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21st annual Check Out Hunger campaign for Ozarks Food Harvest runs through Dec. 31

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— More than 70 local grocery stores are teaming up with Ozarks Food Harvest for the 21st annual Check Out Hunger fundraiser this holiday season. The campaign begins Friday and continues through Dec. 31.

Check Out Hunger gives shoppers the opportunity to add a $1, $3 or $5 tax-free donation to their grocery bill when checking out at area retailers, including Apple Market, Country Mart, Harter House, Hy-Vee, King Cash Saver, King Food Saver, Murfin’s Market, Price Cutter, Ramey, Rhodes Family Price Chopper, Summer Fresh, Town & Country Supermarket and Woods Supermarket. Every dollar raised through Check Out Hunger will help provide four meals to children, families and seniors struggling with hunger.

Shoppers will know if their local grocer is participating by looking for Check Out Hunger signs in the checkout lanes. When a customer chooses to add a donation to his or her grocery bill, the cashier scans the donation barcode, and the donor signs a paper apple for display. The tax-free gift is then added to the bill and appears on the receipt.

“Food insecure families tend to struggle even more during the holiday season,” said Bart Brown, president/CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest. “We are incredibly grateful for the grocery stores and their customers who support our mission and help put meals on the table for people facing hunger.”

More than 261,000 individuals across 28 counties receive food assistance from Ozarks Food Harvest. Many of these individuals are food insecure, meaning they don’t know where their next meal will come from. In southwest Missouri, 1 in 5 children and 1 in 7 adults struggle with food insecurity.

Last year, more than $51,000 was donated to help provide more than 205,000 meals to children, families and seniors in southwest Missouri. Since 1998, the holiday campaign has collected more than $565,000, providing 2.68 million meals.

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About Ozarks Food Harvest — The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, providing food to 270 organizations across 28 Ozarks counties serving 261,000 unduplicated individuals. The Food Bank provides more than 18.5 million meals annually. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest.