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When you work with a hunger relief organization, you see the devastating effects food insecurity takes on individuals and communities every day, and it’s heartbreaking.

The goal isn’t only to feed the neighbors in need that come to us – it is to feed every neighbor in need including the ones that can’t get to us. It is a challenge that needs innovative solutions. How do you identify where the needs are? How do you make the greatest impact on people and communities? Sometimes, the answer is to collaborate with other charitable organizations.

To reach people in communities that are underserved, Ozarks Food Harvest often partners with other charities. Working together we can be more efficient by coordinating efforts and sharing resources. It’s a strategy that helps us provide meals to more people in hard-to-reach areas.

A great example of collaboration is our partnership with a non-profit community organization called Healthy Nevada. Their mission is to create a culture of health throughout Vernon County by focusing on wellness and prevention. Of course, good nutrition is critical to their goal.

One of the challenges, they shared, is that outside of the town of Nevada, Vernon County is almost entirely a ‘food desert,’ meaning there are very few places for residents to access healthy food. Even more challenging, many seniors living in rural areas have economic, transportation or physical mobility limitations that further limit their access to nutrition.

Healthy Nevada helps us connect with Vernon County’s rural neighbors in need. Because of their partnership, more people in the area facing hunger know The Food Bank’s Mobile Food Pantry and Senior Mobile Produce Pantry are available to them. We coordinate with them to find distribution sites that are easy for everyone to access, and we work with their volunteers to deliver food to older neighbors that are homebound.

In the few months we’ve worked with Healthy Nevada, our Mobile Food Pantry and Senior Mobile Produce Pantry have delivered nearly 70,000 nutritious meals to neighbors in need in Vernon County.

Although collaborations with other charitable organizations help us make the most of our resources, we know that none of it would be possible without you. The contributions you’ve made help seniors like John, a retiree in Vernon County who found help at one of our Senior Mobile Produce Pantry distributions.

“We’re thankful for the healthy produce from Ozarks Food Harvest, and we appreciate that they deliver to the rural communities. Thank you very much.”

Because of you, John and so many others have been able to put food on their tables this winter, proving what we’ve known all along: it’s your partnership that makes the difference. Thank you for all that you do.