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SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Panera Bread is holding a special food drive at each of its locations in Springfield, Branson, and Joplin November 5 through November 11 to benefit Ozarks Food Harvest, The Food Bank for 29 counties in Southwest Missouri.

When Panera Bread customers bring in food donations, they have the opportunity to enter a drawing for “free bread for a year.”  A winner will be awarded at each location.  There are five locations in Springfield, one in Branson and one in Joplin.

On average, 37,000 people are forced to get food from Ozarks Food Harvest’s agency network in Southwest Missouri every month. As the holiday season approaches, these Ozarks families, children, and senior citizens are even more aware of what they lack. Because of this, Denise Gibson, Director of Development and Communication at The Food Bank, said, “Donations from our community partners’ food drives are especially valuable at this time.”

Ozarks Food Harvest distributes food to more than 300 charitable partners including emergency food pantries, domestic violence shelters, soup kitchens, group homes, senior meal sites and after school programs in Southwest Missouri. Food drives and donations allow The Food Bank to feed more hungry people in the Ozarks and improve the lives of thousands of individuals.

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To learn more, contact Lindsey Neddenriep at (417) 865-3411.