In all, 23 of the CFO’s 44 affiliates participated in the Hunger Challenge, which leverages the total of $250,000 at a 10:1 ratio of buying, transporting and distributing food through the OFH network of feeding programs and pantries.

The Walmart State Giving Foundation awarded a $125,000 grant to Ozarks Food Harvest for a second challenge opportunity earlier this year after last year’s success with a $100,000 grant for the original Ozarks Million Dollar Hunger Challenge.

In this year’s Ozarks Million Dollar Hunger Challenge II, 25 food programs across the region worked with the 23 CFO affiliates to raise matching funds by the end of September.

Grant presentations, shown in the gallery below, have been made with affiliate and food program leaders in a number of the communities over the past month. The participating affiliates were: Aurora, Bolivar, Cassville, DACO, Dallas, Dent, El Dorado Springs, Finley River, Houston, Jacks Fork, Lockwood, Marshfield, Monett, Mount Vernon, Mountain Grove, Neosho, Nixa, Oregon County, Seymour, Stockton, Southwest Missouri, Taney County and West Plains.

“We appreciate the cooperative spirit between our affiliate foundations and their local food pantries to jointly tackle this matching grant opportunity,” CFO President Brian Fogle said.

This program began in response to a national report  – “Hunger in America 2010” – describing the extent to which hunger plagues Ozarks communities. An estimated 155,000 Ozarkers face chronic hunger issues, according to the report.

“We are grateful for the funding from the Walmart State Giving Program which allows us to leverage hunger relief support to our local Ozarks communities,” said Bart Brown, CEO at Ozarks Food Harvest.

“There’s a growing population of clients who are not eligible for government assistance such as WIC or the National School Lunch Program. This ‘gap’ truly relies on our member pantries and feeding sites to help feed their families,” Brown said. “The current child food insecurity rate is sobering. More than a quarter of our children — five percent higher than the national rate — now face hunger, or do not know where their next meal is coming from.”

Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving more than 300 hunger relief organizations across 28 Ozarks counties in addition to long-term relief sites in Joplin. The Food Bank reaches 20,000 individuals weekly and distributes one million pounds of food monthly. OFH was named the 2011 Small Business of the Year by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org and at facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest.

On Tuesday night, the Finley River Community Foundation and members of the Ozark and Christian County community celebrated a decade of good work with a reception at Touchstone Counseling.

Board members, donors and supporters sipped on wine, munched on delicious hors d’oeuvres, and prepared for a second decade of grantmaking and community building. The FRCF was established on May 17, 2001. The reception-though delayed-was a momentous occasion for the hardworking board, whose achievements in the last year alone have included reaching the $1 million mark in total assets and achieving 100 percent participation among board members in the Legacy Leadership Challenge, in which members were encouraged to make donations to their communities a part of their permanent bequests or estate planning.

CFO wants to congratulate and thank the FRCF board for its hard work, and looks forward to another 10 years of success!

There’s no denying that it has been a heat bomb of a summer in the Ozarks. The sweltering temperatures have made outdoor work miserable, and keeping living things alive has been something of a challenge.

With that in mind, students in the Chadwick R-1 School District should be doubly impressed by the transformation that awaits them when the new school year begins August 22. And a number of community volunteers, students and school staff from the small, rural town in eastern Christian County have put in the sweat equity to make sure it gets done.

With the help of a $19,989 Coover grant the Chadwick campus, instead of a hardscrabble space between school buildings, will now have a fully functional outdoor classroom and Ozark Mountain herb garden. With a little financial boost, students, volunteers and staffers from Lowe’s in nearby Ozark have turned a previously useless patch of gravel and grass into one of the most innovative classroom projects in southern Missouri.

With the additional help of a $5,000 Heroes Grant from Lowe’s–which included materials, plants, furnishings and expert advice–multi-tiered levels of decks and sitting space have been erected where previously there was limestone chat and scrub brush. Umbrellas, a shade awning and multiple access points make the space comfortable and useful for all students.

For the schools, the herb garden will serve cross-curricular purposes; students will not only maintain and grow the plants, but learn about their home uses, medicinal properties, and importance to the Ozarks’ early history and ecology in classes spanning from elementary school to high school.

Other project objectives, as outlined in the grant proposal, include a website to track the project’s progress, a space in the garden reserved for elementary students, a community display at Chadwick’s annual Railroad Days celebration and collaboration with Christian County’s Master Gardener chapter for professional assistance.

The project was one of eight to receive more than $140,000 in 2011 Coover grantmaking funds last May at the Rural Schools Rendezvous in Thomasville, Mo. Selected projects must meet the Rural School Partnership‘s mission of connecting schools and communities through the principles of place-based education. The RSP now taking applications for the 2012 Coover grantmaking round; click here to apply. The application period ends March 2, 2012.

The grants are made possible by the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation Place-Based Education Grantmaking Program of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks in partnership with Commerce Trust. The Rural Schools Partnership is a CFO initiative.

This week in Chadwick, the deadline heat to complete the project before school actually outweighed the temperature heat. The sky was overcast and temperatures mild as a parent-volunteer pounded pavers and Lowe’s employees assembled furniture.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Ashlee Jones, president of Chadwick’s Future Farmers of America chapter, and a few of her fellow officers looked around the space and talked about its potential uses. They had also helped unload a mountain of lumber when it was delivered earlier in the summer. “We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into with the size of that lumber delivery,” she said with a laugh. “This is something that shows Chadwick is taking a step forward, and something that the students can be proud of.”

Wheeler takes the long view: When asked what purpose he hope the space is serving 10 years from now, he says he hopes to be able to sit in the corner, sip on some sweet tea, watch the students and “plan what to do with the next 10 years.”

We can only hope that summer isn’t quite as hot.

The foundation has earmarked $1,000 of the $2,500 grant for a Hunger Challenge match, according to FRCF Board President Janis Creek.

The Legacy Leadership Challenge, which ended June 30, was a campaign to encourage Community Foundation of the Ozarks affiliates to lead by example in joining the Legacy Society. The Finley River Community Foundation’s 16 new Legacy Society members were the most among CFO’s 43 affiliates. All current board members are now Legacy Society members.

“The 100 percent participation of FRCF’s board members in the Legacy Society Challenge goes to their commitment to enhancing the quality of life in Ozark and eastern Christian County through community service, charitable giving and endowment building,” said Creek, who recently became president following Sarah Adams Orr, who led the FRCF when the challenge began.

The new FRCF Legacy Society members are: Dr. Cindy Baker, Jackie Barger, Margie Beadles, Brian Cathey, Carole Collins, Janis Creek, Susan Haralson, Joseph L. LaBarge, Jr., Karen Miller, Randy Mitchum, Mark & Sarah Orr, Kathryn Owens, Bill & Debbie Phillips, Tom & Patti Tobin, John Torgerson and Mark Woods. This brings the total number of FRCF Legacy Society Members to 19. Go to www.cfozarks.org/finley-river/ to view a full list of Legacy Society members and to learn more about the FRCF.

“As we work with our affiliates to promote planned giving to benefit future generations in their communities, we stress that it’s important for board members to participate themselves if they are asking others to consider legacy gifts,” CFO President Brian Fogle said. “This is an outstanding response from the Finley River Board to show their commitment to leaving a legacy for their area.”

Joining the Legacy Society for the Finley River Community Foundation can help ensure that residents and their families can support their valued causes and interests and leave a legacy for the area in perpetuity. Please go to www.cfozarks.org/legacy-society/ to learn more about planned giving and the benefits of joining the Legacy Society.

For more information on joining the Finley River Community Foundation’s Legacy Society, please contact: FRCF Board President Janis Creek, (417) 224-0346; or Winter Skelton, Community Foundation of the Ozarks, (417) 864-6199.

Please take a moment to vote for the historic Riverside Bridge in the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “This Place Matters” contest. The bridge could win $25,000!

That money would be used to renovate the bridge for pedestrian & bicycle use, which would help save the bridge & make way for more paths. Please vote by going to www.saveriversidebridge.com/vote

Voting ends on Thursday, June 30.

Front Row (left to right): Neal Grubaugh, Jeanette Doran, Rachel Robertson, Bill Hanks, and Karen Miller. Back Row (left to right): Alexandria Robertson, Elizabeth Robison, Lauren Capps, Caitlin Stratton, Paige McCammon, Carrie Olson, and Margie Beadles

The Finley River Community Foundation hosted a successful first-time reception for its local scholarship recipients at the Ozark High School library earlier this week.

The dessert reception gave donors the opportunity to meet the scholarship recipients in a more informal atmosphere. The Finley River Community Foundation granted $13,800 in scholarships to Ozark High School students this year.

Finley River Board members (left to right): Karen Miller, Rachel Robertson, Susan Haralson, John Torgerson, Mark Woods, Margie Beadles, Cindy Baker, and President Sarah Orr

]]> http://www.cfozarks.org/2011/05/13/finley-river-reception-links-donors-and-scholarship-recipients/feed/ 0 http://www.cfozarks.org/2011/04/11/annual-conference-focuses-on-ideas-to-strengthen-affiliates/ http://www.cfozarks.org/2011/04/11/annual-conference-focuses-on-ideas-to-strengthen-affiliates/#comments Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:38:00 +0000 admin http://www.cfozarks.org/?p=3176

The 2011 conference for the CFO’s affiliate foundations offered a variety of topics and information for more than 60 presidents and board members who came to Springfield last week.

CFO President Brian Fogle offered a perspective on rural community development aimed at reinforcing the affiliates’ roles as leaders and community builders.

Three breakout sessions on board development, fund development and marketing/communications were designed to share practical ideas and goals for the key topics identified at last conference when the affiliates focused on strategic planning.

A lunchtime panel discussion highlighted successful event planning and fundraising ideas, including tips on making the events both safe and successful.

The CFO’s Carol Silvey continued the “friendraising” training she began during the fall regional meetings with affiliates. And Brian Fogle wrapped up the conference by celebrating the CFO’s recent milestone of $100 million in grantmaking and distributions back to our communities. He also congratulated four affiliates that have recently achieved the $1 million milestone in assets – the Aurora Area Community Foundation, the Finley River Community Foundation, the Lockwood Community Foundation, and the West Plains Community Foundation.

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is again teaming up with Ozarks Food Harvest and the Walmart State Giving Program to tackle the chronic hunger problems that affect our region.

The 2^nd Annual Ozarks Million Dollar Hunger Challenge kicked off at a news conference at Ozarks Food Harvest today. The Walmart Foundation State Giving Program pledged a $125,000 grant toward a 1:1 match with regional food pantries served by Ozarks Food Harvest.

The participating food pantries were selected in 27 communities that have CFO affiliate foundations so that those foundations could offer fundraising support, community grantmaking awards or other types of assistance to partner with their local food banks.

“This is a great way to address hunger across one-third of the state of Missouri using a great trio of partners,” OFH President and CEO Bart Brown said.

He also discussed a new analysis of local “food insecurity” levels that support anecdotal information and a 2010 Hunger Study. The analysis shows that many people facing “food insecurity” have income and/or resources that make them ineligible for assistance programs. Many of them are people who have lost jobs, but still have homes or cars that count as assets.

“More and more clients who come to food pantries are the unemployed middle class who need assistance,” Brown said. “Technically, they’re not poor, but they don’t have any money.”

Through Ozarks Food Harvest’s buying program, the $250,000 in potential funds from the challenge grant and matching funds will leverage about $1 million worth, or 2.5 million pounds, of food for the participating pantries, food banks and mobile food banks.

The first Million Dollar Hunger Challenge was completed last year when 19 CFO affiliates raised $105,000, which was matched with $100,000 from the Walmart State Foundation.

CFO President Brian Fogle said this represents another example where charitable dollars are filling the gaps created by decreased public funding at all levels. He said this model works well because it directly serves residents in the communities where the money will be raised.

“That is philanthropy at its best,” Fogle said.

Becky Wood, Walmart’s Senior Foundation Manager from Bentonville, Ark., said the company’s State Giving Councils are comprised of local associates who determine the best use of foundation resources for  their states.

“It’s great to be a partner with you in Springfield,” she said.

The largest number of new funds were established by agency partners, the schools and non-profit groups the CFO works with to build endowments and assist with capacity building and other services. We welcomed 81 new agency partner funds during that six-month period, bringing the total number associated with the CFO to 378. A number of those new funds are for members of our Rural Schools Partnership.

We’re also continuing to see growth in our scholarship programs, with 20 new scholarship funds established from July through December. We’ll be posting more information in early February on the new scholarship opportunities available for Ozarks students through the generosity of these donors who put a priority on making higher education accessible for all students.

The new funds also include seven Giving Circles to support interests ranging from heart health in West Plains to helping neighbors in need through the Finley River Community Foundation. Giving Circles are a new type of fund the CFO is emphasizing to encourage groups of people bonded by shared interests to support their charitable passions.

For more information about our CFO funds, please contact Winter Skelton, Director of Donor Services, (417) 864-6199.

Humanitarian Award founder Jewell Thompson Schweitzer with 2010 recipient Doug Pitt

Care to Learn Founder Doug Pitt was honored as the 2010 Humanitarian today for his creation of a program to provide students with basic food, health and hygiene needs that began in Springfield and has now expanded to Bolivar, Ozark, Nixa and Republic.

More than 130 people honored Pitt at today’s luncheon for Care to Learn’s response in fulfilling more than 36,300 cases of need since he created it in 2008 with start-up support from Springfield businessman Jim D. Morris and the Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

“A community needs to take care of its own,” Pitt said in his remarks after accepting the award from Jewell Thompson Schweitzer, a longtime Community Foundation of the Ozarks supporter who established the Humanitarian award. “We should be very proud of the collaborative spirit that goes on every day in our community.”

The Humanitarian honor includes a $3,000 cash award, which Pitt said he will divide evenly among the five Care to Learn chapters.

The 2010 award marks the 21^st year of honoring humanitarians in the Ozarks. Mrs. Schweitzer established the award to pay tribute to individuals who place service to others as the primary motivating force in their lives. The 2009 award was presented to Oregon County ranchers and brothers Roger D. “Dusty” Shaw, Jr., a CFO board member, and William Shaw, for their philanthropic work in south-central Missouri.

Pitt was nominated for the award by friend and businessman Bobby Allison, Drury University President Todd Parnell, and SRC Holdings Corp. President Jack Stack.

Parnell described Pitt, the co-owner of ServiceWorld Computer Center in Springfield, as someone with “the heart of a philanthropist” who also has the good business sense to run an effective program. Allison chided Pitt about his golf game, saying he doesn’t have time to improve it because he’s busy working on the plight of those less fortunate in both the Ozarks and around the world.

In addition to his work on Care to Learn, Pitt was honored for his role as a goodwill ambassador to Tanzania and his support for construction of wells for clean drinking water in Africa as well as his role as co-chair of the Homelessness Task Force in Springfield.

CFO President Brian Fogle concluded the luncheon by thanking all the people who have supported Care to Learn since its founding.

“Doug Pitt saw children without shoes, without coats and even without shampoo, and said ‘Yes, I can do something about this’,” Fogle said. “Others of you offer support with your time, talent, and resources in supporting CFO, and other non-profits in our community.

“We have 100 reasons not to get involved, or let someone else do it,” he said. “But thank God you here in this room have hearts that refuse to let you look at a first-grader without a coat on a sub-zero day, and tell him or her, ‘no’.”