Since 2011, Gold Mountain Communications’ partnership with Ozarks Food Harvest has provided nearly 94,000 meals. Volunteer groups like the Gold Mountain Communications team help make Transforming Hunger into Hope possible.
Six-year-old Harley lives with her grandparents full-time while her parents figure out a stable place to live. Together, she and her grandparents color, make bead bracelets and play in the yard when the weather is nice. Harley’s grandmother Glenda says they love having Harley around, but raising – and feeding – a grandchild during retirement comes with challenges.
The 27th annual Hungerthon hosted by Ozarks Food Harvest and iHeartRadio Springfield wrapped up Monday afternoon, raising a total of $253,609 for Ozarks Food Harvest’s Weekend Backpack Program. These funds will provide weekend meals for 704 kids in southwest Missouri.
“Without a food bag, I would go home hungry on weekends. I depend on them to get me through the weekend.” – Cheyenne
Each September, Ozarks Food Harvest celebrates Hunger Action Month, the annual advocacy campaign to raise awareness about hunger in the Ozarks and inspire action in the community – but nothing inspires action quite like the community itself.
You’ve heard the mantra: Knowledge is power. Thousands of kids across the Ozarks went back to school this fall ready to empower themselves with knowledge, but the fact is, children need food to be at their best – and right now, 1 in 5 children are facing hunger across southwest Missouri.
“When you pour into your community, you’re pouring into the people you love,” Andrea Mann shared. She’s a solution support analyst at Netsmart, a healthcare software company with the mantra: vision-driven, cause-connected and passionate about opportunity and obligation. Netsmart is living up to that mantra by encouraging employees to give back – and pour into the communities they love.
Hunger isn’t always obvious. In children and teens, hunger disguises itself as behavioral issues, dropping grades and isolation. Perhaps no one knows this better than teachers and school staff, who are often the first to identify when students aren’t getting enough to eat at home. Crocker School Pantry coordinator and library aide Jackie Scholfield is all too familiar with the effects of child hunger.
The 25th annual Hungerthon was a success, raising $252,900, which will provide 703 children with nutritious meals and snacks every weekend of the school year!
Ozarks Food Harvest and iHeartRadio Springfield’s 25th annual Hungerthon wrapped up this afternoon, collecting $252,900 for The Food Bank’s Weekend Backpack Program. Community members and businesses came together for this four-day event to provide 703 kids facing hunger with nutritious meals every weekend of the school year.