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In Oregon County, where food insecurity rates are higher than the southwest Missouri average, people saw that their neighbors needed help and came together to make the incredible happen.

The Oregon County Food Pantry in Thayer served their neighbors for years from a building that they borrowed rent-free, but when the building’s owners said they were going to have to start charging rent, pantry leaders weren’t sure how they were going to stay open. The pantry’s funding is based entirely on grants and local donations, meaning their limited budget couldn’t accommodate the rent costs. It could have been the end of the program.

Instead, just seven months ago the pantry relocated to a new building – built from the ground up by community volunteers who knew this resource was too important to end.

“I remember a lady coming through that worked at one of the local gas stations,” said Terri Wrenfrow, the pantry’s administrator. “She was living in an extended stay motel. She was getting agitated while filling out paperwork because she thought we weren’t going to help her. I went and got her some food, and man, she started crying. She said, ‘I’m just hungry,’ and she sat there and ate it in front of me, crying.”

Those are the stories that motivated the community to step up. The City of Thayer helped find a lot to build on, county commissioners awarded funds to buy materials, local churches and residents donated, and volunteers with skilled labor experience helped build it all. It was a labor of love made possible by compassionate neighbors. Now, the pantry’s new location serves as many as 200 families each month.

“Everywhere we turned, there was just unbelievable help,” Terri shared. “It’s a miracle really. There would have been no way that we could have done this without [community support]. Everything just fell into place.”

Hunger-relief programs are important in towns like Thayer because rural areas disproportionately experience high levels of food insecurity. Factors such as limited job opportunities, long distances to grocery stores and resources, and limited transportation make it hard for many residents to make ends meet. In Oregon County, 1 in 5 people in experience food insecurity compared to 1 in 6 people across all of southwest Missouri. On top of that, families and seniors have been dealing with rising grocery costs with little relief.

“Food prices definitely have made a big difference,” Terri shared. “We only have one grocery store in our area, and there’s just two in Oregon County. Then we have three dollar stores that have started to carry food items, but none of ours have fresh produce.”

Ozarks Food Harvest’s goal is to make sure our neighbors have the nutritious meals they need to thrive. Thanks to donations of food, money and time, The Food Bank is able to source product for free or discounted prices and distribute it to our partner charities at no extra charge.

Terri said, “I don’t believe we could probably keep our doors open without Ozarks Food Harvest because we don’t have that much funding. We try to order as much free food as we can. We’re on a very tight budget each month for what we can purchase, and it’s much more reasonable for us to purchase it from Ozarks Food Harvest.”

The Food Bank is proud to support our partner pantries because we know how hard they work to care for their community. The Oregon County Food Pantry in Thayer is run entirely by volunteers, including the pantry’s director – 93-year-old Beverly Harris. They show up month after month because they care about their neighbors.

As Terri explained, “Our citizens here would definitely have hardships if we were no longer able to continue the pantry. This helps so many people out. Families or senior citizens, it just gives them a little boost and lets them know that our community cares.”

Right now, a major concern for Terri is keeping enough food on the shelves to serve their neighbors. With high food prices, slashed government funding and record-high food insecurity, it’s hard for charities to keep up. You can help the Oregon County Food Pantry by donating food and funds directly, or by giving to Ozarks Food Harvest. For every $1 you donate to Ozarks Food Harvest, we can turn that into $10 worth of groceries for a family facing hunger.

Thank you to the Oregon County Food Pantry for your determination to serve the community. Transforming Hunger into Hope doesn’t happen without your hard work.