Fresh foods now make up two-thirds of The Food Bank’s distribution
Over the past 15 years, perishable products have grown to make up almost two-thirds of the food Ozarks Food Harvest distributes annually. These include foods like dairy, fresh and frozen produce, meat, non-meat protein items like eggs and beans, and other foods that are fresh or refrigerated. Fresh fruits and vegetables alone now account for 20% of the food we provide for our neighbors facing hunger.
There’s a common misconception that food banks only distribute canned, low-quality food. Our mission is about more than providing food to just survive – we want every neighbor to have the meals they need to thrive. That involves helping families access a variety of healthy options that they enjoy, even when times are tough.
Being able to provide these options means families who visit our partner pantries have access to the same foods they would find at a grocery store, because our neighbors shouldn’t
have to sacrifice quality or health when they need help putting meals on the table.
Our expansion of fresh food is due to initiatives like our Retail Pick-Up and Full Circle Gardens programs that rescue food and divert it to our neighbors in need rather than the landfill. The Full Circle Gardens program also grows about 15,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables each year at our Food Bank Farm for distribution to our network.
Federal nutrition programs like The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) contribute to the increase as well by buying produce, dairy, meat and more from American farmers and distributing it to food banks to help working families bridge the gap.
Thanks to generous donors like you, Ozarks Food Harvest is also able to buy more fresh food, maintain our refrigerated trucks and support our partner charities with cold storage equipment to keep it all fresh.
With your support, we’re helping our neighbors keep wholesome, nutritious meals on the table, even when budgets are tight. You can keep making an impact by donating funds, time and fresh produce to The Food Bank. Give now at ozarksfoodharvest.org/donate.