April 2019
harvest time
Ozarks Food HArvest – The food BAnk
Newsletter from the o’reilly center for hunger relief
“It’s a good chance for me to get out of the house, have a warm lunch and have fellowship with my friends. ” - Dottie, Southside Senior Center Visitor
Walmart Donations Support Local Senior Center Each weekday morning, the OATS Transit bus picks up dozens of seniors from their homes and brings them to Southside Senior Center in Springfield. Upon arrival, the seniors participate in exercise classes, play cards with friends, read books and enjoy a meal together. Dotty, who’s in her 80s, began spending time at Southside Senior Center 20 years ago. Most mornings, she plays cards and chats with her friends—who are affectionately known as the “Knights of the Round Table”—prior to lunch. “It’s a good chance for me to get out of the house, have a warm lunch and have fellowship with my friends,” she expressed. Before lunch is served at 11 a.m., a Southside board member invites everyone to stand, recite the Pledge of Allegiance and join in a short prayer. The seniors then make their way to the cafeteria-style serving line, where they receive their meal. “I’ve never had anything I didn’t like here,” Dotty shared. “The chef is just wonderful and I always thank her for what she makes us. Plus, they will always make you a sandwich if you don’t want the main course.” Southside is particularly packed when crowd-favorite lunches—like meatloaf or
ozarksfoodharvest.org
fried chicken—are served. The senior center receives many of the meal ingredients through Ozarks Food Harvest’s Retail Pickup Program. A portion of the food comes from local Walmart, Sam’s Club and Walmart Neighborhood Market stores, which donate nearly 4.5 million pounds of food to The Food Bank and its hunger relief partners each year. “We’re particularly blessed by this longtime partnership with Walmart,” said Dan Bohannon, retail store donation coordinator at Ozarks Food Harvest. “It allows us to provide a lot of produce and protein-rich items to our partners, which ultimately helps put more meals on the table.” Kendall Prall, senior center administrator for Southside, understands how important it is for seniors to get a hot, nutritious lunch every day. Over the past five years, she has met countless seniors who face food insecurity. “So many of the people that we see here struggle to pay for medications, mortgages and other monthly bills,” she shared. “Because of Ozarks Food Harvest and the Retail Pickup Program, we’re able to provide seniors with a well-balanced meal. For the majority of them, it’s the only hot meal they’ll eat that day.” Along with regularly donating food, Walmart,
through a Feeding America grant, provided Southside Senior Center with a two-door cooler last September. Senior center staff fill it with ready-to-eat meals and snacks from Kum & Go, which also donates through Ozarks Food Harvest’s Retail Pickup Program. “I like to take some food from the cooler home,” said Chuck, who visits the senior center several times a week. “It alleviates the need to cook something later in the day and helps me save money for other things. Plus, it tastes good and it’s easy to just eat from the fridge or quickly warm up in the microwave when I get hungry.” Thanks to Walmart and the Retail Pickup Program, seniors who are struggling to afford everyday expenses can get the nutrition they need. “I’m thankful that we work with Ozarks Food Harvest,” Kendall said. “And, I know how appreciative the seniors are, too. They know that they can always come here to get a meal and find good community, no matter what else is going on in their lives.”
Area grocers raise record amount for 20th annual Check Out Hunger From mid-November through the end of December, 72 area grocery stores partnered with Ozarks Food Harvest for the 20th annual Check Out Hunger. This year’s campaign raised $50,312 to help provide more than 201,000 meals. Check Out Hunger gives shoppers the opportunity to add a $1, $3 or $5 tax-free donation to their grocery bill during checkout. Shoppers who made a gift signed green paper apples that were displayed at the register. Participating stores included 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. Many of the stores turn the campaign into a friendly competition between employees. This year, employees at the Harter House in Nixa competed to see who could get the most donations at the register. “As a family-owned and operated business for
over 40 years, we know the importance of family and what it means to provide for your family. Harter House operates on the support from our loyal customers in our local communities,” said Cody Crosby, office manager at Harter House in Nixa. “We believe that is why we have such great success in fundraising for Ozark Food Harvest every year. Our customers are more than happy to assist Harter House in taking that extra step to support our local community.”
Ozarks,” said Denise Gibson, development and communication director at Ozarks Food Harvest. “Their passion and excitement to help the community is truly inspiring, and we could not be more grateful for these local partners.” Since the fundraiser began in 1998, Check Out Hunger has helped provide more than 2.6 million meals.
The store raised more than $11,000, and Ozarks Food Harvest rewarded employees with special “Hunger Hero” t-shirts to recognize their achievement. Although the fundraiser wrapped up at the end of December, The Food Bank received checks from retailers throughout the first few months of 2019. This is an ideal time for Ozarks Food Harvest to receive a financial boost, as charitable donations tend to drop after the holidays pass. “Time and time again, these local grocers show up and help support hunger relief in the
Shoppers who donated signed green paper apples.
SPS Food Fight Sets New Record The competition was tight among 71 schools and local partnering businesses that participated in this year’s annual Springfield Public Schools Food Fight. Thanks to the hard work of students, teachers, administrators and the community, this year’s food drive set a new record. Schools and their partners collected enough food and funds to provide nearly 57,000 meals—17,000 more than last year. The food donations will benefit Ozarks Food Harvest’s partner pantries including school pantries at Hillcrest, Jarrett, Study Alternative and Central. Financial gifts will sponsor 29 children for a full school year of Weekend Backpack Program meals.
Dell was the early childhood center winner. “Our students are incredibly engaged in this effort,” said Marty Moore, executive director of Learning Support and Partnerships at SPS. “Nurses at each site help coordinate Food Fight and continue to find innovative ways to take the drive to the next level.” Students, teachers and administrators all enjoyed the competition. Within the schools, many classes chose to compete against one another to see who could raise the most food or funds. Teachers rewarded their students with fun treats. At Bingham Elementary School, the winning class covered the school principal with silly string.
“Not only is Food Fight so much fun for the schools each year, but it gets kids of all ages involved in the fight against hunger,” said Jennifer Sickinger, community engagement manager at Ozarks Food Harvest. “With this drive, we’re able to fill some of the pantries we have at local schools and provide meals for the Weekend Backpack Program, so all of the food and funds stay in the local community. Kids are able to understand that the food they donate may help a food insecure friend in their class.” Since Food Fight began in 2011, SPS students and community partners have helped provide more than 200,000 meals.
Pipkin won in the middle school category, and Kickapoo is the winner in the high school category. These schools will be awarded traveling trophies this month. Classes from Bissett, Bowerman, Jeffries, McGregor and Pittman all won field trips to Ozarks Food Harvest to learn more about how The Food Bank processes, stores and distributes donations. Several new categories were added for this year’s Food Fight. Study Alternative received the “Above and Beyond Award” for a record amount of donations collected and for hosting an Empty Bowls event. Pleasant View won the Kindergarten to 8th grade category, and Shady
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Students from Central High School donated food and funds during this year’s Food Fight competition.
Transforming Hunger into Hope for more than 35 years
Charlie’s
upcoming Events
Corner
Arvest Million Meals now—June 1
The ninth annual Million Meals campaign is now underway. Support The Food Bank through Arvest Bank by donating nonperishable food or funds at branches in Springfield and Nixa. This campaign has provided nearly 350,000 meals since 2011.
Walmart Fight Hunger. Spark Change.
Charlie O’Reilly
Glean Team volunteers help harvest produce at partner gardens.
The Power of Volunteerism The volunteer community is integral to Ozarks Food Harvest’s mission. Each week, hundreds of volunteers step through the doors of The Food Bank to help make the Ozarks a better place to live. Last year, The Food Bank recorded 10,653 individual volunteer visits. Some of these volunteers help out on a regular basis, while others may have only visited once or twice. Together, Hunger Heroes spent nearly 31,000 hours sorting and packing food in the warehouse, assembling Senior Food boxes and Weekend Backpack bags, harvesting produce in Ozarks Food Harvest’s garden, distributing food at area pantries and Mobile Food Pantries and helping out at fundraising events. Each person helps provide more than 300 meals during a typical sort and pack session in the warehouse. Over the course of the past year, more than two million meals were provided through the Volunteer Center alone. In addition to the physical work volunteers do for Ozarks Food Harvest, they also raise awareness about the issue of hunger in our community. Each time a volunteer tells a friend about his or her experience with The Food Bank, wears a Hunger Action Month t-shirt or posts a photo from a recent session, they shine a spotlight on hunger. Volunteerism also helps Ozarks Food Harvest make the most of its financial resources. Without it, The Food Bank would be forced to hire 15 full-time employees to manage all of the tasks volunteers handle on a daily basis. All of the money that would be required to pay additional staff members can instead be used to provide more meals. Stephanie Luhm, who has donated more
than 200 hours of time over the past two years, realizes the impact she’s making on hunger relief. As a special education teacher at a school that receives Weekend Backpacks from The Food Bank, Stephanie has seen firsthand how powerful a simple bag of food can be for a struggling child. “I personally strive to put ‘more good’ back in this world than I take out,” she expressed. “By committing to volunteer a couple times a month, I know that I am trying to do my part in helping others.” If you have ever volunteered with Ozarks Food Harvest, I would like to personally thank you for your commitment to fighting hunger. Your gift of time is invaluable, and I truly appreciate you. For those who have yet to volunteer with The Food Bank, I encourage you to apply and schedule a session. Sacrificing a small amount of your time—even if it’s just three hours a month—will truly make a world of difference for someone who’s struggling to put dinner on the table.
april 22—may 20
Purchase specially-marked products or make a donation at the register in Walmart and Sam’s Club stores to help provide meals. With your help, this campaign has raised nearly 2 million meals. Learn more about Ozarks Food Harvest’s partnership with Walmart in this issue’s cover story.
STAMP OUT HUNGER
mAY 11
The 27th annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger event is coming next month. Participate by filling a bag with nonperishable foods and leaving it by your mailbox on Saturday, May 11.
reD NOSE DAY
MAY 23
Join Feeding America and Ozarks Food Harvest in raising money to help children facing hunger through the Red Nose Day campaign on May 23. The event will include a special night of programming on NBC. Get involved by purchasing a red nose at Walgreens and posting your photos on social media. A percentage of funds raised from Red Nose Day will benefit The Food Bank.
fight hunger faster Ongoing
Double your impact by making a donation through the Fight Hunger Faster Match Challenge. Thanks to DairiConcepts, all donations up to $10,000 will be matched, dollar-for-dollar. Donate at ozarksfoodharvest.org/donate with the Fight Hunger Faster Match Challenge designation, or drop off a gift at The Food Bank.
Volunteers are dedicated to providing more meals in the Ozarks.
Give time, food or funds at ozarksfoodharvest.org
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The Significance of Food Safety At Ozarks Food Harvest, food safety is a top priority. We provide 17 million meals through our programs and hunger relief partners each year—and we go to great measures to ensure that all of the food for those meals is completely safe for consumption. Our operations, member services and volunteer team staff all receive proper food safety instruction soon after they are hired. They learn about the best prevention for common foodborne illnesses, how to keep food out of the temperature danger zone and about food allergies, proper sanitation and so much more. In our warehouse, all frozen and refrigerated food is checked multiple times for proper temperature as it is taken off the truck, sorted and put back on the truck to be delivered to our hunger relief partners. We do everything that we can to guarantee the food arrives to our food pantries and meal programs in peak condition.
All of our 270 hunger-relief partners are also required to receive food safety training. Two people from each organization must be food-safety certified at all times, and certification must be renewed every three years. This free training is offered once a month at The Food Bank. Feeding sites have the option of obtaining certification through the Greene County Health Center. To make sure partner agencies are following food safety guidelines, Ozarks Food Harvest staff members make routine site visits. They check temperature logs, food storage methods, pest control records and more to ensure the food is safe every step of the way. “We make sure that our partners are following all of the food safety procedures they learned in their training,” said Terra Lamb, agency capacity manager. “Many of the people served do not have access to affordable healthcare if they do get sick from a foodborne illness. We want to make sure our agencies are serving the food safely.” Knowledge about expiration date extensions is also vital to Ozarks Food Harvest and our partners. Across America, millions of pounds of food are wasted each year because of confusion about the dates on food packaging. In fact, much of the food that we receive is already past the date on the packaging—but it’s still perfectly safe to eat.
Bart Brown, President/CEO
Bart’s
Hope Notes
our volunteer supervisors double-check their work and make sure food isn’t wasted. When we aren’t able to keep a certain product, we compost it or send it to a local hog farmer. Because we are able to accept food with expiration date extensions, we can feed more hungry families and decrease food waste. By adhering to proper food safety methods, we are able to provide more meals in the Ozarks. If you would like to learn more about Ozarks Food Harvest’s food safety procedures, feel free to give me call. I would love to help you learn more about how these measures helps us Transform Hunger into Hope.
We work closely with food manufacturers to know a product’s true expiration date. For example, dry cereal has a six month extension, and eggs are safe 30 days past the date on the carton. As our volunteers sort products,
Proper food safety helps keep families healthy.
The Struggles of Teen Hunger Hunger among young children, adults and seniors is discussed frequently—but what about hunger among the teen population? It’s challenging to think about the thousands of teenagers in Ozarks Food Harvest’s service area that are struggling with food insecurity. Many of these teens have jobs to help support their families and are responsible for their younger siblings. They’re constantly pressured to make sure everyone has enough to eat—but they’re also hesitant to ask for help.
Denise Gibson, Development Director
From
Denise’s Desk 4
According to a study by Feeding America, “Teens fear stigma around hunger and actively hide it as much as they can.” This means that they avoid seeking out food assistance that is delivered publicly, and they shy away from sharing their struggles with people who aren’t close friends or family.
When it comes to acquiring food, teens tend to rely on relatives and close friends. They also focus on getting the largest volume of food for the lowest price, so heathier foods are often sacrificed to make the most of a limited budget. Teen hunger is prevalent in our area, and Ozarks Food Harvest currently has programs in place to help meet this need. Several area high schools have food pantries where students are welcome to take what they need, and over the summer, some of our feeding sites have teenspecific hours and programming. We are continuing to work on broadening our reach in this category and provide more meals for teens. Thank you for your commitment to ensuring everyone in the Ozarks—from babies to seniors—can get enough to eat.
Transforming Hunger into Hope for more than 35 years
Special Thanks to these friends of the food bank Prime Chili Cook-Off Raises money for The Food Bank Prime Inc. raised funds for hunger relierf during its annual Chili Cook-Off and silent auction supporting The Food Bank. There were dozens of chili entries, and the winners were chosen by employees and a panel of judges. Congrats to Austen Phillips who won first place in the red chili, Brenda Behnke who won for white chili and Andrea Lawson who won the people’s choice award.
Missouri Farmers Care steps up for Weekend Backpack Program. Missouri Farmers Care, an association of Missouri agribusinesses and farmers, recently donated $28,599 to The Food Bank through their Drive to Feed Kids campaign. The campaign, in partnership with Feeding Missouri, seeks to combat childhood hunger in our state. Since 2013, Feeding Missouri has helped raise $102,700 for Ozarks Food Harvest.
OZARKS FOOD HARVEST BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dr. Meera Scarrow Mercy Hospital-Springfield–President Tommy Wohlgemuth SGC™ Foodservice–President Elect Brad Crain Arvest Bank of Springfield–Treasurer James Wilson NewStream Enterprises, a subsidiary of SRC Holdings–Secretary Kurt Bain Kraft Heinz TIm Bellanti Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc., Retired Clayton Brown Prime Inc. Tamara de Wild O’Reilly Auto Parts–Past President 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
OZARKS FOOD HARVEST STAFF Bart Brown, President/CEO Prime employees enjoyed tasting a variety of chilis.
Missouri Farmers Care’s gift will help provide meals for food insecure children.
UMB Bank supports hunger relief in Barry and Lawrence counties
Lucky’s Bags for Change helps provide more than 9,000 meals
UMB Bank recently gifted $9,000 to help support Ozarks Food Harvest’s hunger relief partners in Barry and Lawrence counties. Ozarks Food Harvest’s member pantries Cassville Community Food Pantry, Central Community United Methodist (Shell Knob), Harvest Fellowship Food Pantry (Marionville), Helping Hands Community Food Pantry (Eagle Rock), Monett Community Outreach, St. Susanne Catholic Church (Mt. Vernon) and Verona Baptist Church all received a portion of these funds.
From mid-November through the end of December, all Bags for Change donations at Lucky’s benefitted Ozarks Food Harvest. For every reusable bag customers brought into the store, Lucky’s donated twenty cents. The fundraiser collected nearly $2,100 to help provide 9,072 meals. Heartfelt thanks to Lucky’s for this donation.
Opal Foods Makes Annual Egg Donation Eggs are frequently-requested items at Ozarks Food Harvest. Thanks to a donation of 280,000 eggs from Opal Foods, a franchisee of Eggland’s Best, families in the Ozarks will receive fresh eggs this spring, just in time for Easter. Since 2008, Opal Foods has donated more than 2.5 million eggs.
Lucky’s helped provide more than 9,000 meals through its Bags for Change program.
Corwin Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram makes gift to Weekend Backpack Program
Each year, Opal Foods donates eggs just in time for Easter.
Corwin Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram recently donated $10,000 for Ozarks Food Harvest’s Weekend Backpack Program. The car retailer has given more than $55,000 to help provide meals for food insecure children, families and seniors across southwest Missouri. The Food Bank is grateful to have such a wonderful and caring partner in this community.
Give time, food or funds at ozarksfoodharvest.org
ADMINISTRATION Cindy Snow, Director of Administration Cindy Boggs, Office Manager Terry Keller, Human Resource & Administrative Services Manager Lauren Zachary, Receptionist DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNICATION Denise Gibson, Director of Development & Communication Sarah Byrd, Community Engagement Coordinator 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 Brenda Hesebeck, Volunteer Coach Rob Medlen, Full Circle Gardens Assistant Jeremy Moore, Volunteer Coach Alexa Poindexter, Full Circle Gardens Coordinator Jolene Thompson, Volunteer Engagement Manager Logan Werdeman, Volunteer Coach Julie Woodiel, Retail Store Donation Specialist 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 Jane Terry, Creative Information Specialist Melanie Toler, Member Services Assistant Erin Thomason, Nutrition Programs Coordinator Shada Travis, Backpack Program Coordinator OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATION Scott Boggs, Director of Operations Teresa Dixon, Warehouse Manager Mike Doubledee, Inventory Manager Steven Henry, Operations Administration Mike Hesebeck, Transportation & Warehouse Supervisor Eddie Hicks, Operations/Compliance Coordinator Steve Roberts, Transportation Manager 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.
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April is Volunteer Appreciation Month Happy National Volunteer Appreciation Month to all of our wonderful volunteers. This month, we’re celebrating volunteers and the invaluable work they do to support hunger relief in the Ozarks. Last year, volunteers dedicated nearly 31,000 hours to sorting and packing food donations at The Food Bank. Without volunteers, 15 additional full-time employees would be needed to sort food, pack Weekend Backpacks and Senior Food boxes, help out at events, distribute food at Mobile Food Pantries, take care of the garden and help with community gleans. Volunteers from the Faith for Life Sunday School class exceeded 1,000 hours of volunteer time this March.
Church Group Finds Fellowship through Volunteering The Faith for Life Sunday School class from Campbell United Methodist Church began giving back to the community by volunteering at Ozarks Food Harvest five years ago. On the third Tuesday of every month, the group gathers at The Food Bank to pack Weekend Backpacks or Senior Food boxes and catch up. Lou Ann Cornelison, a member of the Faith for Life group and weekly volunteer at Ozarks Food Harvest, encouraged her group to start volunteering as a way to spend time together and help families facing hunger. “I love our church group. So many of them are active and happy to help. And it makes me happy to improve the lives of people who need help.” Most months, about 15 members from the group choose to spend their evenings at Ozarks Food Harvest. Since the session starts at 6 p.m.,
Cornelison enjoys bringing pizza to share with the group before it begins.
This month, volunteers will be honored with a variety of fun activities, treats and displays at Ozarks Food Harvest. Heartfelt thanks to all of the volunteers who spent time with The Food Bank last year and to those who continue to come back year after year. Ozarks Food Harvest is incredibly grateful for your time and energy.
“I like to bring plenty of food and drinks for the group. It truly seems to help them, as well as others working with us. I like to share it all when I can.” Since 2014, the group has donated more than 1,000 hours of time to Ozarks Food Harvest. Faith for Life participants enjoy packing food and know that their hard work is making a difference. Committed volunteers and groups make it possible for Ozarks Food Harvest to provide thousands of meals across the Ozarks each week. The Food Bank is extremely appreciative of Faith for Life’s continued dedication to fighting hunger in the community.
Ozarks Food Harvest is thankful for such wonderful volunteers. Pictrued from left to right: George Lawrence, Larry Woolf, Harvey Kaylor, Dave McGee, Karla Carroll, Jim Blackwell and Arlene Eichler.
If your church group would like to volunteer at The Food Bank, reach out to Jolene.
6 Transform Hunger into Hope by volunteering to help your neighbors in need. Sign up at ozarksfoodharvest.org/volunteer.
Individuals 20+ hours
food drives 10+ Meals
Rey David Aguilar Delgado Kelli Anderson Nicole Anzalone Marlena Bach Thomas Baldwin James Blackwell Margaret Blackwell Charles Bowen Trudy Bowen Michael Byington Karla Carroll Tom Carson Ryan Catterson Gale Clithero Sharon Cook John Cooper Levi Crews Eddie Currier Linda Currier Tammy Dalton Darian Decker Gary DeHaven Cassidy Dill Kris Dreesen Arlene Eichler Doug Gooch Gerald Green Wil Hardiman Ryan Hardy Kirk Hawkins Fabio Heredia
SPS Food Fight — 56,918 Greater Springfield Board of Realtors Feed the Need — 2,633 Mercy — 2,208 Grace Fielden — 1,934 Cricket Wireless Authorized Retailer — 1,363 Central Bank of the Ozarks — 1,012 Gravitate Solutions — 710 Expedia — 686 Grant Ave. Freewill Baptist Church — 367* Williams Elementary Student Council — 296 DHL Supply Chain — 271 Amanda Carter — 258 MSU Pi Kappa Alpha & Sigma Kappa — 218 MOCIC-RISS — 207 Menards - University St. — 203 Walk-in donations — 159 DairiConcepts — 150 Cox South — 116 O’Reilly Hospitality Management — 109 AT&T — 98 Air Services & All Services — 96* Sewing Machine Express — 89 First Watch Joplin — 82 Little Sunshine’s Playhouse — 66 Akins Natural Market — 62 MSU Swimming — 42 Walmart Store - Independence St. — 28* Netsmart Technologies — 20 MO Division of Employment Security — 10
January 1- February 28, 2019
Groups 20+ hours January 1- February 28, 2019
Abacus CPAs, LLC Central Bank of the Ozarks Church of Jesus Christ YSA Community Foundation of the Ozarks YEP Students CoxHealth Pharmacy Datema House Elks Lodge Faith for Life – Campbell UMC Forsyth R-III FCCLA Fort Leonard Wood Military Police Class Hope Church King’s Way UMC Logan-Rogersville H.S. CLICK Academy Logan-Rogersville H.S. FFA Maggard Family MSU Athletics MSU MSU Base Program “Peritoneal Dialysis Packers” at Cox Health Rotary Club ff Springfield North South Street Youth Sumner One Wesley UMC Willard H.S. Baseball
Noah Hoefle Patti Hudgins Julia Jenkins Catherine Jones Harvey Kaylor Donald Landon George Lawrence Bailey Lourens Dalton Lower Timothy Lower Ann Marsh Cari Martens Dave McGee Melvie Mosier Anna Marie Mullies Charlene Nelson Melody Pierson Elise Quisenberry Hannah Rockers Deborah Rumpf Tom Ryan Susan Shockley Logan Steinhour Saundra Stroud Marilyn Vinson-McAfee Michael Vitt Lona Wait Georgeann Warren Dwayne Woods Larry Woolf Robert Wullner
January 16 - March 20, 2019
*Thank you so much to our ongoing food and fund drive hosts.
Garden Open House Helps Welcome Spring Each year, Glean Team volunteers harvest more than 33,000 pounds of fresh produce from the garden for families facing hunger in the Ozarks. Celebrate springtime and learn more about the garden during the third annual Full Circle Gardens Open House.
treats anytime between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Volunteers and staff members will be working in the garden throughout the day as cool season crops are harvested and warm season crops are planted. All ages are welcome to take part in this spring kickoff event.
The event will take place Wed., May 15 at Ozarks Food Harvest’s home garden in Rogersville, located at 2835 South Farm Rd 227.
For more information about the open house or to learn about joining the Glean Team this spring, contact Alexa Poindexter by calling 417-865-3411.
The public is invited to stop by for tours and
All ages are invited to enjoy the third annual Full Circle Gardens Open House.
Partner Farm Generously Provides Produce Dan Bigbee of Fassnight Creek Farm is passionate about farming—and about getting fresh, nutritious produce to individuals and families who don’t get enough to eat. Bigbee, known as “Farmer Dan” by fellow farmers and volunteers, often invites the Ozarks Food Harvest Glean Team out to help harvest produce. He also makes a weekly donation to
Harvest on Wheels, which delivers produce to Crosslines, one of Ozarks Food Harvest’s hunger relief partners.
of organizations like Ozarks Food Harvest, Crosslines and Harvest on Wheels that help us share our blessings,” he shared.
In addition to these donations, Farmer Dan picks up essential supplies for the Ozarks Food Harvest Garden during his trips to a large farm supply store in central Missouri.
Last year, Farmer Dan donated 7,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables for food insecure families in the Ozarks. The Food Bank is grateful for Fassnight Creek Farm and Farmer Dan’s desire to provide healthy food to families in need.
“Springfield is a great place to live because
Share why you support Ozarks Food Harvest on social media. You might encourage someone to become a Hunger Hero!
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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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