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Charlie O’Reilly: Your support of capital campaign provides hope

February 16, 2017 in Charlie's Corner Harvest Time Newsletter

Charlie's Corner3Greetings from the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief!

Along with my friends at Ozarks Food Harvest, I want to share how pleased I am to be a part of the Ending Hunger, Building Hope capital campaign. This is an opportunity for important growth to meet the needs of the men, women and children in southwest Missouri who struggle with the harsh reality of hunger.

More than 10 years ago I became involved with the original capital campaign to build Ozarks Food Harvest’s current facility. My family and I realized the great need for a larger food bank with more space to accept and process donations and better equipment to serve the need. With this in mind, my family made a gift to support that critical campaign.

I couldn’t have imagined that less than eight years later we would need an even larger facility. When you think about it, having to more than double the size of your distribution center is a heartbreaking problem to have. It means that too many of our neighbors continue to struggle to have enough to eat. Thankfully, there are organizations like Ozarks Food Harvest who are confident and capable to meet this daunting challenge.

It’s important to note that as the need continues to grow, we cannot expand our hunger-relief programs without the ability to acquire, process and distribute more food. And that requires a larger facility.

Because of our trust in the good work of Ozarks Food Harvest, my family made a donation to support this capital campaign as well. And I’d like to ask you to consider joining us by making a gift of any size.

Over the next eleven months, the staff and board of directors at Ozarks Food Harvest will be busy fundraising to meet the challenge grant offered by the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Only with your support and generosity will they be able to meet this goal.

This campaign means more than simply building an addition onto the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief. With more space, and the right kind of space, Ozarks Food Harvest can provide millions of additional meals to those struggling in the Ozarks. This growth will truly provide hope for our struggling neighbors.

believe that the team at Ozarks Food Harvest and the thousands of staff and volunteers who work at The Food Bank’s 270 member pantries, programs and feeding sites are up to meeting the need. They just need our help. 

Robin receives food from a Springfield pantry. As a disabled senior, a Social Security check isn’t enough to purchase the food she needs. But thanks to you, people like Robin all across southwest Missouri have help to rely on when times are tough.

“I am so thankful for the people who donate,” Robin said.

Please give Bart a call today or donate to the capital campaign. Consider that a monthly donation, small one-time gift or five-year pledge will add up over time to make the campaign a success.

Thank you for your support as we enter this new season of growth!

Charlie O’Reilly is the vice-chair of O’Reilly Automotive’s Board of Directors, a hunger-relief advocate and supporter of Ozarks Food Harvest.

 

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