When 14-year-old Maisen arrived at Datema House, an alternative school and group home for teenage boys part of the Missouri Division of Youth Services, he was not excited at first about participating in community service.
“I thought it was going to be terrible,” he shared. “But when we got to Ozarks Food Harvest, it was really fun when I got to find out what we were actually doing — helping feed people.”
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.
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.
Ozarks Food Harvest’s Glean Team began its third season on March 2 with volunteers preparing garden beds for crops at local community gardens.
Last season, volunteers gave over 1,400 hours planting and harvesting at area gardens and farms to provide nearly 23,000 pounds of fresh produce to children, families and seniors in need right here in the Ozarks.
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.
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.