Ozarks Food Harvest receives $1M grant

The Missouri Foundation for Health today presented a $1 million grant to Ozarks Food Harvest, the single largest infrastructure donation presented to the food bank in its 30-year history.

Part of the health foundation's Food Access Project, the grant will be fully awarded to Ozarks Food Harvest during the next two years and utilized by the Springfield nonprofit for infrastructure and equipment improvements at its Springfield campus and its 250 community partners. At least $250,000 will be applied toward infrastructure improvement for the community partners, which include faith-based organizations, food pantries, senior centers and after-school programs, according to a news release.

“We are so grateful for the partnership of the Missouri Foundation for Health to improve access to healthy food to those we are privileged to serve," Ozarks Food Harvest President and CEO Bart Brown said in the release. “One of the most common barriers our member agencies face is the lack of funding for equipment and infrastructure needed to accept and distribute greater quantities and varieties of fresh produce and other healthy items to their clients.

"This funding will remove many of those barriers, which is truly exciting.”

The Missouri Foundation for Health's Food Access Project is designed to increase food distribution to underserved Missourians. The $1 million grant to Ozarks Food Harvest was part of $4 million presented statewide, according to the release.

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