Ozarks Food Harvest earns 13th consecutive Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator
For the 13th year in a row, Ozarks Food Harvest has received a Four-Star Rating – the highest rating possible given to charities – from Charity Navigator. I’m proud to share this news with you because it means that Charity Navigator, America’s largest and most utilized independent charity evaluator, recognizes The Food Bank as of the most effective hunger-relief charities in the nation.
Charity Navigator’s rating designates Ozarks Food Harvest as an official “Give with Confidence” charity, indicating that The Food Bank is using your donations effectively and responsibly to help fight hunger right here in our communities. The rating encompasses four categories, including Accountability & Finance, Culture & Community, Impact & Results and Leadership & Adaptability.
At Ozarks Food Harvest, 96 cents of every dollar donated goes directly towards food distribution and hunger-relief programs. This is especially important to us because we want to invest in our local communities to make them better. We do that through supporting our network of 270 partner charities with food deliveries and grants to increase their reach and capacity to feed our neighbors.
“We are delighted to provide Ozarks Food Harvest with third-party accreditation that validates their operational excellence,” said Michael Thatcher, president and CEO of Charity Navigator. “The Four-Star Rating is the highest possible rating an organization can achieve. We are eager to see the good work that Ozarks Food Harvest is able to accomplish in the years ahead.”
Receiving a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator demonstrates Ozarks Food Harvest’s commitment to ending hunger across the Ozarks while being a good steward of every dollar you donate. We’re grateful to our community for helping us provide food for our neighbors facing hunger.
Ozarks Food Harvest reaches more than 70,000 individuals monthly and provides more than 21 million meals annually across our 28-county service area. In the past year, we have purchased more than $2 million worth of food and awarded $400,000 in grant funds to our network of faith-based and community charities to meet the increased demand for food across a third of the state of Missouri.
Your donations also support our neighbors in need with programs like our Mobile Food Pantry, Senior Produce Pantries and the Weekend Backpack Program, which provides weekend meals for children facing hunger. Additionally, we provide holiday meals each year so our neighbors can come together to enjoy the season with their loved ones.
As we enter this holiday season, I extend my gratitude to each of you who trusts us with your gifts. Together, we’re making a difference in the lives of children, families and seniors across southwest Missouri. Thank you for being part of our mission.