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SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Ozarks Food Harvest reports the final results of the McDonald’s Cans for Coffee food drive to total more than 14,000 pounds of food, enough to provide nearly 11,000 meals to those in need across southwest Missouri. With a recent donation of 32,000 pounds of chicken to the Cans for Coffee drive, from Tyson Foods, Inc., the combined donations have supplied The Food Bank with enough food to provide more than 35,000 meals to individuals in need.

The Cans for Coffee partnership between Ozarks Food Harvest and McDonald’s of the Ozarks collected food in more than 60 store locations from November 1–21. Customers had the opportunity to receive a free McCafe® beverage of their choice for the donation of a nonperishable food item to The Food Bank. The program started in 2008, and has collected more than 50,000 pounds from customers.

McDonald’s of the Ozarks and Tyson Foods partnered to boost the food drive, through a special donation of more than 32,000 pounds of vital protein products to Ozarks Food Harvest on November 17. This was the third consecutive year Tyson Foods has donated to the drive.

The food collected was distributed to Ozarks Food Harvest’s network of more than 300 hunger relief organizations across 28 southwest Missouri counties. According to The Food Bank, the store collecting the largest amount of food was the Rogersville store, donating 1,261 pounds. Lebanon was second highest with 1,233 pounds, followed by the W. Kearney location in Springfield, 693 pounds.

Also according to The Food Bank, this year’s Turkey Trot food drive was record-breaking, collecting 11,897 pounds on Thanksgiving day and after. The Springfield–Greene County Park Board and the Developmental Center of the Ozarks donated a large portion of remaining water bottles from the event to boost the total. Community members can still contribute to holiday food drives for Ozarks Food Harvest at Dillons stores in Springfield and Joplin, the University of Pheonix in Springfield or at First Night Springfield at the Discovery Center, the YMCA, Landers Theatre and the Gillioz.

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About Ozarks Food Harvest—The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the only food bank in southwest Missouri, serving more than 300 hunger relief organizations across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank reaches more than 14,000 individuals weekly and distributes nine million pounds of food annually—made possible due to its network of charities and direct-relief programs such as the Weekend Backpack Program™, Kids Cafe® and the Mobile Food Pantry™ program. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org and at facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest.