Ozarks Food Harvest needs community’s vote to help “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.”
Top 50 U.S. Food Banks with most votes win funding from Walmart’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.”
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Ozarkers can help bring $60,000 to southwest Missouri to feed more families in need simply by casting a vote for Ozarks Food Harvest at Walmart.com/fighthunger now through Oct. 5.
Walmart’s Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign launched yesterday and is giving the top 50 Feeding America food banks a share of a $3 million donation.
Ozarks Food Harvest is one of six food banks in Missouri, and it serves more than 200 nonprofit organizations across 28 counties. The Food Bank has selected seven of its 200-plus member agencies to share the $60,000 gift with, if it should be one of the top 50 food banks with the most votes by Oct. 5.
Those agencies include:
- Ann Short Turner Community Center children’s program in Mansfield
- Calvary Chapel Food Pantry in Buffalo
- Lafayette House women & children’s shelter in Joplin
- Least of These food pantry in Nixa
- Mountain Grove Love Center food pantry in Mountain Grove
- Dade County Neighborhood Center mobile pantry in Greenfield
- Southwest Missouri Office on Aging senior centers in Springfield
“This voting campaign launches during a critical time,” said OFH Development Director Denise Gibson. “Not only is it National Hunger Action Month, but it’s also a time when we have a growing need for donations because of historically high rates of those requesting assistance. Here in the Ozarks, people struggling with hunger continues to be a big problem.”
Community members can vote once per day and must have a Facebook account for verification purposes. Voting resets every 24 hours.
“Hunger remains a serious issue in our country as millions of Americans don’t know where their next meal will come from. By engaging our associates, customers and suppliers in the fight against hunger, we can make a positive impact on this issue and ensure families have access to the healthier and nutritious food they need,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation and senior vice president of Walmart Sustainability. “Through this initiative, we’re giving everyone in America the opportunity to make a difference by simply voting online for their local food bank.”
To participate in the voting campaign, learn more about the program, including details on participating products, go to www.walmart.com/fighthunger.
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About Ozarks Food Harvest The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving 200 organizations across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank distributes 12.5 million meals annually to more than 260,000 unduplicated individuals. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest.