Media

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Shoppers have until Dec. 31 to ‘Check Out’ Hunger for Ozarks Food Harvest at participating area grocers, including Akin’s, Bistro Market, Country Mart, Dillons, Harter House, Murfin’s Market, Price Cutter, Ramey, Smillie’s Market, Smitty’s, Summer Fresh Supermarket and Woods Supermarket.

Displays and scan cards can be found in the check‐out lanes at participating grocers. When a shopper chooses to add a donation to their grocery bill, the cashier scans the donation barcode and the donor signs a donor card for display. The donation is added to the bill and appears on the receipt, according to The Food Bank. For every one dollar donated, Ozarks Food Harvest provides ten dollars worth of food distribution to those who need it most.

Check Out Hunger raised nearly $14,500 last year, providing more than 11,000 meals for those in need, and since 1998, has collected more than $145,000. This year, participating Price Cutter stores alone have raised nearly $10,000 through Check Out Hunger. Akin’s Natural Foods Market in Springfield reported collecting more than $800 to date.

Nearly 40 communities are participating in Check Out Hunger, including Aurora, Bolivar, Branson, Branson West, Buffalo, Carl Junction, Carthage, Cassville, Clever, Conway, El Dorado Springs, Fair Grove, Forsyth, Granby, Greenfield, Hollister, Joplin, Kimberling City, Lamar, Lebanon, Marionville, Marshfield, Monett, Mt. Vernon, Neosho, Nevada, Nixa, Ozark, Purdy, Republic, Seymour, Springfield, Stockton, Strafford, Waynesville, Webb City, West Plains and Willard.

“We are honored to partner with Ozarks Food Harvest to help feed the hungry in southwest Missouri over the holidays,” said Bill Smillie, executive director of the Ozark Empire Grocers Association. “Many of our members have been partnering with The Food Bank since the conception of this program. Our primary goal in our industry is to provide safe and quality food to the public, so we feel there’s no better organization to support than Ozarks Food Harvest.”

# # #

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.