When Mary Magnus retired from teaching, she had one main goal: Get out of the house every day. So, when her son told her about Ozarks Food Harvest, she jumped at the chance to get involved for herself and her community.
Help Springfield Public Schools raise food and funds by partnering with a local school for Ozarks Food Harvest’s 13th annual Food Fight on March 18-29, 2024.
A year ago, Susan Johnson and her adult son Ben were searching for a place to volunteer. They were looking for an organization where Ben, who has autism, could get involved with helping the community, but they hadn’t quite found that right fit – until they came to Ozarks Food Harvest.
In a time of unprecedented need, ongoing challenges and new successes, Ozarks Food Harvest is celebrating milestones as a reminder of just how important our mission to Transform Hunger into Hope is for the future of our communities. In December, The Food Bank held our first milestone event to celebrate donating our 6 millionth meal to Least of These and 25 years of partnership.
As we transition from the holiday season into 2024, Ozarks Food Harvest is still serving more than 70,000 individuals each month – nearly 20,000 more than during the height of the COVID-19 crisis. People are experiencing the daunting challenges of winter, including higher utility bills, childcare, housing and food costs. Although thousands of donors and volunteers helped us during the holiday season to ensure families could put a meal on the table, there’s still work to be done.
I’m so proud to share with you that Ozarks Food Harvest received a superior food safety score of 955 out of 1,000 from AIB International this fiscal year! We also earned a perfect score for our cleanliness and sanitation practices in our warehouse.
If you, or someone you love, are looking for ways to make a difference for future generations, Ozarks Food Harvest offers planned giving opportunities. A planned gift is a powerful way to extend your charitable giving beyond your lifetime and leave a legacy of hope for our neighbors facing hunger.
For Chris McCune, working with seniors is a mission much more than it is a job. She’s the regional services director for Care Connection for Aging Services, the umbrella agency that operates the Rivers Crossing Life Center in Osceola. Chris began her career in senior services at the Rivers Crossing Life Center, and her powerful stories remind us why senior centers like these are so impactful.
Ozarks Food Harvest is asking community members to help provide 2,024 meals in 2024 by participating in their Resolve to Get Involved volunteer campaign.