The Hope Center receives walk-in freezer donation from Ozarks Food Harvest

Walk-in freezer will allow the Hope Center to store and distribute more food to families in Cedar county.

El Dorado Springs, Mo.— ​The Hope Center Food Pantry received a walk-in freezer donation thanks to Ozarks Food Harvest as part of a more than $200,000 grant.

The Hope Center was one of eight food pantries in southwest Missouri chosen to receive a walk-in freezer to assist with COVID-19 relief efforts. In addition to donating the 16-by-11 foot units, The Food Bank funded the concrete pad pouring, 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 Danita Ehlers, program director at the Hope Center. “Thanks to Ozarks Food Harvest, we’re able to accept and distribute more food to families now and in the future.”

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.

The Hope Center distributed more than $109,000 worth of food last year in partnership with Ozarks Food Harvest. This has helped the organization serve more than 674 families in Cedar county. (This is from June 2020 to December 2020).

Ozarks Food Harvest is the largest COVID-19 related donor to charities in southwest Missouri. Since April, 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. Sincerely,

The Hope Center A non-profit organization