Ozarks Food Harvest gives local food pantry a new walk-in freezer
The Ozark County Food Pantry has received a new walk-in freezer thanks to Ozarks Food Harvest as part of a more than $200,000 grant to area food pantries.
The local food pantry, which is located on Highways 160/5 west of the Gainesville business district, was one of eight food pantries in southwest Missouri chosen to receive a walk-in cooler/freezer to assist with covid-19 relief efforts. In addition to donating the 16’-by-11’ units, Ozarks Food Harvest funded the pouring of the concrete pad as well as delivery, assembly and electrical installation.
“Many of the families we serve are faced with tough decisions during covid-19, and a donation like this will make a huge impact,” said Rhonda Suter, administrator of the Ozark County Health Department and president of the Ozark County Food Pantry. “Thanks to Ozarks Food Harvest, we’re able to accept and distribute more food to families now and in the future.”
A news release announcing the gift said, “Rural areas affected by covid-19 were targeted for donations as they experienced greater job losses, specifically in manufacturing and tourism and increased food insecurity. This capacity-building investment is part of Ozarks Food Harvest’s long-term plan to optimize food access in rural communities who lack infrastructure and equipment for increased food distribution.”
Ozarks Food Harvest president / CEO Bart Brown said, “We know that food insecurity rates are higher in rural communities and will continue to increase during covid-19. We’re so grateful to be able to provide assistance to our agencies to ensure storage space isn’t a barrier to serving more folks in their communities.”
Last year, the Ozark County Food Pantry distributed more than 225,552 pounds of food valued at $240,061 in partnership with Ozarks Food Harvest. The organization typically serves more than 350 families and 600 individuals per month in Ozark County.
Since April 2020, Ozarks Food Harvest has hosted more than 75 mobile food pantries, purchased an additional $2.2 million worth of food and provided a record-breaking 14 million meals for its network of 270 hunger-relief organizations.