The Ozarks Region Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals is honoring Ozarks Food Harvest --southwest Missouri's food bank --with two awards today highlighting the organization's contributions to those in need in 2008.

According to a news release, the Ozarks Food Harvest will be named the Outstanding Philanthropic Organization of the Year, with The Food Bank's Executive Director Bart Brown also being named Outstanding Fundraising Executive of the Year.

Since the beginning of 2008, Ozarks Food Harvest member charities have reported a 40 percent increase in need.

In that same time period, The Food Bank has increased distribution by almost 100,000 pounds a month, the release stated.

The award ceremony will take place during a luncheon for National Philanthropy Day at 11:30 a.m. today at Highland Springs Country Club.

These awards come just a few months after Ozarks Food Harvest celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Since 1983, Ozarks Food Harvest has served 29 counties in the southwest Missouri, where more than 150,000 people live in poverty, having delivered nearly 90 million pounds of food in that time, the news release stated.

As the only food bank in southwest Missouri, Ozarks Food Harvest works with hundreds of food pantries, homeless shelters and other charities to combat hunger in the Ozarks.

Plus, the food bank has developed direct service programs that help children and seniors in need receive the help they need.

The food bank has previously been honored for its dedication to those in need.

In 2005, The Springfield Business Journal named Ozarks Food Harvest its Non Profit of the Year.

Ozarks Food Harvest works with more than 350 hunger relief organizations, reaching more than 41,000 people each month in 29 southwest Missouri counties.

Ozarks Food Harvest distributes more than 5 million pounds of food annually to its network of agencies and offers direct relief through its Kids Cafe, Food for Thought, Club F.U.N. and Mobile Food Pantry programs.

For more information, contact Matt Petcoff with Ozarks Food Harvest at 865-3411.