Member Agencies

Together we are Transforming Hunger into Hope

Thank you for your hard work on the front lines of hunger relief! Ozarks Food Harvest’s member agencies, including food pantries, feeding sites and other partner organizations, have many benefits. In addition to food, funds and training provided by Ozarks Food Harvest, your agency can access food safety information and other resources online to support your mission.

For online ordering, click below. If you have questions, contact an OFH Member Services representative at (417) 380-5007 or memberservices@ozarksfoodharvest.org.

Order Login

Food Safety

FOOD SAFETY IS FIRST

Food and non-food items donated to Ozarks Food Harvest are carefully handled and tracked throughout the distribution process so that product retrieval is possible in the event of a recall.

Sign-up to receive notification emails for recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts from the FDA. Download the widget for a website or blog.

The O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief is AIB certified and has earned a superior food safety certification rating for six years. As a Feeding America food bank, OFH adheres to the same guidelines grocers and manufacturers must follow. Many OFH food bankers are also ServSafe certified.

All OFH member agencies must be trained in food safety

Food safety is an important aspect of our work to end hunger and Ozarks Food Harvest is committed to providing continued training opportunities in food safety practices to our members. OFH requires  at least two staff members from each agency (pantry and feeding sites) trained in food safety.

The Food Bank offers its Food Safety Training for all network members for free. The course is held at Ozarks Food Harvest, 2810 N. Cedarbrook in Springfield. To register for an upcoming Food Safety Training, select the appropriate course date listed. Click on the date you would like to attend to register.

Pantries are required to attend OFH food safety classes in order to receive information suited for the food banking/food pantry industry.

If your feeding site has a team member who has already earned a food safety training certificate — via ServSafe or the Springfield-Greene County Health Department — simply scan and email the certificate to memberservices@ozarksfoodharvest.org. Certificates are also accepted via fax at (417) 865-0504 and through mail at P.O. Box 5746, Springfield, MO 65801-5746.

Food Safety Training

Please wear closed toe shoes if you would like to tour the food bank after Food Safety class.

Wednesday April 24, 2024  1-3 p.m.
Wednesday, May 22, 2024 1-3 p.m.

OFH offers product extensions and inspection guidelines

As you probably know, the FDA allows manufacturers to stamp products with an expiration date, however, in most instances, this date is not intended to be a food safety date. The date actually helps the seller determine how long to keep the product on display and to help the consumer use the product when it is of best quality. To determine if food donations are still safe to consume, view OFH’s Product Extension dates.

If volunteers are inspecting donations made to your agency on-site, review Ozarks Food Harvest’s Inspection Guidelines made available to all Food Bank volunteers. Utilizing these guidelines will more consistently yield a safe and quality product. It can also increase your client satisfaction and help to efficiently train your volunteers.

Senior Food Program

Is your agency in compliance?

Are your refrigerators and freezers maintaining proper temperatures? Is your food stored properly? Is your civil rights poster visible to your clients? These questions and others are addressed when Ozarks Food Harvest staff visit your agency for routine monitoring.

View the form Food Bank staff utilizes during the member monitoring process. All members are required to send at least one staff, board member or volunteer to The Food Bank’s annual conference for its agency partners.

Agency Membership Agreement

Mobile Pantry Program

The Healthy Food Bank Hub

RECIPES WITH PANTRY CLIENTS IN MIND

For low-income and food-insecure individuals and families, choosing and preparing Foods to Encourage can be as difficult as accessing these foods. Some recipes — although very nutritious — might call for expensive, less common pantry items, or require inaccessible kitchen tools. When on a limited budget, it can be difficult to find healthy recipes that are also inexpensive to prepare. The Hub’s recipes have been evaluated with the needs and barriers in mind for individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.

Learn MoreAccess the Hub's Recipes

Agency Resources

2024 AGENCY CONFERENCE

We hope to get something on the calendar for 2024. Stay tuned.

OZARKS FOOD HARVEST IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING SUPPORT for ITS MEMBERS

In order to effectively meet the urgent needs of our members, Ozarks Food Harvest is now offering “Urgent Need” grants on a rolling basis.

That’s right! OFH Members can now apply for a grant anytime!

OFH Members may request funding for up to $50,000 for operational costs and/or to obtain capital assets (shelving, pallet jacks, coolers, freezers, etc.) What does our organization need to better serve your community and decrease the food insecurity rate? It may not be one single item, but rather a combination of items.

For full details, please see FY24 Urgent Need Grant Application Guidelines.

For your convenience, a “Sample Application Worksheet” can be found here.

To begin the application process, please follow this link: https://ozarksfoodharvest.org/fy24-urgent-needs-grant/

Open requests for proposals are competitive and we are limited in the number of requests we can support each year, so there is no guarantee of funding.

Civil Rights Training

Ozarks Food Harvest is required by contractual relationships with Feeding America and The Department of Social Services, Food Distribution Unit, to provide Civil Rights training to all of our member agencies on an annual basis.  Being treated with dignity and respect is certainly something we all expect and desire. This becomes even more important when we are facing difficult times and are in the position of asking for assistance from others. Our federal government believes this is such a crucial issue that people need an annual refresher to reinforce proper civil rights and responsibilities.

AND JUSTICE FOR ALL POSTER

USDA AGENCIES: All staff/volunteers will review the Civil Rights State Power Point then answer 10 Civil Rights Quiz questions.

NON-USDA AGENCIES: All staff/volunteers will review the Civil Rights Training Manual then answer 10 Civil Rights Quiz questions.

Once all staff/volunteers have completed training, they will sign off on the documentation form.

Throughout the year, a copy of the training documentation must always be kept up to date (current staff/volunteers) and made readily available, in the event of an audit.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
1. mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email:
program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

All of Ozarks Food Harvest’s partner agencies comply with a non-discrimination policy and are prohibited from refusing service to anyone based on race, creed, religious or political affiliation, gender or sexual preferences. Agencies are also prohibited from requiring participation in any religious services or activities in exchange for Ozarks Food Harvest’s food or services.