News

Hope Center of El Dorado Springs is on a non-stop mission to support people in Cedar County. Though they’ve only been open for 2 years, they’ve already made a lifetime of changes in their community.

Chad Daniel, the Executive Director, was a driving force from the beginning. He talks about how he became involved saying, “I visited tent camps, and that was a gut punch of reality on how people were living in our country – from crisis to crisis. It was a turning point for me. I started to get to know some of the people. Once my eyes were opened, I tried to open the eyes of others.”

Hope Center has worked with Ozarks Food Harvest from the very beginning, and are grateful for the Mobile Food Pantry and the monthly truck of food. Although their primary focus is food assistance, they partner with other agencies to provide for other needs, as well: utilities, diapers, and baby formula.

Daniel is proud of the volunteers at Hope Center, who help more than 500 families a month. There are about 40 people a week from eight or nine different churches volunteering. “We’ll be out in the wind and snow and they’ll have smiles on their faces. There are so many things they could be doing, but that’s what they choose to do.” He explained that the volunteers are generous with their emotional support, too. “The important thing I’ve seen is the building of relationships. You see them building relationships with ones in need and not just ‘cause there’s a food pantry title over the door,” he shared.

The Hope Center have even seen some families come out of the cycle of food insecurity and give back. One mother whose child had recently moved to solid food, donated her baby formula back to the Hope Center. “So even when they need help, they offer help. I think that’s a great thing,” Daniel said.

We’re proud to partner with Hope Center and are inspired by their ability to identify the urgent needs in their community, help people through difficult times, and see them through to the other side. Learn more about them here.