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The Food Bank will use the funds to continue combating the issue of hunger in southwest Missouri

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Ozarks Food Harvest received an $8,000 general operating grant from The Darden Foundation, thanks to Feeding America. The generous unrestricted grant will allow The Food Bank to provide more support for the one in five children and one in seven adults that suffer from food insecurity in the Ozarks.

“Hunger does not discriminate. We serve nearly 30,000 children, adults and seniors in the Ozarks each week,” said Bart Brown, president/CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest. “This generous grant from The Darden Foundation will go a long way as we continue to live out our mission of Transforming Hunger into Hope.”

Ozarks Food Harvest—a Feeding America food bank—serves 261,300 unduplicated individuals each year in 28 counties throughout the Ozarks, and every one dollar donated provides four meals to people in need. With both food and fund donations, The Food Bank provides more than 1.4 million meals per month to children, families and seniors in need.

The Darden Foundation is committed to supporting families facing food insecurity in communities across the United States. Their commitment to help is demonstrated through their partnership with Feeding America and their network of 200 food banks across the nation. Darden restaurants located in Ozarks Food Harvest’s service area include Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen.

Feeding America has worked alongside The Darden Foundation for six years in the fight to end hunger. Thanks to their ongoing support, the Feeding America network has been able to help provide even more nutritious meals to families in need.

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About Ozarks Food Harvest — The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving 270 organizations across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank provides more than 17 million meals annually to more than 261,000 unduplicated individuals. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest.

About Darden Restaurants and The Darden Foundation
Darden is a restaurant company featuring a portfolio of differentiated brands that include Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze and Eddie V’s. Our people equal our success, and we are proud to employ 180,000 team members in more than 1,700 restaurants. Together, we create memorable experiences for 380 million guests each year in communities across North America. The Darden Foundation works to bring to life our spirit of service through its philanthropic support of charitable organizations across the country. Since 1995, The Darden Foundation has awarded more than $90 million in grants to non-profit organizations such as Feeding America, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and American Red Cross. For more information, please visit www.darden.com.