Ozarks Food Harvest and iHeartMedia’s 21st annual Hungerthon wrapped up on Sept. 9, collecting $156,564 for the Weekend Backpack Program. The initiative provides more than 1,600 food-insecure children with food to take home every Friday throughout the entire school year. One in five children in southwest Missouri struggle with hunger, especially on the weekends when school meals aren’t available.
Every Monday and Thursday, Warren Satterfield drives into Springfield from his farm in Elkland to help sort and pack food for hungry families in the Ozarks.
As the only food pantry in Douglas County, Heart of the Hills in Ava serves more than 300 families a month. This agency—which is run primarily by volunteers—provides more than just food for people who are struggling to make ends meet. The agency also area assists residents with rent payments, insurance, and donations of hygiene items and clothing.
Madison Hays, a senior at Missouri State University, began volunteering with Ozarks Food Harvest to fulfill a scholarship obligation. But even after meeting the 120-hour requirement this summer, she kept coming back.
Race-goers showed up in a big way at Lucas Oil Speedway’s annual food drive at the end of July!
For 175 years, YMCAs across the country have developed as communities invite them to meet specific needs. In 2008, the Buffalo community made a commitment to focus on health and youth sports, and the Dallas County Area YMCA was created.
Hello from the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief!
Summertime is upon us. Children are enjoying long days spent playing baseball with their friends or swimming in the neighborhood pool. During this sunny, fun-filled season, parents try to keep their pantries and refrigerators stocked with extra meals and snacks for hungry kids.
Hundreds of family relatives—particularly grandparents—become parents the second time around when their children experience difficulties and grandchildren need care. These “grandfamilies” must adapt to an entirely new lifestyle—which includes figuring out how to provide food for a child.
As members of Feeding America, every food bank in the country is required to undergo a comprehensive audit every two to four years. It was Ozarks Food Harvest’s turn this spring. The process is designed to ensure we are checking all the boxes in our contract with Feeding America, and it helps us learn about how we can improve. It also gives us a chance to share our company culture and passion.
When Charley and Trudy Bowen moved to Springfield from Dixon to live closer to their three daughters, they knew they wanted to start volunteering somewhere right away. Since the couple had donated to Ozarks Food Harvest in the past, they decided to try volunteering.