Media

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Ozarks Food Harvest, the only food bank serving 29 counties in southwest Missouri, recently welcomed six new members to its Board of Directors: Lori Barnes of Arlington Health Care, Jim Guthrie of Prime Trucking, Kevin Mackey of Springfield Brewing Company, Mike Pinkston of Bank of America, Todd Sherman of Kraft, Inc. and Jeff Tynes of Springfield Grocer Company.

Ozarks Food Harvest distributed more than four million pounds of food to over 300 hunger relief agencies last year, and has seen a 44 percent increase in the requests for food assistance in the last four years.

In the last year the number of families living in poverty in Springfield and the surrounding counties has increased, and the demand for more food and the demand on the food bank’s ability to secure and deliver more food to its 300 agencies are growing on a monthly basis, according to the food bank.

To meet this need, the food bank embarked on a Compassion in Action capital campaign to construct a new building, which will allow Ozarks Food Harvest to double its current distribution of food to the impoverished working poor, children and elderly in the Ozarks.

The food bank needs to secure an additional $1.3 million to bring in over $1.1 million of out-of-state funds through challenge grants from foundations such as The Kresge Foundation of Troy, Michigan and The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“We’re excited that the board elected to pursue this campaign,” executive director Bart Brown, said. “Thousands of hungry children and their parents depend upon us to help them reach the next week of their lives, and our board members’ commitment to our organization has and continues to have a dramatic impact on the lives of our fellow citizens.”

Ozarks Food Harvest’s Board of Directors is comprised of 21 members who meet monthly and assist in food bank fundraising activities and events.

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To learn more, contact Lindsey Neddenriep at (417) 865-3411.