Ozarks Food Harvest

The numbers are in, and this is the impact our volunteers made in May.
 
🍎 396 people volunteered a total of more than 2,500 hours.
🥫 Volunteers sorted, packed, and picked more than 460,000 pounds of food.
🥗 The food processed by volunteers provided about 330,000 meals for our neighbors facing hunger!
💌 Volunteers created more than 2,000 Hope Notes to let children facing hunger know their community cares about them.
 
These numbers are incredible, and they don’t even include the priceless impact this food had on folks who needed help. Thanks to our volunteers, thousands of children, families and seniors were able to access nutritious food to get through tough times. Thank you for helping us Transform Hunger into Hope in southwest Missouri.
 
To volunteer at Ozarks Food Harvest, visit ozarksfoodharvest.org/volunteer
 

You can save lives AND end hunger when you donate blood at Community Blood Center of the Ozarks this month!

From June 1 to June 30, Community Blood Center of the Ozarks will triple the value of your LifePoints to Ozarks Food Harvest. You earn LifePoints each time your donate blood, and CBCO converts those points to cash for the charity of your choice. That means your blood donation will not only save lives at the hospital, you'll also be helping end hunger across southwest Missouri.

Make sure to designate your LifePoints to Ozarks Food Harvest to take advantage of this opportunity.

Schedule your visit now at https://www.cbco.org/

Our Summer Harvest campaign has begun! Learn more about how you can get involved by visiting ozarksfoodharvest.org/summer-harvest-2026/

Ozarks Food Harvest launches Summer Harvest campaign to feed children: https://www.ky3.com/2026/06/04/ozarks-food-harvest-launches-summer-harvest-campaign-feed-children/

The weather is hot, but it's nice and cool in our air conditioned sort room. For a feel-good indoor activity, join us for a daytime volunteer session Monday-Friday to help families facing hunger put meals on the table this summer.

Here's what you can expect when you volunteer in our sort room this summer:
-Daytime volunteer sessions involve checking donated food for food safety standards and packing it into boxes before it's distributed to our partner charities across southwest Missouri.
-Volunteer sessions are three hours with a break in the middle. During your break, enjoy a snack and cold beverage on us.
-These projects include standing and bending.
-In just one three-hour session, each volunteer helps provide about 300 meals for folks facing hunger.

It's easy to sign up. Simply visit ozarksfoodharvest.org/volunteer to learn more and get started! Thank you for helping us end summer hunger!

Hunger doesn't take a summer break. Nearly half of Missouri grade school students are enrolled in free and reduced-price lunches — but when school is out for summer, kids lose access to those meals and families have to fill the gap. We can make sure families in southwest Missouri have meals on the table this summer.

Check out these Summer Harvest events to help raise meals for families facing hunger:

🌊 Splash & Sizzle, June 1 - September 7. Between 5-6:30 p.m. daily, admission to all Springfield-Greene County Park Board outdoor pools is $1 or free when you bring one canned food item per person for donation to the food drive.

🩸 Ozarks Food Harvest month at Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, June 1-30. When you donate blood at Community Blood Center of the Ozarks this June, CBCO will triple the value of your LifePoints donation to The Food Bank. You’ll help end hunger and save lives with your blood donation.

❤️ 34th Annual United Way Day of Caring, June 18. United Way’s Day of Caring is the largest one-day volunteer event in southwest Missouri. Keep an eye out for volunteers collecting nonperishable food items for Ozarks Food Harvest at both Springfield Hy-Vee locations!

🥇 Caliber Collision's Co****le Tournament, June 20, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Proceeds from Caliber Collision’s co****le tournament will support Ozarks Food Harvest. Sign up in-person on the day of the event, or you can give to Caliber Collision’s fundraiser online at caliber.com/food-drive.

🍽️ Springfield Restaurant Week, July 10-19. Visit participating Springfield restaurants for Springfield Restaurant Week. A portion of sales from these restaurants’ special menus will benefit Ozarks Food Harvest. Stay tuned for a full list of participating restaurants.

Your support ensures kids will get the nutrients they need to grow and play this summer. Thank you!

Special thank you to our Summer Harvest presenting sponsor, Paul Mueller Company.



Springfield-Greene County Park Board, United Way Ozarks Region, , Springfield Restaurant Week

Did you know you can volunteer as a group with your business, church, club or friends? Today we'd like to thank the volunteer groups who helped us finish the month of May strong.

- Arvest Bank Mortgage Team sorted 8,774 pounds of donated food to provide 7,312 meals.
- TruStage sorted 27,888 eggs to help our neighbors access protein (yes, that's a lot of eggs).
- Best Buy sorted 8,576 pounds of food to provide 7,147 meals.
- Nothum assembled 513 Senior Boxes to help older adults access food and sorted 3,712 eggs.

Thank you again for helping our neighbors facing hunger ❤️