Neal Center receives grant from Ozarks Food Harvest

The Neal Center recently received a capacity-building grant as part of the Ozarks Food Harvest’s $1 million investment in agency infrastructure in southwest Missouri.

The center that serves people 60 and older in Nevada and Vernon County will receive $8,875 for the purchase of a new gas double oven for its kitchen.

The Neal Center, operated by Care Connection for Aging Services, was one of more than 70 organizations chosen by Ozarks Food Harvest to receive an agency capacity grant to assist with hunger-relief efforts.

“This grant will be a blessing as we serve adults 60 and older in Vernon County with hot meals served in the Nevada dining room five days a week and meals delivered to the homes of qualified seniors,” said Chris McCune, Regional Director for Care Connection for Aging Services. “The new oven will help us to serve more seniors during these times of economic uncertainty.”

Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving 270 charities across 28 Ozarks counties. This capacity building investment is part of The Food Bank’s multi-faceted strategy to address needs identified in Missouri’s Food Assistance and Hunger in the Heartland 2021 report conducted by the MU Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security.

“These grant funds are an investment in the future of our community’s food system,” said Bart Brown, president/CEO of Ozarks Food Harvest. “Increasing access to food is key as our network of hunger-relief charities continue to deal with the expanding cost of food and fuel.”

Neal Center, 301 N. Main, in Nevada, is one of 21 locations operated by Care Connection, a nonprofit area agency on aging serving 13 West Central Missouri counties, including Vernon. The agency’s mission is to provide opportunities to create positive aging experiences. For more information, visit www.goaging.org or call 417-667-5847 or 1-800-748-7826.

About Ozarks Food Harvest — The Food Bank

Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving 270 charities across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank reaches 50,000 individuals monthly and provides more than 20 million meals annually. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest.