News

Jerald and Stacy Koch make sure to fill their spare time with things they love to do. For Jerald, that’s bicycling and Corvette car shows. For Stacy, it’s walking and gardening. But the couple especially enjoys meaningful activities they can do together, like travelling – and now, volunteering at Ozarks Food Harvest.

With demanding jobs and lots of hobbies, the Kochs had been searching for a way to give back to the community that would fit their busy schedule when Stacy remembered Ozarks Food Harvest. Stacy had heard of the Food Bank through her workplace at Mid-Missouri Bank, a partner in Ozarks Food Harvest’s annual Food Fight food drive, and had been moved by helping provide food to so many children and families facing hunger. They decided to volunteer at The Food Bank, but what really convinced the Kochs to remain volunteers was the eye-opening impact they could make with just three hours of their time.

“I think for me,” shared Stacy, “a particularly powerful moment was maybe the first time we came [to Ozarks Food Harvest] at the end of the volunteer session where they literally told us how many pallets we did and how many meals that would provide to people. That I thought was pretty eye-opening.”

Jerald and Stacy typically volunteer at The Food Bank one Saturday each month, a time slot dedicated to packing Weekend Backpacks and Senior Boxes. During a three-hour session, volunteers can put together an average of 150 backpacks or 600 senior boxes. That’s why they’re so important to the success of our programs.

Volunteers are also crucial to food rescue and efficient food distribution to our neighbors facing hunger, which is what impressed Jerald. He shared, “For me, I think it was the tour [of The Food Bank] to realize that nothing goes to waste. Even bad produce; you give those to pig farmers. The tour made me see how much food was stored and how often that it cycles through.”

The impact of The Food Bank, big and small, is what keeps Jerald and Stacy coming back to Ozarks Food Harvest. After hearing how many people are facing hunger in their community and stories of Transforming Hunger into Hope, they know their time is being spent effectively to fight hunger in southwest Missouri. Now, they have a message for others.

“When you’re part of the community, it’s nice to help give to that community,” Stacy said. “We’ve been blessed, but I know if we had issues where we needed some help, I would want people to help me. This is just something small we can do once a month on a Saturday.”

Jerald agreed, adding, “There would be a lot of things in a lot worse shape if it wasn’t for volunteers. Just a little bit makes a big difference.”

This Hunger Action Month, our motto is “Every Action Counts.” Jerald and Stacy are living that. During just one three-hour session, a single volunteer can help provide hundreds of meals for our neighbors facing hunger. Thank you, Jerald and Stacy, for spending your Saturdays helping others.