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24th annual Check Out Hunger campaign for The Food Bank runs through Dec. 31

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Ozarks Food Harvest is partnering with more than 60 local grocers for their 24th annual Check Out Hunger campaign to help provide meals for families this holiday season. The campaign begins Nov. 1 and continues through Dec. 31.

Check Out Hunger allows customers to round-up or add a $1, $3 or $5 tax-free donation to their grocery bill when checking out at local retailers. Every dollar raised through Check Out Hunger will help provide $10 worth of groceries to children, families and seniors facing hunger in southwest Missouri.

This year, participating grocers include Apple Market, Country Mart, Harter House, King Cash Saver, King Food Saver, Price Cutter, Ramey, Rhodes Family Price Chopper, Town & Country Supermarket and Woods Supermarket. Participating grocery stores will also have Check Out Hunger signs at the checkout lanes.

When a customer decides to donate to the campaign, the cashier scans the donation barcode and the tax-free gift is added to their grocery bill. The cashier also provides the customer a paper apple to sign and display at the store to show their support for hunger relief.

“We’re planning to see more families needing food assistance this holiday season as food prices continue to increase due to inflation,” said Bart Brown, president/CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest. “We’re so thankful for our local grocers and community members for stepping up to help their neighbors in need during this critical time.”

In southwest Missouri, 1 in 5 children and 1 in 6 adults face hunger, meaning they don’t know where their next meal will come from. Ozarks Food Harvest reaches nearly 50,000 individuals monthly and provides more than 20 million meals annually across its 28-county service area.

Last year, Ozarks Food Harvest’s Check Out Hunger campaign raised nearly $54,000 to help provide more than 210,000 meals to children, families and seniors in southwest Missouri. Since 1998, the holiday campaign has collected more than $730,000 — providing 3.3 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, serving 270 hunger-relief organizations across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank reaches 50,000 individuals monthly and provides more than 20 million meals annually. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest, or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest.