Turkey Trot provides 6,600 meals
This year more than 8,300 runners and walkers took part in what has become a Thanksgiving tradition in Springfield.
News
Kevin & Liz win AFP Award
Back in 1999, Kevin Howard and Liz Delany never imagined a new on-air fundraiser for Ozarks Food Harvest would be a success – let alone raise $1.66 million over the next 18 years.
Vital Farms to donate 1 million eggs by 2016
It is no secret that eggs are a nutritional source of protein.
However, sources of protein continue to remain on Ozarks Food Harvest’s list of most-needed items. For people with allergies, a jar of peanut butter is not an option and meat is not always available.
Give time during the holidays
Join Ozarks Food Harvest’s mission to Transform Hunger into Hope with your gift of time. Individual and group volunteers are needed to sort donations, assemble Weekend Backpacks and build Senior Food boxes.
Local student volunteers, learns lessons
A passion for helping others drove Amanda Kirkpatrick, a senior at Missouri State University, to major in elementary education.
However, it wasn’t until she volunteered at Ozarks Food Harvest that she realized the scope of what a teacher can do to help make a difference in the lives of students who are hungry.
Cans for Coffee drive provides 56,000 meals
Ozarks Food Harvest received a large truckload of nonperishable food this fall, thanks to the ninth annual McDonald’s Cans for Coffee food drive.
More than sixty area McDonald’s restaurants collected 27,254 pounds of food. The donation makes Cans for Coffee one of Ozarks Food Harvest’s largest food drives.
Thanksgiving race helps those in need
As part of an annual Thanksgiving tradition, local racers come together to collect food for Ozarks Food Harvest and participate in Turkey Trot, the largest Thanksgiving Day 5K in Missouri.
Denise Gibson: Annual campaign a success
Each fall, my team organizes Hunger Action Month, a 30-day campaign to encourage community members to take action against hunger.
Although the campaign takes a lot of planning and preparation, it makes it all worth it when I see how the community comes together to help its neighbors.
Hungerthon, our largest fundraiser of the year, raised $140,447. It was great to visit with so many long-time supporters of the event who continue to be motivated by our mission to help kids come back to school on Mondays with full stomachs.
Bart Brown: SNAP fills in gap for seniors
Ozarks Food Harvest does more than supply food – it provides a network of hope to struggling children, families and seniors right here in our community.
Because we’re committed to providing a hand up, not simply a hand out, our network of 200 hunger-relief charities provide services like nutrition education, skills classes and even promoting job fairs and helping people sign up for SNAP, all in addition to food distribution.
Pantries give hope, help to families
Natalie and Ricky work hard to provide for themselves and their nine-month-old daughter. But sometimes there isn’t enough money to ensure there’s something to eat.
“I work two jobs, she’s a stay at home mom,” said Ricky. “With all the other expenses we have … a little help is needed. By the time I pay the rent and utilities and car insurance, we come up short on food often.”
Natalie and Ricky are able to get the food assistance they need at Crosslines, an Ozarks Food Harvest member pantry in Springfield.