Toni Smith is a hard worker with a master’s degree, two bachelor’s degrees, and a cosmetology license. She’s been the executive director at Carthage Crosslines Ministry for four years, organizing more client choice food options and an on-site shower for folks who don’t have those resources.
Volunteers at the Oregon County Food Pantry in Alton have been diligently supporting their community for 18 years. For much of that time, they distributed food from a borrowed church building, but as their service grew, so did their needs. Now, the pantry’s generosity has come full circle as they serve their neighbors from a new location – which they own!
Substance abuse and addiction affects every part of a person’s life, from relationships, to finances, and even poor nutrition. It’s a tough cycle to break alone. When men are ready to seek help, Adult & Teen Challenge of the Four States in Neosho is there to offer support and education for men to recover and maintain a healthier lifestyle.
For seniors in rural Missouri, greater travel distances make rituals we take for granted, like trips to the grocery store or dinner with friends, a challenge. But the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Region X is making sure seniors in one of Missouri’s most rural areas maintain the healthy and joyful quality of life they’ve earned.
Across Ozarks Food Harvest’s service area, more than 50 percent of households rely on food pantries for at least half of their grocery needs. That kind of need is met in large part through the commitment and compassion in our network of community and faith-based charities. In Lawrence County, St. Susanne’s Food Pantry works diligently to make sure their neighbors don’t go hungry.
Hunger Action Month is one of the best months of the year here at Ozarks Food Harvest.
The month is all about taking an action to help our neighbors in need, whether that is collecting food or funds, volunteering or advocating for our mission.
We share with you all year about the one in five kids and one in seven adults who struggle with hunger. September affords so many opportunities to help those folks and is a great way for first time donors to get involved in our mission.
The line of people waiting for food from the C-Street Connect pantry at Crimson House wrapped around the building. You could see the struggle, pain and exhaustion on their faces. But, surprisingly, there was also a lot of laughter.