News

Ozarks Food Harvest is hosting the first-ever milk voucher fundraiser on Saturday, May 30 at Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park. The goal of the event, The Great American Milk Drive, is to raise funds to provide milk to Springfield children, families and seniors. Special thanks to sponsors of the Great American Milk Drive 2015, who have already donated funds to provide more than 1,400 milk vouchers to food insecure individuals locally. There are multiple opportunities to get involved and help provide more milk to families who are currently receiving, on average, less than one gallon of milk per year from Food Bank hunger-relief organizations.

Opportunities to get involved:

1. Attend the Great American Milk Drive at Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park on May 30, 2015

2. Raise funds within your organization through the Pints to Gallons program

3. Become a sponsor for the Great American Milk Drive

Although the deadline to pledge a sponsorship for the event on May 30th has already been met, sponsorship opportunities will continue throughout the year. Or, contact Christine Temple to pledge your sponsorship for The Great American Milk Drive 2016 event..

Why raise funds for milk vouchers? Milk is one of the most requested items in food pantries, but currently food-insecure individuals are receiving less than a gallon a year. Milk is a great source of nine important nutrients, including protein, calcium, vitamin D and potassium— these are all nutrients that the diets of many Americans are lacking. Pantries lack adequate storage to provide enough milk to all of the individuals it serves, therefore the vouchers are a great supplement. For every $5 donated through the Milk Drive, Ozarks Food Harvest is able to provide one voucher that can be used to purchase a gallon of white dairy milk that meets individual nutritional needs at any retailer.