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Ozarks Food Harvest celebrates 3^rd anniversary of O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— It’s an issue more than 170,000 southwest Missourians — and almost 49 million Americans — face year-round, but during the month of September, everyone can do their part to take action against hunger, one of today’s  most prevalent, yet solvable social problems.

Hunger Action Month 2012 is when the more than 200 Feeding America food banks, including Ozarks Food Harvest, mobilize the public to raise awareness and take action in support of domestic hunger relief.

This year’s theme is “Speak Out Against Hunger,” and supporters can do so online or in person.

• Take action in person.
  • Wear orange—the symbolic color of hunger—on Sept. 6 to represent the 1 in 6 Ozarkers who are food insecure.
  • Donate nonperishable food items at any Arvest Bank location, beginning Sept. 5, to help the bank reach its 1 Million Meals Community members can also donate $1 and sign a paper plate at all Springfield and Joplin area branches.
  • Get involved in this year’s Bass Pro Outdoor Fitness Festival. Several of the events are collecting nonperishable food items for Ozarks Food Harvest, including Great Outdoor Days at Lake Springfield, Sept. 7–9.
  • Participate in the King’s Way UMC food drive at any Dillon’s location in Springfield on Saturday, Sept. 8.
  • Visit Ozarks Food Harvest’s tent at the Farmers Market of the Ozarks on Saturday, Sept. 8. Donate nonperishable food items, local fresh produce or monetary gifts. “Orange is the color of Hunger Action” t-shirts will also be for sale for just $5.
  • Watch OFH’s “Meet Kate” video before all movies showing Sept. 14–20 at Hollywood Theaters College Station 14 and Springfield 11 — or before The Moxie’s movie at Mother’s Brewing Company Sept. 28.
  • Dine at Panera Bread on Friday, Sept. 21 in Springfield or Branson, or on Thursday, Sept. 27 in Joplin, and Panera will donate a portion of your purchase to the Backpack Program.
  • Light Up Orange to help “shed some light” on the issue of hunger by asking your place of employment to change its bulbs—outside or inside.

• Take action at Ozarks Food Harvest.
  • Sign up for a morning, afternoon, evening or weekend volunteer session at the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief. Call 865-3411 or schedule at org/volunteer.
  • Tour the regional food bank at 2810 N. Cedarbrook Ave. in Springfield and create a “Hope Note” for a Weekend Backpack Program

• Take action online.
  • “Like” Ozarks Food Harvest on Facebook at com/ozarksfoodharvest.
  • Watch the “Meet Kate” video at org and donate your Facebook status to share the video with others.
  • Change your profile picture to “Kate” found at org/HAM12.html.
  • Help “Tweet Out Hunger” on Twitter by downloading tweets at org/TweetOutHunger.pdf.
  • Share the “30 Ways in 30 Days” calendar at org/HAM12Calendar.pdf for daily ways to make a difference.

Ozarks Food Harvest is planning a private donor celebration to commemorate the third anniversary of the dedication of the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief on Friday, Sept. 28. Media is invited and encouraged to attend. A proclamation will be read at the beginning of the 11 a.m. event.

Governor Nixon also proclaimed September 2012 to be “Hunger Action Month in Missouri” on July 26.

Learn more about Hunger Action Month at hungeractionmonth.org and ozarksfoodharvest.org/HAM12.html.

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About Ozarks Food Harvest—The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving 250 organizations across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank distributes 10 million meals annually to 170,000 unduplicated individuals. OFH was named the 2011 Small Business of the Year by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and its facility, the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief, recently received a Superior AIB International Food Safety Rating. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest.

About Feeding America
Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.