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december 2018

harvest time OZARKS FOOD HARVEST – THE FOOD BANK

NEWSLETTER FROM THE O’REILLY CENTER FOR HUNGER RELIEF

Holiday meals support local agencies

Agencies benefit from holiday food from Ozarks Food Harvest Without the help of a local agency, domestic violence survivor Kelli Neel said she wasn’t sure how she would have made it through another week—let alone the holiday season. After seventeen years of marriage and unrelenting domestic cruelty, Kelli made the difficult decision to seek refuge from her alcoholic and abusive husband. In late 2005, she and her two children arrived at Christos House in West Plains. “It was so comforting to have a safe place to go,” she said. “Christos House was our life jacket, and it helped us put our lives back together.”

“Hunger shouldn’t exist in our community. We all have to work together and do what we can to help eliminate it.” -Kelli, shelter supervisor at Christos House

Kelli immediately recognized that with the help of the shelter, she and her children would have plenty of food, clothing and warm beds to sleep in for as long as they needed. When the holidays arrived, they enjoyed special meals and the supportive community. “It was the first holiday we had that was actually peaceful,” she shared. Kelli and her children spent six months at Christos House recovering, receiving legal aid and planning for their future. After getting back on her feet, she began volunteering at the shelter, eventually taking on a full-time role on staff. As the current shelter supervisor, Kelli ensures that women and their children who come to the facility feel safe and valued as they recover from domestic trauma. She also works with Ozarks Food Harvest to make

ozarksfoodharvest.org

sure the shelter is stocked with nutritious food for daily meals. “We consider the team at Ozarks Food Harvest part of our family. They’re just down the road and over the hill,” she expressed. Christos House currently receives food from Ozarks Food Harvest once a month, and the shelter also takes part in The Food Bank’s Retail Pick-Up Program. Residents share cooking duties with the shelter’s food advocate. As a team, they decide on meals each week and divide up kitchen responsibilities. “For some of the women, having the chance to cook a special meal during the holiday season is so comforting,” Kelli said. “Many of them have bad memories involving holiday meals, so this gives them a chance to find peace in the kitchen again.” Ozarks Food Harvest, along with a network of community partners that support Christos House, gives the families a chance to make new, joyful memories in the kitchen while preparing them for life after the shelter. Upon leaving Christos House, each family receives a box of food. As mothers work to find housing or jobs, they don’t need to worry about what they will feed their children for dinner. Sheila, a domestic violence survivor, shared, “When I stayed at Christos House back in 2012, I was worried about having to buy my own food. But thanks to the donors, I never went hungry.” With the new warehouse addition, Ozarks Food Harvest looks forward to providing more meals for agencies like Christos House and continues to work toward its goal of closing the meal gap.

Kelli is hopeful about the future of hunger relief in the Ozarks. “Hunger shouldn’t exist in our community. We all have to work together and do what we can to help eliminate it,” she shared. Together, we can help provide food, peace and hope to those who are struggling in our community.

Area grocers partner for 20th annual Check Out Hunger Ozarks Food Harvest is partnering with 72 local grocery retailers to fight hunger in the Ozarks this holiday season. From mid-November through the end of December, shoppers can choose to add a $1, $3 or $5 tax-free donation to their grocery bills.

Staff began accepting donations in the new warehouse addition in July.

New warehouse addition dedicated with ribbon-cutting ceremony On Oct. 11, Ending Hunger, Building Hope capital campaign donors, member agencies, volunteers and Ozarks Food Harvest staff members gathered at The Food Bank to dedicate the new 56,000 square-foot warehouse expansion. Attendees enjoyed the ribbon-cutting ceremony, networking and brunch. This $4.8 million project was made possible by a lead gift from the O’Reilly family, donations from individual, corporate and foundation donors and the J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation Challenge Grant. Since The O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief opened in 2009, the need across The Food Bank’s 28-county service area has continued to outpace distribution. In the last fiscal year, Ozarks Food Harvest was able to provide a record-breaking 17 million meals. However,

nearly 30 million meals are needed to close the meal gap. With its new warehouse expansion, Ozarks Food Harvest—in collaboration with charitable and governmental partners—now has the capacity to provide those meals and close the meal gap in southwest Missouri. Additionally, the new space will allow Ozarks Food Harvest to increase food rescue efforts, reduce its carbon footprint and improve access to nutritious meals for food insecure individuals. Significant progress has already been made since the additional space began accepting, processing and distributing donations this summer. Since the beginning of July, more than one million pounds of food have been rescued through the Retail Pick-Up Program and a total of 5.5 million meals have already been provided.

This year, participating stores include Apple Market, Country Mart, Harter House, Hy-Vee, King Cash Saver, Murfin’s Market, Price Chopper, Price Cutter, Price Cutter Plus, Ramey, Rhodes Family Price Chopper, Ruby’s Market, Summer Fresh, Town & Country Supermarket and Woods Supermarket. Shoppers can check to see if their local grocer is participating by visiting ozarksfoodharvest.org and keeping an eye out for Check Out Hunger signs in the checkout lanes. When a customer chooses to add a donation to his or her grocery bill, the cashier scans the donation barcode, and the donor signs a paper apple for display. The tax-free gift is added to the bill and appears on the receipt. “Hunger is a prominent and persistent issue for thousands of children, families and seniors right here in southwest Missouri,” said Bart Brown, president/CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest. “We’re very grateful for the generosity shown by local grocers and community members each year during Check Out Hunger. They are truly invested in making a difference in the lives of their hungry neighbors.”

New Green Technology Benefits The Food Bank Happy Holidays from the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief! Each holiday season, I enjoy taking time to reflect on the accomplishments and challenges of the year and thinking about the opportunities that lie ahead. Ozarks Food Harvest experienced another record-breaking year, providing 17 million meals across southwest Missouri. And thanks to so many generous donors throughout the community, The Food Bank dedicated its new warehouse expansion, which will allow for the distribution of even more meals throughout the Ozarks. The Food Bank is constantly working toward its goal of closing the meal gap. Increased processing space, new truck docks and a dedicated produce cooler are all part of the equation. In addition, the expansion has a variety of eco-friendly features that will help protect the environment and save The Food Bank money in the long run. The installation of solar panels and special LED lighting will help offset Ozarks Food Harvest’s utility bills. The solar panels will also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen The Food Bank’s carbon footprint. The warehouse expansion will allow The Food Bank to continue to reduce food waste in the community. According to Feeding America, 72 billion pounds of food are wasted

The O'Reilly family and board members helped cut the ribbon.

It has been incredible to witness the growth of The Food Bank in 2018. In the past six months, Ozarks Food Harvest has already begun accepting more donations, providing more meals and improving the environment in southwest Missouri.

CHARLIE's corner

In the coming year, The Food Bank will continue to provide more meals, as food insecurity remains high in the Ozarks. Your generosity is still needed to support children like Matthew, who participates in the Weekend Backpack Program. “I am happy we get food in our backpacks, because I don't have much to eat at home,” he shared. I believe that every gift to Ozarks Food Harvest is money well spent. Each $1 donation is leveraged to $10 worth of food and services so that families like Matthew’s know where their next meal is coming from. Consider giving to The Food Bank online this season at ozarksfoodharvest.org/donate. Thank you for your dedication to hunger relief in the Ozarks. Let’s continue to fight hunger together in 2019.

UPCOMING EventS

Last year, more than $50,000 was donated to help provide 200,000 meals to food insecure individuals. Since 1998, this holiday campaign has collected more than $514,000, providing 2.48 million meals.

Food fight

Scouting for food

Join Springfield Public Schools in the fight against hunger. Food Fight is a food and fund drive competition among SPS and Partners in Education. The mission of the competition is to raise awareness of hunger and stock community and school pantry shelves after the holiday season. Learn more about Food Fight on page 7.

Boy Scouts will participate in the 30th annual Scouting for Food drive this March as they go door-to-door in the community to collect nonperishable food for Ozarks Food Harvest. Participate by leaving donations in the grocery sacks left at your door. Donations will also be accepted at Ozark Trails Council headquarters, located at 1616 S. Eastgate Ave. in Springfield.

Jan. 14—25, 2019

march 2019

distribution

Shoppers can Check Out Hunger at local grocery stores through December 31.

Transforming Hunger into Hope™ for more than 35 years

Charlie O'Reilly, O'Reilly Center

Solar panels will help The Food Bank reduce utility costs.

“The new addition doubles the size of the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief, bringing us to 100,000 square feet for food storage and future growth,” said Dr. Meera Scarrow, Ozarks Food Harvest board president. This expansion was absolutely critical to improve food access for hungry families in the Ozarks. Thanks to the generosity of many donors and community partners, The Food Bank can now take advantage of missed opportunities and help provide more nutritious food in southwest Missouri.

in the United States each year. With more space to store, process and stage donations, Ozarks Food Harvest is doing its part to care for the earth and further reduce food waste in the Ozarks.

Give time, food or funds at ozarksfoodharvest.org

Collaboration Impacts Community Building Hope capital campaign. They are truly passionate about closing the meal gap in southwest Missouri—and about providing tangible hope to food insecure families. Now that the new building is fully operational, our work has just begun. In 2019, we will continue to work toward our goal of providing 28 million meals to close the meal gap. But we can’t do it without your help. Bart Brown, President/CEO

Poverty continues to affect children, families and seniors living in the Ozarks every day. Many of the clients we serve have jobs and work hard to make a living. Unfortunately, wages in the Ozarks are lower than the national average. In fact, 83 percent of families served by Ozarks Food Harvest make less than $20,000 a year. It breaks my heart to think about people who must choose between buying groceries and paying the bills each week because of low-paying jobs. However, I am proud to live in a community that helps its neighbors when times get tough. Over the past four years, it’s been incredible to see how donors and partners have rallied together to help fund our Ending Hunger,

At Ozarks Food Harvest, collaboration is the heartbeat of our organization. We work closely with 270 food pantries, feeding sites, shelters and programs to provide meals across 28 counties in the Ozarks. Donors are another critical piece of the puzzle. Thousands of generous donations of food, funds and time are given throughout the year to help us serve more than 261,000 individuals. We hope you know that without your kindness and compassion, Ozarks Food Harvest would not be able to meet the needs of families facing hunger in southwest Missouri. We recently spoke with Taylor, a single mother served by one of Ozarks Food Harvest’s pantries. “Without this valuable resource, I would truly be at a loss,” she shared. “I have been given the means in which to provide home-cooked

OFH BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dr. Meera Scarrow Mercy Hospital-Springfield–President TommyWohlgemuth SGC™ Foodservice–President Elect Brad Crain Arvest Bank of Springfield–Treasurer JamesWilson NewStream Enterprises, a subsidiary of SRC Holdings–Secretary Tim Bellanti Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. Dr. John Buckner Ferrell Duncan Clinic Tamara deWild O’Reilly Auto Parts–Past President Jim Guthrie Prime Inc. Gary Naab General Mills, Retired Mike Pinkston Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. Jill Reynolds Commerce Trust Company Kenny Ross Ross Construction Group Krystal Russell Spectrum Accounting and Payroll Vault

meals for myself and my children as well as a kind and understanding staff to talk to when I’m having a bad day. I feel truly blessed and appreciate everything they have helped us with!” Because of your commitment to The Food Bank, Taylor knows that her children won’t have to go to bed hungry—and she has hope for the future. “The shelter has given me the opportunity and means to make the necessary decisions and adjustments to my life and my children’s lives,” she expressed. This holiday season, I ask you to consider donating to The Food Bank so that families like Taylor’s aren’t forced to make the choice between feeding their children and paying the bills. As you know, every dollar you choose to donate to Ozarks Food Harvest helps provide four meals to someone in need, and 96 cents of every dollar helps provide food and services to our partners.

OFH STAFF Bart Brown, President/CEO ADMINISTRATION Cindy Snow, Director of Administration Cindy Boggs, Office Manager Terry Keller, Administrative Services Coordinator Lauren Zachary, Receptionist

We won’t stop fighting until every individual in the Ozarks knows where their next meal is coming from. Your generous gifts are helping meet the needs of local families today and breaking cycles of poverty for the future. Thank you for your continued support, and happy holidays from our family to yours.

DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNICATION Denise Gibson, Director of Development & Communication ThomasCunningham, CommunityEngagementCoordinator Jordan Dykstra, Graphic Designer Cassie Hanson, Development & Grants Manager Sara Roelke, Communication Coordinator Jennifer Sickinger, Community Engagement Manager COMMUNITY RESOURCES Gordon Day, Director of Community Resources Dan Bohannon, Retail Store Donation Coordinator Ben Collins, Volunteer Coach Julie Daoust, Retail Store Donation Specialist Brenda Hesebeck, Volunteer Coach Rob Medlen, Full Circle Gardens Assistant Jeremy Moore, Volunteer Coach Alexa Poindexter, Full Circle Gardens Coordinator Daniel Snider, Lead Volunteer Coach JoleneThompson, Volunteer Engagement Manager

Programs help fight local Hunger As this year comes to a close, I’ve found myself reflecting on the incredible year Ozarks Food Harvest has experienced, thanks to so many wonderful people. As we celebrate the new warehouse addition, I can’t help but think about the impact our programs are already making in the community. Beyond food distribution, The Food Bank offers several direct feeding programs that help families, children and seniors struggling with hunger throughout the year.

denise gibson, development director

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Denise's desk 4

The Weekend Backpack Program, AfterSchool Food and Summer Food programs all help provide food insecure children with the meals they need to fuel their bodies, focus in school and grow strong. The Mobile Food Pantry, Senior Food boxes and SNAP outreach all help provide meals for families and seniors struggling to make ends meet. Our two food rescue programs also help make a difference. The Retail Pick-Up Program

allows The Food Bank to pick up donations from more than 100 area grocers each week, and the Full Circle Gardens program provides fresh, nutritious produce from community gardens. When you choose to support Ozarks Food Harvest’s programs, you help provide hope for so many who face hunger in the Ozarks.

MEMBER SERVICES Mary Zumwalt, Director of Programs & Member Services Jordan Browning, Comm. Partnerships & Advocacy Coord. Leah Carter, Agency Outreach Coordinator Casey Gunn, Retail Compliance Specialist Kimberly Hansen, CSFP/Senior Box Coordinator Terra Lamb, Agency Capacity Manager JaneTerry, Creative Information Specialist MelanieToler, Member Services Assistant ErinThomason, Nutrition Programs Coordinator ShadaTravis, Backpack Program Coordinator

Cory, who received food at a Mobile Food Pantry at his school, told us, “I would like to thank you for all the great food you donated to our school. We greatly appreciate it, and we will remember this.” Your genorosity allows us to continue supporting children like Cory in southwest Missouri.

OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATION Scott Boggs, Director of Operations Teresa Dixon, Warehouse Manager Mike Doubledee, Inventory Manager Steven Henry, Operations Administration Mike Hesebeck, Transportation Supervisor Eddie Hicks, Operations/Compliance Coordinator Steve Roberts, Transportation Manager

We hope that you will consider making a donation to The Food Bank this holiday season and throughout the year to help with the daily struggle of hunger. Happy holidays and thank you for all you do to help those in need!

Transforming Hunger into Hope™ for more than 35 years

Due to growth and limited space in the newsletter, all warehouse and transportation associates on the Operations team are now listed online at ozarksfoodharvest.org.

Special Thanks to these Friends of The Food Bank CBCO donates $2,000 to The Food Bank Thanks to the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks for gifting $2,000 to Ozarks Food Harvest! The Food Bank received this gift for having the most support from donors through the LifePoints Lift Program. This program started several years ago to give blood donors the opportunity to help even more people in the community. Donors have the option to donate their LifePoints, which are earned with each blood donation, to support a charity. This is a wonderful example of how we can work together as a community, and The Food Bank is so grateful for this sustained support!

Timken gift will help renovate new volunteer center

Thanks to a very generous $36,983 gift from Timken, Ozarks Food Harvest will remodel the previous staging and distribution area into an expanded volunteer center. This space will allow greater volumes of product to be processed quicker and allow for additional volunteer opportunities. Volunteers decrease operational overhead, as without them, Ozarks Food Harvest would have to hire an additional 15 full-time employees. The Food Bank is grateful for this wonderful gift!

Tyson Donates 40,000 Pounds of Chicken

For the eleventh year, Tyson Foods donated 40,000 pounds of chicken to The Food Bank in honor of its partnership with McDonald’s of the Ozarks and the Coffee for a Cause campaign. Protein is a frequently-requested item at The Food Bank, and this donation will immensely benefit food pantries and feeding sites across the Ozarks. Ozarks Food Harvest is appreciative of this longtime partnership with Tyson and McDonald’s!

Kraft Heinz Foundation Donates $20,000 for Weekend Backpack Program The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation generously donated $20,000 to support the Weekend Backpack Program. This donation will provide 2,590 bags of food–over 15,540 meals–to children in the program. The Weekend Backpack Program provides food to more than 1,600 children every weekend of the school year, which amounts to 60,000 bags this school year. Special thanks to Kraft Heinz for showing compassion for children struggling with hunger in the Ozarks.

Hunger Action Month Partners provide 7,916 meals Thanks to our Hunger Action Month partners Bambinos, The Coffee Ethic, Crave Cookie Dough, Farm 2 Counter, Mama Jean’s and Neighbor’s Mill for helping provide 7,916 meals during Hunger Action Month this September. Throughout the month, each of these partners designated proceeds from specific items to The Food Bank. Heartfelt thanks to these community partners!

Timken's $36,983 gift will help remodel the volunteer center.

100+ Women Who Care donate $5,250 for children In Need We are so grateful for the 100+ Women Who Care in Monett & Surrounding Areas for their gift of $5,250 for the Weekend Backpack Program! Four times a year, this group of women selects one charity that is making an impact in the community to receive a donation from each member. We are incredibly honored to be chosen as the group’s selected charity this quarter!

Red Nose Day funds support child hunger relief Red Nose Day raised enough funds to support 100 percent of the Feeding America network of food banks! Ozarks Food Harvest recently received $10,000 to fund the Weekend Backpack Program. Each year, Red Nose Day raises funds and awareness to help children in need. Thank you to Walgreens and Red Nose Day supporters for your continued commitment to end child poverty.

Red Nose Day helps raise funds to fight child hunger each year.

Give time, food or funds at ozarksfoodharvest.org

Full circle Gardens experince record harvest Ozarks Food Harvest’s Glean Team experienced another successful growing season this year!

volunteer & food drive Programs

December 2018

Thanks to a number of dedicated volunteers, 10,376 pounds of locally-grown produce were harvested for people facing hunger in the community at the Ozarks Food Harvest garden. The Glean Team also harvested 25,372 pounds from partnering gardens and farms. The Food Bank would also like to give a

Expansion provides more space for volunteers Individuals 20+ hours September 1- October 31, 2018 Marlena Bach Douglas Balogh James & Margaret Blackwell Charles & Trudy Bowen Jared Brewster Karla Carroll Tom Carson Gale Clithero Keaton Collins John Cooper Julissa Cruz Eddie & Linda Currier Eileen Deal Gary DeHaven Chelsea Digman Kris Dreesen Arlene Eichler Sarah Franklin Doug Gooch Gerald Green Clay Grisham Wil Hardiman Fabio Heredia Melissa Hyden Kindal Jenkins Samuel Johnson Andrew Jones

Before the expansion, daytime volunteers were only able to work on projects in the volunteer center, due to the amount of forklift and employee traffic. Now, the majority of warehouse operations take place in the expanded warehouse area, freeing up space and increasing safety in the front half of the warehouse.

Best Friends Give Back Together Every Tuesday morning, longtime friends Beth Robertson and Melvie Mosier arrive at Ozarks Food Harvest to help sort and pack food donations. Nearly seven years ago, Robertson asked Mosier to find a place where they could volunteer together while her husband suffered from health issues. The pair found Ozarks Food Harvest, and combined, they have given more than 1,300 hours of time to The Food Bank. “It’s the one time we actually get together,” Robertson shared. “This is quality time spent together, and we’ve widened our friendship with others here.” Robertson and Mosier met nearly 40 years ago working at Cox Health. Both of them enjoy volunteering at The Food Bank to stay busy and provide for those who are struggling with hunger in the community.

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“Volunteering makes a difference in my life because I know I’m helping someone else,” expressed Mosier. The two friends have been through thick and thin over the years as they raised children, beat breast cancer and experienced the loss of their spouses. “Friends are important. As you grow older, I think you value them more, and when your heart is broken, you just call them, and they understand,” shared Robertson.

With the extra room, Ozarks Food Harvest now has space for large groups to work on multiple projects at the same time. Volunteers can help pack Senior Food boxes or bags for the Weekend Backpack Program while others sort food in the volunteer center. More than 3,400 volunteers donate time to Ozarks Food Harvest each year. This renovated space will allow for increased community engagement and visibility so the volunteer program can continue to grow. Together, volunteers will be able to help sort and pack more food for the community, resulting in more meals distributed per person in need. Consider helping families facing hunger in the Ozarks by scheduling a volunteer session with your business. Contact Volunteer Engagement Manager Jolene Thompson at jothompson@ozarksfoodharvest.org to learn more.

Harvey Kaylor Donald Landon Linda Lange George Lawrence Rudy Martinez Dave McGee Melvie Mosier Rachel Nations Charlene Nelson Melody Pierson Afhtan Ransom Beth Robertson Brian Roofner Alexander Scranton Jeffrey Scranton Wes Shealy Susan Shockley Logan Steinhour Austin Strait Mary Thomas Tim Thuro Lona Wait Peggy Walker Georgeann Warren Joseph Weidhaas Larry Woolf Robert Wullner

Springfield Public Schools will host the 8th annual Food Fight competition Jan. 14-25!

Ozarks Food Harvest is thankful for Mosier and Robertson’s commitment to fighting hunger in southwest Missouri. Together, they are true hunger heroes! To apply for volunteer opportunities and self-schedule, visit ozarksfoodharvest.org/volunteer.

Food Fight is a food and fund drive competition among SPS with Partners in Education. Each year, Food Fight raises awareness of hunger and helps restock community and school pantry shelves after the holidays. All food raised stays in the

TransformingtoHunger intoneighbors Hope™ forinmore Transform Hunger into Hope by volunteering help your need.than Sign35 upyears at ozarksfoodharvest.org/volunteer.

the Full Circle Gardens coordinator. “With the help of farms, gardeners and our volunteers, we have harvested more than ever before and are working toward even more partnerships that will allow us to collect excess or imperfect produce for hunger relief. We are so lucky to live in this incredibly generous community.” To learn more about the Full Circle Gardens program, visit ozarksfoodharvest.org/ programs/full-circle-gardens.

Groups 20+ hours

food drives 50+ Meals

3M American National Insurance Asbury UMC Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. Ava H.S. - National Honor Society Campbell UMC-Faith for Life Central Bank of the Ozarks Continental Title Company DairiConcepts Datema House Drury University Tri Delta Elks Lodge Expedia FedEx First and Calvary Presbyterian Gold Mountain Communications Good Samaritan - Step Ahead Program Greene County Juvenile Office International Dehydrated Foods John Deere ReMan Leadership Logan-Rogersville CLICK Academy Logan-Rogersville FFA Marisol International Mercy Health Sciences Academy Missouri Assoc. of Disabilities Missouri Employers Mutual Ins. MSU MSU Alpha Kappa Psi MSU Bear Service Team MSU Community Involvement & Service MSU HSSO MSU Society for Physics Students MSU Lambda Chi Alpha New Covenant Academy On The Lam Sams Parkview H.S. Peritoneal Dialysis Packers at CoxHealth Simmons Bank Smith-Nephew Sports Medicine Division Wells Fargo Advisors Wesley UMC

Gold Mountain Communications — 12,923 Hammons School of Architecture — 7,750 MUS Lambda Chi Alpha — 7,678 MSU Homecoming Committee — 4,663 Central Bank of the Ozarks — 2,967 Kickapoo H.S. — 2,923 Oakstar Bank — 2,878 Smithfield Foods — 1,514 The Wind Studio - 88.3 FM — 1,417 Federal Medical Center — 831 Bissett Elementary School — 748 McBride Elementary School — 711 Missouri Department of Transportation — 547 Oasis Hotel & Convention Center — 544 Ascent Global Logistics — 445 Mercy Hospital — 419 Social Security Administration — 333 National Weather Service – 269 Grant Avenue Freewill Baptist Church — 263 Robert Williams — 229 Wyndham Vacation Ownership — 225 Springfield Catholic H.S. — 223 Shelter Insurance — 268 Social Security Office of Hearing and Operations — 163 Carolyn Brown — 133 Cox Hospital and Hillside Christian Church — 133 Shining Stars Early Childhood Center — 116 Ascend Dental Design — 105 Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — 96 Walmart - Independence Rd. — 84 Temple Israel — 73 Hickory Hills M.S. — 72 Howliday Inn Pet Resort — 63 Lao Rubert — 63 Carpenters Health and Welfare Trust Fund — 60

September 1- October 31, 2018

SPS Food Fight Competition helps fill school pantries

“I probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her,” said Mosier.

Volunteers can now complete projects in the new expanded volunteer area.

“Even though we had a cold, late spring and a hot dry summer, the Glean Team had a great year of harvesting produce and working with our neighbors,” said Alexa Poindexter,

September 1- October 31, 2018

With the addition of the new warehouse expansion and the renovation of the former staging and distribution area, Ozarks Food Harvest will have the capacity to host larger volunteer groups, which are needed to help process the increased donation volume.

Volunteers Beth Robertson and Melvie Mosier give time each Tuesday.

special thanks to Second Baptist Church’s Victory Garden, which donated 17,834 pounds of food this year to support Ozarks Food Harvest. Providing nutritious food for those struggling with hunger would not be possible without our generous community partners.

Springfield area, and funds help support The Food Bank’s Weekend Backpack Program in local schools. Most importantly, Food Fight empowers SPS students to fight hunger and make a difference. Last year, 42 schools and 33 partners participated in Food Fight. Since 2011, this competition has provided more than 144,000

meals for families in Springfield. This year, businesses and churches are needed to partner with the schools. Both parties can collect food and funds to help secure the title of Food Fight Champ. SPS schools and organizations who want to partner with a school can register by visiting ozarksfoodharvest.org/foodfight2018-19.

Give time,on food or funds at You ozarksfoodharvest.org Share why you support Ozarks Food Harvest social media. might encourage someone to become a Hunger Hero!

O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief 2810 N. Cedarbrook Ave. | P.O. Box 5746 Springfield, MO 65801-5746 (417) 865-3411 ozarksfoodharvest.org

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