Like hunger, domestic abuse can affect anyone. Take it from Juliana Billington, program manager at Genesis: A Place of New Beginnings, who shares, “Domestic violence and trafficking have no prejudice. There’s not just one category our clients fall in because abuse affects all kinds of people.” No matter the story, Genesis offers free and confidential services to survivors of domestic, sexual and trafficking violence and their children. A partnership with Ozarks Food Harvest ensures survivors have the food and support they need for a fresh start.
If you meet Lauren Pyle, you might remember her smile. That’s because Lauren likes to have a smile on her face wherever she goes in the hopes she might put one on someone else’s face, too. Lauren has had a compassionate heart for a long time, and for nearly two years, she’s brought hope to our neighbors facing hunger by volunteering at Ozarks Food Harvest.
John Deere is a company focused on advancing humanity, and Dave Ahlstrand, manager of financial analysis at John Deere Reman, says the best way to do that is to first address basic necessities. “Making sure people have access to food – What’s a higher purpose than that?” he says. “When people can’t eat or feed children, they won’t have the energy to accomplish anything else.”
An important part of aging is staying connected – to people and resources – but for older adults, staying connected is more difficult. If you’re a senior in the Bolivar area, SeniorAge Bolivar is ready to connect you to the food and services you need to thrive at the Polk County Senior Center.
Hunger isn’t always obvious. In children and teens, hunger disguises itself as behavioral issues, dropping grades and isolation. Perhaps no one knows this better than teachers and school staff, who are often the first to identify when students aren’t getting enough to eat at home. Crocker School Pantry coordinator and library aide Jackie Scholfield is all too familiar with the effects of child hunger.
Thanks to supporters like you, Ozarks Food Harvest provided 20 million meals through our network of faith-based and community charities across a third of the state of Missouri in the past year.
Right now, we’re dealing with an emergency. The demand for food assistance in southwest Missouri continues to increase every month to be higher than it was during the peak of the pandemic. In June 2023, The Food Bank’s network of faith-based and community charities served more than 70,000 individuals in a month; that’s nearly 20,000 more than during the height of the COVID crisis.
The 25th annual Hungerthon was a success, raising $252,900, which will provide 703 children with nutritious meals and snacks every weekend of the school year!
Dr. Sunthosh (Sunny) Parvathaneni is a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist at Mercy Hospital. He manages cardiac arrhythmias, implant devices and cardiac ablations. In other words, he specializes in heart rhythm problems. As you might expect, he has a busy schedule, which is exactly why he takes the time to volunteer at Ozarks Food Harvest.
Ozarks Food Harvest and iHeartRadio Springfield’s 25th annual Hungerthon wrapped up this afternoon, collecting $252,900 for The Food Bank’s Weekend Backpack Program. Community members and businesses came together for this four-day event to provide 703 kids facing hunger with nutritious meals every weekend of the school year.
