Ozarks Food Harvest donates 10 millionth meal to Crosslines Food Pantry

Linda Leicht
·2 min read
In honor of Ozarks Food Harvest delivering 10 million meals to Crosslines, a big red ribbon was cut in front of the loading dock. On hand were, from left, Kenny Ross, board president of Ozarks Food Harvest and vice president of sales of Ross Construction Group; Wes Buchholz, Council of Churches of the Ozarks vice president of programs; Bart Brown, president/CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest; Catherine Crockett, board president of Council of Churches of the Ozarks; Jaimie Trussell, Council of Churches of the Ozarks CEO.

Ozarks Food Harvest donated its 10 millionth meal to the Crosslines Food Pantry March 14 in celebration of the 33-year-long partnership that began in 1990. Through its partnership with Ozarks Food Harvest, Crosslines Food Pantry distributes USDA food, Senior Boxes, fresh produce and additional food items to more than 1,700 families each month.

The Food Bank is celebrating milestones for its network of 270 faith-based and community charities spread across a third of the state of Missouri. Crosslines, a leading food pantry in Greene County, was chosen as the second network partner to be celebrated due to its long history with The Food Bank and its efforts to end hunger in Greene County.

“The partnership we've enjoyed with Ozarks Food Harvest these last 33 years has been crucial to the food assistance we provide to our neighbors in need,” said Nathan Mortenson, program manager of Crosslines. “We are so grateful for the work that Bart and his team do to support pantries like ours all across the region.”

Crosslines and Ozarks Food Harvest representatives gave remarks about their history and partnership, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of Ozarks Food Harvest’s truck unloading area to celebrate the donation of the 10 millionth meal.

“This was an excellent chance to showcase Crosslines’ remarkable work and highlight the urgent need for support from the community,” said Bart Brown, president and CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest. “We’re so lucky to have partners like Crosslines when so many families are facing hunger.”

Since 2010, Ozarks Food Harvest has provided more than $240,000 in grant funding and 12 million pounds of food to the Crosslines Food Pantry. Ozarks Food Harvest also delivers food, door-to-door, free of charge to its network of faith-based and community partners to ensure they can focus on feeding families.

Over the past seven months, the Crosslines Food Pantry has experienced a dramatic increase in demand for food among Greene County residents. On average, 41% more households are requesting food assistance compared to the same time period last year. Many of the families are likely using the food pantry for the first-time as 1 in 4 households served did not request assistance the previous year.

To learn more about Ozarks Food Harvest, including volunteering or donating, visit Crosslines’ website at CCOzarks.org/Crosslines.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Ozarks Food Harvest celebrates 33-year partnership with Crosslines