Greetings from the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief!
You may remember I wrote in last summer’s Harvest Time about the need for a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act to be passed by Congress.
Unfortunately, that legislation has yet to be passed more than a year later, and a new provision added by the House would hurt hungry kids.
Thirty-eight-year-old Amy often worries if she’ll have enough food to feed her kids.
“As a single parent it’s a struggle to provide to my four children,” she shared. “Sometimes it’s more difficult to provide for my kids during the summer months. I just work more to make up for the difference, but that’s hard on my family, too.”
Hilton Garden Inn employees are committed to helping their neighbors in need and keeping Springfield clean by volunteering to support multiple causes in the community.
Every month, Hilton staff sort and pack food at Ozarks Food Harvest, volunteer at a local children’s shelter or work to keep a portion of a Springfield highway and stream clean.
Greetings from the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief!
Each spring, the team at Ozarks Food Harvest produces an honor roll of donors and annual report that highlights the great work made possible by the many loyal supporters of The Food Bank.
I’ll share with you just some of the highlights that I enjoyed reading, but please pick up a copy of your own at Ozarks Food Harvest or read it online.
Ozarks Food Harvest’s donors are simply incredible. We could not do what we do without you. Your care for the Ozarks and those who are struggling with hunger is unmatched.
I know that each gift of yourself and your treasure to The Food Bank is a sacrifice. You are choosing to spend your valuable time and hard-earned dollars helping others. I hope you know how thankful we are.
Here at Ozarks Food Harvest, we wanted to learn more about what makes you want to give and why you are concerned for your struggling neighbors.
Jacob Waggoner went straight from high school to serving his country, and today he continues his service at home by helping to feed his hungry neighbors.
After retiring from the U.S. Marine Corps, Waggoner moved to Springfield to attend college at Missouri State University. That’s when he learned that thousands of people in the Ozarks struggle with hunger.
Volunteers play a crucial role in Ozarks Food Harvest’s mission to solve hunger in the Ozarks.
Every day volunteers visit The Food Bank ready to lend a hand with a community of people brought together by their passion to help others.
My dad was a bricklayer, and mom worked front desk jobs. She came home every night to make us dinner and there was always food. I had never been poor or gone without until I found myself in need, in my late 20’s. It opened my eyes to a lot; particularly to something I had never seen.
When my husband Dave returned to school to get his Ph.D. in Physics, back in Arizona, we had three boys. After we had our third child, we were needing more funds. We had food stamps, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), program benefits, and medical assistance due to our low income. Those were a big help, and when we ran out of them, my husband’s parents helped us on a regular basis.
Ruby Allen grew up understanding the value of working hard — taking care of animals and tending to the garden on her family’s farm in rural Kennett, Missouri.
Today, her hard work continues as she spends many weekdays volunteering to sort food at The Food Bank.
Ozarks Food Harvest is encouraging churches, schools, businesses or any interested group to participate in the second annual community Fish Drive during Lent, Feb. 10 to March 24.
In 2015, the idea was implemented to ask the community to go fishing for its neighbors in need throughout the Lent season by collecting canned and pouched fish for Ozarks Food Harvest.