Media

Bank sponsors Backpack Program in response to increased child food insecurity rate

WHAT:  The community and Great Southern are partnering with Ozarks Food Harvest during Hunger Action Month. The Food Bank and Great Southern will make announcements at the grand opening of the newest Great Southern banking center in Springfield.

WHERE:  Great Southern, 2449 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield

WHEN:  10:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 9

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Ozarks Food Harvest is asking the community to play a role in Hunger Action Month by donating food or funds at any Great Southern location in Springfield Sept. 9-23.

Great Southern will kick off the food drive at 2449 S. Campbell Ave. from 10:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9. For every pound of food collected during the food drive, Great Southern will donate $1, up to $1,000.

Ozarks Food Harvest says 28.2 percent (71,780) of southwest Missouri children—5 percent higher than the national rate—now face food insecurity. And, of the food insecure children in OFH’s 28-county service area, 30 percent (21,534) do not qualify for the free and reduced school meal programs or WIC and rely on charitable programs for assistance.

Great Southern has stepped forward and pledged $30,000 for The Food Bank’s Weekend Backpack Program which provides nutritious food bags for nearly 1,000 at-risk children over the weekends.

“We are grateful for the support of community partners like Great Southern to help fight hunger in Missouri,” said Bart Brown, president/CEO at Ozarks Food Harvest. “While donations have dropped dramatically since the months following the Joplin disaster, our food pantries and feeding sites’ efforts have increased significantly across southwest Missouri.”

Great Southern customers and the public can donate to the virtual Great Southern food drive at www.ozarksfoodharvest.org/GreatSouthern or learn how to get involved in other Hunger Action Month activities at www.ozarksfoodharvest.org/HAM11.html.

“Whether it’s by advocating and raising awareness, making donations or volunteering, everyone can find a way that’s right for them to make a difference during Hunger Action Month,” Brown said.

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About Ozarks Food Harvest—The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving more than 300 hunger relief organizations across 28 Ozarks counties in addition to the long-term relief sites in Joplin. The Food Bank reaches 20,000 individuals weekly and distributes one million pounds of food monthly. OFH was named the 2011 Small Business of the Year by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org and at facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest.

About Great Southern
Headquartered in Springfield, Mo., Great Southern offers banking, investment, insurance and travel services. Great Southern operates18 banking centers in the Springfield area and a total of 76 retail banking centers and 200 ATMs in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. With $3.4 billion in assets, Great Southern Bancorp is a public company and its common stock (ticker: GSBC) is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select stock exchange. Learn more at GreatSouthernBank.com or facebook.com/greatsouthernbank.