Winter break offers a chance for college students to relax after a hectic semester of classes.
Twelve students from the University of South Dakota had different plans. In January, they traveled eight hours to serve one week in the Springfield community — volunteering at Ozarks Food Harvest and other nonprofits.
Missouri State University student Juan Trujillo started volunteering at Ozarks Food Harvest as part of a scholarship requirement, but came to truly enjoy giving back.
“Everybody likes to do stuff for themselves, but once you do something for someone else it’s easier to see the high priority of volunteering,” Trujillo shared.
As we approach the New Year at Ozarks Food Harvest, I am thankful for the loyalty and hard work our donors and volunteers continue to show.
With the help of our large family of supporters, we have accomplished a lot this year.
We saw a dramatic increase in the number of volunteers at The Food Bank and several community events drew first-time donors to help their neighbors in need.
Unfortunately, many children, families and seniors in our community still do not know where their next meal will come from.
I am honored to announce that last month I was named this year’s Outstanding Fundraising Professional by the Ozarks Region Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Although I was the one presented this award, it truly belongs to all of us. Your continued generosity is dear to my heart. Without supporters like you, this achievement would not be possible.
When Julie lost her job in college admissions, and her husband went on disability after suffering an injury as a construction worker, eight-year-old Hailey was the most sensitive to the fact that her family was going through a hard time.
“Hailey is the one who watched me going through a huge binder of all our utility bills, credit card and mortgage statements, methodically calling each company to see who could work with us, as our savings dwindled,” Julie shared.
At Ozarks Food Harvest, we understand the power of a $1 donation. Consider that every dollar donated is stretched to provide $10 worth of food to our neighbors in need.
That’s why we’re thrilled to once again take part in the Walmart Hunger Challenge.
If you’re new to The Food Bank or haven’t heard of this grant, let me tell you more about it. For the past six years, the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program has awarded a grant to Ozarks Food Harvest to provide funding for our agencies. Those agencies then fundraise to receive the grant as a match. For instance, if we select one pantry to receive $5,000, the pantry raises an additional $5,000 to receive the full matching grant.
Greetings from the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief!
Since Ozarks Food Harvest moved into its distribution center six years ago, incredible progress has been made in getting more food to people who need it most.
As Bart shared with you this summer, Ozarks Food Harvest is now distributing over 1.1 million meals every month to children, families and seniors in the Ozarks. That’s a record number of meals, and I’m proud to say that the capacity provided by the O’Reilly Center of Hunger Relief has played a big role in allowing distribution to grow.
Food Bank staff share with me that clients’ most requested items are fruits and vegetables, followed by protein items like meat and dairy — donations that require ample cooler and freezer space.
Just in time for Easter, Ozarks Food Harvest received a donation of 151,200 eggs from Opal Foods, headquartered in Neosho. The Food Bank has received half a million eggs from Opal Foods since the partnership began in 2008.