Ozarks Food Harvest sets goal to raise $30,000 during Give Ozarks
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — One in four children in southwest Missouri may not know where their next meal will come from. Ozarks Food Harvest is asking the community to help these kids struggling with hunger by making a donation during the third annual Give Ozarks online day of giving on May 9.
The regional food bank has set a goal to raise $30,000 for its Weekend Backpack Program during the midnight to midnight drive. The Weekend Backpack Program provides 60,000 bags of food annually to kids in 60 schools across the Ozarks. Every donation of $8 will provide one child a bag of food filled with six meals for the weekend.
“We’re thrilled to participate in Give Ozarks because it gives us a chance to share about our mission to make sure no child is hungry,” said Bart Brown, president/CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest. “It’s also a great opportunity for fellow nonprofits to work together for initiatives, such as our Weekend Backpack Program, that strengthen our community.”
All donations made through Give Ozarks will ensure that at-risk children receive bags filled with nutritious, easy-open meals every weekend. If the goal is met, children in three participating schools will be sponsored for an entire year.
“We are so thankful for Ozarks Food Harvest because you all are the ones who are truly meeting our kids’ basic needs,” said Becky Ash, principal at Pipkin Middle School. “We have lots of resources here at Pipkin that can support the academic side for our students, but they aren’t going to be ready to learn until their basic needs are met, so therefore, we’re so thankful for the Backpack Program.”
Give Ozarks sponsor DairiConcepts will match the first $10,000 donated on May 9, and BluCurrent Credit Union, Bohannon Auto Services, Commerce Bank, Cox Roofing and Mercy Hospital-Springfield made one-time donations that will help The Food Bank reach its goal.
Area restaurants have partnered with Ozarks Food Harvest to encourage their customers to donate. Anyone who gives during Give Ozarks can get these deals: Big Momma’s Coffee, free coffee or half-off a specialty drink; Kingdom Coffee, 25 percent off seasonal drinks; and Neighbor’s Mill Bakery & Café, a variety of deals based donation amount.
Making a secure donation is simple. On May 9, donors can log onto giveozarks.org/2017/ofh to complete a secure and simple credit card donation. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by the IRS.
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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 15.5 million meals annually to more than 261,000 unduplicated individuals. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest.