May 2015
Volunteers make all the difference annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon held at the Farmers Park Pavilion on April 15. Volunteers were recognized for their hours of service with awards, T-shirts, certificates and a catered lunch. A picture puzzle of Ozarks Food Harvest was assembled with pieces signed by Volunteers put together a puzzle during the annual volunteer each volunteer in appreciation luncheon hosted by ozarks food harvest. attendance. More than 2,400 Food Bank volunteers gave nearly 23,000 hours in fiscal year 2014, processing 3.5 million pounds of donation.
OFH, agencies host events to thank volunteers
Volunteers are an essential piece of the work of Ozarks Food Harvest and its member agencies. During the week of April 12-18, Volunteer Appreciation Week, the thousands of volunteers who make this work possible were honored throughout OFH’s service area. Here are some of the ways:
The Food Bank OFH honored over 50 volunteers at the
IN THIS ISSUE
C-Street Connect On April 16, C-Street Connect at Crimson House honored their volunteers and spouses with a coffee and dessert bar. Included in the evening’s festivities were a brief history of the two-year old commodity pantry; the number of families assisted over the past year; a tour of Crimson House; and seven door-prizes, the last being two tickets to a Springfield Cardinals game. The highlight was hearing from several of the clients who had penned
God’s Storehouse reaches more clients Center helps feed kids in Mansfield Reminder on forms for TEFAP agencies Online presence becoming more crucial
their appreciation on comment cards to be shared that night.
Well of Life Food Pantry Volunteers at Center City Outreach–Well of Life Food Pantry work hard year-round to provide food for hungry people in Springfield. The agency will reward its volunteers for their efforts with a luncheon this summer after its annual board meeting. Each year the number of those honored increases, with last year’s event having about 40 volunteers. Board members say it is important to recognize the volunteers and express how crucial they are to the pantry.
Ozark County Senior Center Ozark County Senior Center in Gainesville will host its annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner for its volunteers later this year. Each year, the center picks a theme and a menu to fit, which is prepared in its kitchen by SWMOA cooks. The local high school’s FCCLA chapter will help serve the sit-down dinner to the volunteers. There is usually some form of entertainment during the evening — it may be the cooks working a hula-hoop! The event will include a short program regarding the number of volunteer hours given to the organization this year and a small award for “Outstanding Volunteer of the Year.” It is nothing fancy, but the center said it always tries to make sure its volunteers know how important they are and how their gifts of time make such a difference in the lives of those in need in southwest Missouri.