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On September 28th, the White House held The Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health – the first event of its kind in more than 50 years. The conference of policymakers, business leaders, health activists, and medical professionals came at a time of steep inflation and rising food prices. The Biden-Harris administration released an ambitious national goal to end hunger by 2030.

Part of the strategy included improving food access and affordability by expanding eligibility for food assistance programs and improving public transportation options to make groceries easier to access. It also calls for the integration of nutrition and healthcare so food can be used as medicine. The idea is that when healthcare systems address nutritional needs and food security in overall healthcare, disease prevention and management are improved.

It’s hard not to be inspired by thoughts about ending hunger, especially improving food access and affordability. The question is, how do we help our local neighbors in need right now? How do we get from high inflation and a high demand for food bank assistance to ending hunger?

The answer: we work together today, and we all invest in our community to improve it.

Ozarks Food Harvest partners with individuals, churches, foundations, businesses and other community members to ensure that our neighbors experiencing food insecurity can put a meal on their family table tonight.

The Food Bank improves food access by bringing food to rural areas with Mobile Food Pantries and Senior Produce Pantries. Our partnerships with Feeding America and other donors allow us to distribute food to some of the most underserved areas in Missouri. Each distribution feeds nearly 450 individuals.

With the Senior Food Boxes, Ozarks Food Harvest is able to supplement the diets of low-income seniors with nutritious food. More than 4,100 seniors receive monthly food boxes from our partner charities like senior centers, churches, and pantries.

We work with 62 local schools to provide healthy food to students in need through the Weekend Backpack Program. With the help of generous donors like you, we provide nearly 60,000 bags of food to students every school year.

The Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health was a step in the right direction. We need solutions like a strong, anti-hunger safety net and a healthy economy for all working individuals. The challenges are complex and require collaboration between the private and public sectors. With your partnership, we can continue to help our neighbors in need until there truly is an end to hunger. But we’re not there yet. Today, we face steep inflation, rising food costs, and a higher demand for food assistance than during the pandemic. This holiday season, we need to work together.

By choosing to donate to Ozarks Food Harvest, you help provide meals to your neighbors in need and improve their lives today. Thank you for investing in the community with us this year.