the food and resources on hand to meet any additional demand. We are currently purchasing more food for our hunger relief partners to ensure they can meet the increased need and hiring additional drivers and equipment to get the food out. Your donations will help provide the means to get the food out more effectively and efficiently. Visit the donate page by clicking below, and choose “COVID-19 Hope Fund” from the dropdown menu to donate now.

DONATE NOW

Note: We are no longer accepting volunteer applications at this time due to Greene County’s stay-at-home order.

Need one more reason to give?

The CARES Act provides incentives for people to increase their charitable giving as a result of the pandemic, including an above-the-line deduction for non-itemizers for up to $300 for cash contributions made during 2020 to public charities, and the removal of the cap on the deductibility of cash contributions for those who itemize. The goal of these incentives is to encourage giving to non-profits to enable them to meet the increased demands for their services and ensure that they have the needed resources to continue to serve the public.

Prior to this temporary change, corporations were allowed to deduct up to 10% of its taxable income. The temporary change allows corporate donors to deduct up to 25%.

Learn more about coronavirus

• Visit the CDC website
• Visit the Springfield-Greene County Health Department’s website
• Visit the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services website
• Food safety and coronavirus

 

Prevention steps include:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Wash your hands after that.

Thank you so much to these generous donors!

 

 

Please note: Once COVID-19 community needs have been met, remaining funds and food will be used to support our ongoing hunger-relief efforts.