We applaud the organization’s efforts to eliminate hunger and food insecurity in southwest Missouri, and we are proud to help Ozarks Food Harvest continue its ongoing work to bring nutritious food to the tables of those who need it most.Gary Rains, Market Manager of area Walmart Neighborhood Markets
Retail Pick-Up
35 percent of the meals Ozarks Food Harvest provides comes from area retail partners
The Food Bank coordinates pick-ups of product donations from more than 100 grocers every week. These donations account for roughly 5.6 million pounds of food that Ozarks Food Harvest distributes annually. Rescuing food before it goes to waste, OFH quickly delivers the product to its network of pantries and food programs to benefit those in need.
Retail Pick-Up donations include fresh produce, frozen meat, dairy and other perishable goods, as well as nonperishable products. It’s often food that does not meet standards for retail sales but is still safe for consumption. Paper goods and hygiene items that might have packaging defects are also donated. All of these products are carefully inspected and sorted at the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief before being passed to consumers.
Retail Partners
Every week, Food Bank drivers or pantry staff picks up donations from more than 100 area retailers, including these partners.
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Walmart Supercenters
Twenty-six Supercenters are connected directly to OFH member pantries who pick-up the donations in their communities. OFH picks up from eight in the Springfield area.
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Aldi
Food Bank and pantry staff pick up donations from Aldi stores across the Ozarks.
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Neighborhood Markets
Donations from the Walmart Neighborhood Market locations are picked up by The Food Bank and partners weekly.
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Price Cutter
Added in 2017, Food Bank staff pick up food donations from seven Price Cutter stores in Springfield and one in Republic multiple times a week.
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Woods Supermarkets
OFH agencies in communities such as Bolivar and Nevada participate in this donation program.
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Murfin's Markets
Food Bank partners in Ash Grove, Billings, Nixa & Republic pick up from stores in Willard, Ozark, Clever & Marionville.
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Kum & Go markets
Pantries in Christian, Greene and Lawrence counties pick up food from these markets.
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Harps
Three Harps stores in Carl Junction, Anderson and Seligman provide food donations each week to families across the Ozarks.
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Ozarks Grocers
Pennington's in Ash Grove, Rhodes Family Price Chopper in Branson & Richards Brothers in Mtn. Grove all donate every month.
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Sam's Clubs
OFH drivers pick-up from two stores in Springfield, while an OFH agency picks up from SAM's Club in Joplin.
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Target stores
Target in Springfield, Branson & Joplin donate market goods as well as paper products and hygiene items.
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G&W Foods Stores
Sunfest Market is linked to an outlying OFH pantry that benefits.
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Hy-Vee
An OFH driver stops at Hy-Vee Springfield for weekly product donations that add up quickly.
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Fort Leonard Wood Commissary
Food Bank partners in Waynesville pick up donations from the Fort Commissary.
Working together for hunger relief
Walmart Store Donation Program
Ozarks Food Harvest was one of the first Feeding America food banks to implement a Retail Pick-Up Program, serving as a pilot food bank with Walmart in 2008. The success led to the establishment of Walmart’s partnership with food banks across the country, and now several local grocers team up to help reduce waste while feeding those in need. In 2014, a grant from the Walmart Foundation made it possible for OFH to hire a program coordinator.
Grocers and retailers in the Ozarks have an important choice
Let perfectly edible food go to waste — or participate in an alternative that exists to feed local children, families and seniors in need. Ozarks Food Harvest provides a valuable option, even when compared to the secondary market.
Consider these possibilities for donation.
Close-to-code or out-of-code items with extended use-by dates
Discontinued items or test product inventory
Unlabeled items, mislabeled items, private label items or packaging changes
Off-spec items, partial cases or overruns
Promotional or season items
Customer returns, refusals, reclamation or salvage products
Prepared and perishable items or bulk and foodservice-size product—The Food Bank can quickly get it to an agency serving prepared or bulk meals
Donating food and product saves retailers from disposal costs
There is no transportation fee—donations are picked up free of charge
Valuable floor space is not wasted with surplus storage
Product inventory is tracked and monitored for recalls by Ozarks Food Harvest staff
Provide nutritional meals to those in need in the Ozarks
*OFH partner organizations are eligible for a number of tax benefits. For a summary of the effect current tax laws have on the treatment, under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), of donations of appreciated ordinary income property when contributed by corporations to charitable organizations, click here.
Consider a donation of surplus or unsaleable product
Contact Ozarks Food Harvest for donation assistance. The Food Bank can help simplify the process.
