Ozarks Food Harvest begins holiday food drive

Southwest Missouri food bank Ozarks Food Harvest started its annual Check Out Hunger campaign Nov. 15, a fundraiser that runs through Dec. 31. The campaign raised more than $14,000 in 2009.

More than 60 area grocery stores are participating in the holiday campaign, including Dillons, Harter House, Murfin's Market, Price Cutter, Bistro Market, Smillie's Market and Summer Fresh Supermarket. The full list of participating stores can be found here (PDF).

Shoppers will have the opportunity to make $1 tax-free donations when checking out at the markets.

Donations will aid the nonprofit food bank service, with every $1 donated providing $10 worth of food distribution across the Ozarks. OFH distributes more than 8.5 million pounds of food annually though more than 300 nonprofit hunger relief organizations across 28 counties, according to its Web site.

"There's never been a more critical time to support hunger relief efforts in Missouri and particularly in the Ozarks," President and CEO Bart Brown said. "What we are seeing now is a whole new type of client, and that's the unemployed middle class."

He said OFH's service number has increased to 155,000 in 2009, compared to 43,000 in 2007.

Springfield is one of 38 communities participating in the campaign; others include Branson, Joplin, Nixa and Ozark.

Ozarks Food Harvest has raised $145,433 since starting the Check Out Hunger campaign in 1998, said Lindsey Neddenriep, public relations and event management coordinator.

Neddenriep said she thinks the campaign numbers can be equated to promotion.

"I personally think it depends on what the art is, how attention grabbing it is," she said, adding that store placement of the fliers also can be a factor.

This year's flier features two sleeping babies and can be found on the OFH Web site.
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