Volunteer Appreciation Week
Each April, nonprofits across the country take the time to recognize the amazing work of their volunteers for National Volunteer Month.
News
Stamp Out Hunger with Local Letter Carriers
On Saturday, May 12, local hunger heroes will help Stamp Out Hunger in the Ozarks by placing bags of nonperishable food items near their mailboxes. Throughout the day, letter carriers will pick up the bags and deliver them to Ozarks Food Harvest’s food pantries, which help hungry people across southwest Missouri.
Nose to Nose: Red Nose Day 2018
It’s almost time to put our noses on to help end child poverty. On May 24, people around the world will come together to raise money for kids who need it most. In three years, the program has raised over $100 million and changed the lives of over eight million children across the globe.
Arvest Bank’s Eighth 1 Million Meals Initiative is in Full Swing
Each year, Arvest Bank challenges bank associates, customers and community members to participate in raising funds and food donations to help feed neighbors in need.
Capital Campaign Fully Funded
Supporters step up to meet the Mabee Challenge Grant.
Ozarks Food Harvest donors helped us meet a $700,000 J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation Challenge Grant. These funds will go toward building our 56,000-foot expansion.
Boy Scouts go scouting for food in March
Area Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are true Hunger Heroes. For the past 29 years, the Scouts have been collecting food during their Scouting for Food drive, and this year they will do it again.
Lucky’s Market partners with Ozarks Food Harvest
Exciting news at The Food Bank as we announce our newest retail partnership with Springfield’s latest organic grocery store, Lucky’s Market, which opened on Wednesday, Jan. 10.
Holiday boxes help struggling families
Without help from her local food pantry, Beth, a mother of two from rural Barton County, said she doesn’t know how she’d get through the holidays.
“We cut costs every possible way we can think of,” she said. “My husband works, but it’s not enough income for a family of four, and childcare costs a lot so we chose for me to not work.”
Beth said the holidays can be hard with Thanksgiving and Christmas meals to plan for, as well as figuring out how she will afford presents for her daughter, Dominique, and son, Titus.
Kum & Go partnership provides fresh meals
Kum & Go and Ozarks Food Harvest are partnering for a new food rescue program that began this fall. As the newest Retail Pick-Up partner, Kum & Go donates safe, prepared excess food to Ozarks Food Harvest’s partner agencies.
Items donated include breakfast sandwiches, hot and cold lunch sandwiches, salad and produce, fresh packaged bread and bakery items.
“As we continue to look for ways to reduce waste, help our communities and tackle hunger close to home, we are excited to get the program up and running,” said Derek Nelson, sustainability manager for Kum & Go.
Walmart Grant Helps 66 Agencies
This year marks the eighth time the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program has awarded a pass-through grant to Ozarks Food Harvest to provide funding for its member pantries and programs.
Walmart’s gift of $125,000 in grants was divided among 66 member agencies selected by The Food Bank. Because of the power of this matching grant, the total impact will be $250,000. Agencies have until February to raise the matching funds.
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 long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the U.S.