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Food bank offers matching grants to agencies to fight hunger in local communities

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Local hunger-relief agencies will have the opportunity to receive a dollar-for-dollar matching grant, thanks to a $125,000 gift from the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program to Ozarks Food Harvest.

Forty-one pantries and eight feeding sites applied to receive the pass-through grants from Ozarks Food Harvest. The agencies will have until March 1 to fundraise in their own communities to receive the dollar-for-dollar matching grant.

“This is the seventh year Walmart has partnered with us for the Hunger Challenge,” said Bart Brown, president/CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest. “It’s a great opportunity for our pantries and programs to obtain nutritious food with this grant money. At Ozarks Food Harvest, we’re able to stretch every $1 donated to provide $10 worth of food. This allows us to use each gift to its greatest potential, which is turn helps more children, families and seniors in need.”

Since 2010, Ozarks Food Harvest has awarded more than 250 pass-through grants through gifts totaling $634,900 from Walmart, leveraging the State Giving Program’s donations to more than $1.26 million.

The Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program supports organizations, like Ozarks Food Harvest, that create opportunities so people can live better, awarding grants that have a lasting impact on communities across the U.S.

“Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to creating opportunities for people to live better every day, which is why we support outstanding nonprofit organizations like Ozarks Food Harvest,” said Gary Rains, Walmart Market Manager. “We applaud the organization’s efforts to eliminate hunger and food insecurity in southwest Missouri, and we are proud to help Ozarks Food Harvest continue its ongoing work to bring nutritious food to the tables of those who need it most.”

Ozarks Food Harvest was the first food bank in Missouri to award grants to its partner nonprofits and has been recognized nationally for its efforts. In its last fiscal year, Ozarks Food Harvest provided $223,000 in agency grants.

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have committed to providing 4 billion meals to those in need from 2015 to 2020 through grants and food donations from Walmart stores, Sam’s Clubs and distribution centers. In addition, since 2005, Walmart has donated 3 billion pounds of food to Feeding America food banks, the equivalent of 2.5 billion 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 more than 200 organizations across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank provides 14.6 million meals annually to more than 261,000 unduplicated individuals. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest.