Ozarks Food Harvest invests $800,000 to feed families during record-long government shutdown
At a time when 1 in 5 children and 1 in 6 adults in Ozarks Food Harvest’s service area face hunger, missing a paycheck or not having money for groceries is devastating.
When the government shutdown began in October, up to 23,000 federal workers in our service area were affected. They ended up missing partial paychecks, then full paychecks in October.
Ozarks Food Harvest responded quickly, ordering $45,000 in extra food and hosting four free drive-thru grocery distributions for federal workers and their families. Thanks to these distributions, more than 3,500 people received nutritious food to sustain them during an uncertain time.
Shelly, spouse of a furloughed federal employee and mother of five, received groceries from one of the drive-thru distributions. Families like Shelly’s were faced with unexpected paycheck disruptions in an already challenging and expensive time of year. As always, Ozarks Food Harvest worked hard to ensure our neighbors had nutritious food on the table.
Shelly shared, “This really helps take the strain off of us being able to feed the kids, considering that money is tight and things are more expensive than ever. And we really appreciate the help.”
As the government shutdown continued, The Food Bank faced a new concern. In our 28-county service area, more than 135,000 individuals receive SNAP benefits – and on November 1, folks began missing their benefits due to the lapse in federal funding. With uncertainty surrounding when or if SNAP benefits would be distributed for November, Ozarks Food Harvest prepared for the increased need.
That’s when The Food Bank began treating the shutdown like a disaster response. In addition to supporting federal workers, we made additional unbudgeted purchases to support our neighbors. Ozarks Food Harvest purchased $500,000 of additional food and released $300,000 in grants to our partner charities to ensure our neighbors didn’t go without food.
During challenging situations like this, Ozarks Food Harvest pours resources and funds into the communities we serve to ensure folks in the Ozarks have access to the food they need. This important work wouldn’t be possible without generous supporters like you. Today and every day, your help is ensuring children, families and seniors across southwest Missouri have food on the table. I extend my gratitude to each of you who trusts us with your gifts. Thank you for being a part of our mission to Transform Hunger into Hope.