Right now, we’re dealing with an emergency. The demand for food assistance in southwest Missouri continues to increase every month to be higher than it was during the peak of the pandemic. In June 2023, The Food Bank’s network of faith-based and community charities served more than 70,000 individuals in a month; that’s nearly 20,000 more than during the height of the COVID crisis.
Did you know the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) partners with, and depends on, Ozarks Food Harvest to be the largest food supplier to our neighbors facing hunger in southwest Missouri? Its long and trusted partnership with the USDA has made a huge impact on the number of nutritious meals provided through its network of 270 community and faith-based charities. That dramatic impact is what makes this year’s Farm Bill so important for families served by Ozarks Food Harvest.
In December 2022, Congress passed a spending package that created the most significant nationwide anti-hunger program in nearly 50 years – the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program.
At Ozarks Food Harvest, we have the vital task of being a voice for those in need.
Our neighbors who worry about putting food on the table for their families often don’t find themselves having a platform to reach thousands of people. But because we do, it’s essential for us to use it to do some good in the lives of those who are most vulnerable.
Statement from Bart Brown, president/CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest
Dear friends of The Food Bank,
The budget proposal released this week by The White House would drastically reduce the much-needed government support many of our neighbors here in the Ozarks, and across the country, depend on to have enough to eat.
Ozarks Food Harvest does more than supply food – it provides a network of hope to struggling children, families and seniors right here in our community.
Because we’re committed to providing a hand up, not simply a hand out, our network of 200 hunger-relief charities provide services like nutrition education, skills classes and even promoting job fairs and helping people sign up for SNAP, all in addition to food distribution.
Greetings from the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief!
Our elected state and federal representatives are making decisions every day that affect our way of life and well-being.
As supporters of Ozarks Food Harvest, I believe it is our responsibility to stand up against proposed changes that would make it harder for our neighbors to get the food assistance they desperately need. Access to food should be a right of all Americans.