FOOD FOR THOUGHT | DECEMBER 2022

FOOD FOR THOUGHT March 2026

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:54:48 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – March 2026

One thing I am learning quickly in this role is that there is no shortage of inspiration.

Every day I hear stories of perseverance, service, and grace. Those stories come from neighbors, from our agency partners, from fellow food banks, and from leaders who are working to make our communities stronger. I am grateful for the chance to witness that kind of commitment up close.

Many of you have likely seen the headlines that Arkansas ranks among the hungriest states in the nation. Those statistics matter, and they remind us how much work remains. But what I also see every day are people who refuse to accept that reality as permanent. Across our state, there are good people stepping forward and choosing to be part of the solution.

A few Fridays ago we gathered with all 88 of our agency partners for our annual Agency Meeting. It was a day full of energy and hope. Our team at the food bank works to coordinate and move food across Northwest Arkansas, but it is our agency partners who meet neighbors face to face and place that food into their hands. Many of those partners are volunteers who give countless hours to this work. They inspire us every day.

During that meeting I made a commitment to visit all 88 partner agencies over the next year. I intend to keep that promise. These organizations are doing remarkable work, and it is our responsibility at the food bank to support them in every way we can.

Last week, Kent and I traveled to Washington, D.C. with the other food banks in Arkansas and the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. Together we met with members of the Arkansas delegation to share findings from a new study on hunger in our state. The openness and willingness of those leaders to engage in the conversation was encouraging. We are grateful to Senator Boozman and others who are working with us to pursue stronger solutions for Arkansans.

The past month has been a powerful reminder that this work is bigger than any one organization. It is a shared effort across neighbors, partners, volunteers, and leaders who believe our communities can be stronger.

We will continue to share a simple message: Food is the Foundation. Health, opportunity, and stability all begin there.

Thank you for standing with us in this work. Your support makes it possible, and we are truly grateful for you.

Taylor Speegle

President/CEO

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

Congratulations Club 100 Class of 2025!

This year, we proudly welcomed 39 volunteers into Club 100, an exclusive group of individuals who have each served 100+ hours with Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

We celebrated this year’s class with a special dinner at Wooden Spoon, a meaningful evening dedicated to honoring their impact and expressing our gratitude.

Their service strengthens every program area across our organization. When volunteers give 100+ hours, the ripple effect is felt in our warehouse, in our agency partners, and ultimately at the tables of families across Northwest Arkansas.

If you’d like to learn more about Club 100 or how to get involved, please reach out to Hunter Jimenez at hunter.jimenez@nwafoodbank.org.

Neighbor story: Paula

It’s the second week of Pantry to Plate as Sawyer, Steven and Samuel head back to the kitchen for seconds of their lentil and veggie soup that they just learned how to make.

Pantry to Plate is a free, six-week class taught in the Teaching Kitchen at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank by Becky, Nutrition Education Coordinator. Each week, participants follow a guided recipe, practice cooking skills, and learn helpful tips to incorporate nutrition.

Paula, their mother, first discovered Pantry to Plate through a local Facebook group for homeschooling moms and decided to see if it’s something she and her three sons would enjoy.

After attending two Pantry to Plate classes last year, they are eager to learn from Becky for a third time.

“We learn so many new things each time we take the class,” Paula says. “She’s great at teaching regardless of what previous knowledge of cooking and nutrition you have.”

Pantry to Plate has not only introduced healthy new recipes to Paula and her sons, but a strong foundation for understanding nutrition

“My boys and I have learned new recipes, but we’ve also learned so much about nutrition,” Paula says. “They go grocery shopping with me and now know how to read the nutrition labels and ingredients of what we buy…They not only help with meal ideas, but they now want to be a part of cooking it,” she says.

Paula appreciates the hands-on experience Pantry to Plate offers as it has sparked her boys’ interest in healthy eating.

“We’ve made things in Pantry to Plate that they’ve loved, but I know they wouldn’t have if I had just served it to them for dinner. It really makes a difference for them to make their meal from start to finish and understand why what they’re having is good for them.”

Paula wants her children to have a strong foundation for nutrition as they grow older and values how Becky has made the class engaging and fun.

“My kids love coming to the classes and they love Miss Becky.”

Pantry to Plate classes are posted on the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s Facebook and Instagram pages, and registration is required.

Agency Spotlight: GRUB

Every Tuesday, First Christian Church in Rogers distributes food to neighbors through their GRUB Food Pantry.

GRUB, an acronym for God Relies Upon Brotherhood, is open every Tuesday from 9 a.m. - noon and is run entirely by volunteers.

Serving the community for twenty years, GRUB Food Pantry began in 2005 by Jack and Sue McConnell.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to GRUB food pantry, one of 110+ agency partners across the region.

“That’s always been the mission - to provide food for people,” said Rita, Acting Director of GRUB Food Pantry.

As cars arrive, a volunteer places numbered sticky notes on each windshield to keep track of the order of arrival. Another volunteer then goes to each car and uses a walkie-talkie to communicate the name of the person picking up food. Volunteers inside the church stationed at computers verify the name in their system, then a volunteer delivers the food directly to the neighbor’s vehicle.

First time visitors will need to go inside to provide their ID and enter their name in the system.

“If they do need to come in, we’ll bring them in and have them fill out a paper form. We’ll just talk to them…If they’re nervous, we remind them it’s no big deal. Sometimes, everyone needs a little help. We try to make them feel comfortable,” said Rita.

Rita says GRUB Food Pantry receives diapers donated by a couple from the church and will provide them to parents of young children.

“We like listening to hear what their story is, sometimes you find there’s maybe something extra they need. We will provide diapers if we hear they have a small child.”

GRUB Food Pantry is located at 905 South 13 th Street in Rogers and can be contacted at 479- 636-2230.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT February 2026

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:43:14 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – February 2026

Winter has a way of narrowing your focus. When temperatures drop, the margin for error gets smaller. Heating bills climb. Groceries stretch less. For many of our neighbors, this season brings very difficult choices. Do I keep the house warm or buy food? Do I refill a prescription or fill the fridge? These are not abstract trade-offs. They are real decisions families across Northwest Arkansas are making every day.

Recently, I had a small glimpse of how quickly life can feel overwhelming. During last week’s winter storm, my three girls were home due to school closures while I was still trying to work. The days felt long and heavy. Even with support, it was hard to keep everything balanced. That experience gave me a deeper appreciation for how quickly disruption and difficult choices can stack up, especially when resources are already stretched.

Experiences like that are a reminder of how important consistency is, especially during times of disruption. That consistency is something I see every day in our Club 100 volunteers. Club 100 recognizes volunteers who give more than 100 hours of service in a year through our Volunteer Center, Mobile Pantry, and Feed Rogers. Last year, 39 volunteers reached that milestone, contributing more than 7,000 hours of service. Seventeen people joined this group for the first time. That level of commitment is remarkable. When I see these volunteers in the building, or out in the community, loading boxes and serving neighbors, I know the work is getting done. I know families are being fed. Their presence brings steadiness and confidence, and it matters more than they may ever realize.

At the same time, many of our neighbors are navigating changes to SNAP. SNAP remains a critical support for working families, seniors, and individuals trying to stay on their feet. As requirements shift and eligibility becomes more limited, some households will face new barriers to consistent access to food. When that happens, the need does not disappear. It shows up at food pantries, mobile distributions, and partner agencies across our region.

Through it all, our role remains clear. We work every day to provide access to food for all neighbors who need it, because we believe food is the foundation.

Taylor Speegle

President/CEO

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

Neighbor story: Pamela

Photo representative of neighbor. Courtesy of Canva.

When Pamela found herself going through a difficult time, she found Feed Rogers as a beacon of hope, knowing she would have access to food.

Feed Rogers is a free client-choice pantry located in downtown Rogers and operated by the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank staff that allows neighbors to select their own food, rather than receiving a pre-packed box of groceries.

Pamela is grateful to the staff at Feed Rogers and wide variety of items available for her to shop.

“It’s been just a pleasant place. I came in one month to get a few extra things to fill up my pantry - things I need and some extras that I wouldn’t normally be able to afford. I spent years donating to food banks, but I was just badly off one month and stopped in. I’ve never had to do this in my life before, but doing it has just been a pleasure because everybody is so sweet.”

We know that anyone can experience food insecurity, and welcome all to our center. Our top priority is to create an environment where neighbors feel safe and that they are treated with dignity and respect by staff and volunteers.

Pamela is grateful for how welcoming everyone at Feed Rogers was to her during a tough time.

“You guys were just so sweet. People here are willing to help if you need something and make a pleasant day out of it.”

Feed Rogers allows one visit monthly and is by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, call 479-408-4393.

To make a one-time donation to support neighbors like Pamela, visit

https://nwafoodbank.givecloud.co/donatetoday .

Welcome new members to our Board of Directors!

“We are pleased to welcome our new board members and thankful for their willingness to serve alongside us as we work to fight hunger across Northwest Arkansas.”

Taylor Speegle

President/CEO

FOOD FOR THOUGHT January 2026

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 22:00:05 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – January 2025

Gratitude has a way of sharpening focus. Lately, I find myself full of gratitude. I feel it each morning as I walk into the Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief. I am grateful for a community that shows up again and again, for a dedicated and hardworking staff, and the opportunity to lead and grow an organization that plays such a vital role in the health and well-being of our region. I am also deeply grateful for Kent’s leadership and mentorship, and for the strong foundation he built during his time at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. I was born and raised in Northwest Arkansas, and this community is home in every sense of the word. My wife, Jill, and I are raising our three daughters here, which only deepens my commitment to ensuring our region is a place where every family has the opportunity to thrive. As I step into this role, my hope is simple and unwavering: that together, we build a food bank that is strong enough, trusted enough, and prepared enough to meet the growing need in our community with dignity and resolve.

As we enter a new year, our direction is set. We are advancing the 2030 Strategic Plan with intention and urgency. Our vision for this work centers on reliable access to food, strong partnerships across all four counties, and operational excellence so we can meet immediate needs while building long-term resilience. The 95,000 neighbors we serve are counting on us, and that responsibility guides every decision we make.

Anyone who has experienced true hunger knows how consuming it can be. That constant, painful, empty feeling leaves little room for anything else. It makes it hard for a child to focus in school, for an adult to stay clear-headed at work, or for a senior to be fully present in daily life. Your support of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank does far more than provide a meal. Food restores focus. It creates stability. It gives people the chance to learn, work, and live with dignity. Food is the foundation. This work is urgent, and you are essential to its success. Thank you for standing with us and for your continued commitment to feeding Northwest Arkansas.

Taylor Speegle

President/CEO

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

Neighbor story: Michael, Feed Rogers

Photo representative of neighbor. Courtesy of Canva.

Feed Rogers, located in downtown Rogers and operated by the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank staff, is a free client-choice pantry that allows neighbors to select their own food, rather than receiving a pre-packed box of groceries.

While shopping at Feed Rogers, Michael enjoys looking for protein sources. He loves cooking a variety of meals and says he especially appreciates being able to restock his protein options.

“The ground turkey and chicken are so good for me because I am not allowed red meat on my diet, so this really helps.”

Michael appreciates how friendly and helpful the staff are, especially Rosario, the manager at Feed Rogers.

“Rosie is special. She has been beyond helpful and polite. She is a good person and she’s super.”

Michael visits Feed Rogers each month and says they do an excellent job keeping things stocked. He has been shopping at Feed Rogers since they opened in 2022 and can always find what he needs.

Feed Rogers allows one visit monthly and is by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, call 479-408-4393.

To make a one-time donation to support programs like Feed Rogers, visit https://nwafoodbank.givecloud.co/donatetoday.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT December 2025

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 17:37:12 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – December 2025

Earlier today, I looked in my files and read my first Newsletter column, which appeared in January 2016. I admit I got a little sentimental thinking about the past ten years, but time marches on! Last June, when I informed the Board of Directors of my decision to retire, this date seemed far away, but much like the last ten years, the pages on the calendar have flown by. I guess that happens when you truly love what you do.

As much as I hate to say this, the number of food-insecure neighbors in Northwest Arkansas is not going to decrease. Even as hard as we have worked over the past ten years, increasing the amount of food we distributed and the number of people we served, that number continues to grow. You’ve heard me say it many times before: food insecurity is a mathematical problem. Thousands of our hard-working neighbors simply do not make enough money to live on, let alone live comfortably without the aid of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Just as those neighbors could not survive without the Food Bank, the Food Bank could not survive without the generous support of the Northwest Arkansas community. And for that support, I will be eternally grateful.

It’s no secret that I have said many times that I feel like God called me to the Food Bank. It’s no secret that I believe he has had a hand in the levels we have achieved since January 1, 2016. The past ten years have been the pinnacle of my working career. I have been blessed to have a job that allows me to come to work every day and make a difference in someone’s life. I’m truly going out on top.

In closing, I want to focus on the future. That future is in the hands of a team of dedicated individuals who don’t just come to work but live the mission. I couldn’t be prouder of the legacy of the staff, most of whom I have hired over the years. I’m especially proud of my successor and honored to turn the keys over to Taylor Speegle, who will continue to focus on continual improvement, being better today than we were yesterday, with eyes toward the future and what needs to be done to support the thousands of friends and family who need our help. Currently, the plan is for me to stay on for at least three months in an advisory role and work on some special projects that need to be done, but nobody has time for them. So just because my title and responsibilities will change, my passion for the work the Food Bank does will not. What happens after March remains to be seen.

Before I get too weepy-eyed, I’ll close with my invitation to tour the Food Bank if you haven’t seen it. You will be impressed with what the community has done for future generations. I guess there is nothing left to say other than “Because of you, someone will eat today.”

Neighbor story: Ty, Grace Chapel Food Pantry

Photo representative of neighbor. Courtesy of Canva.

“It takes a village to raise a child” is not only about offering help to our neighbors. It’s the courage to accept help when we need it, too.

When Ty turned to his kids’ school counselor for resources, she connected him with Grace Chapel Food Pantry in Rogers. At the food pantry, Ty found both food for his family and caring relationships.

“Anyone who walks through the door is welcome,” Ty said. “They’re doing their best to understand your situation without prying, so they can offer you the best things. When they ask you questions like, ‘Do you have kids?’ it’s not prying. They might ask, ‘Are they in diapers?’ because they are looking to be as helpful as possible.”

When you enter Grace Chapel, volunteers will greet you and guide you through the check-in process. Your kids are welcome to play and read in the kids’ area near the pantry shelves, so you can walk through the pantry independently. Volunteers will assist you as you choose the food and personal care items that you want from the shelves.

For Ty, this meant picking up his kids’ favorite ravioli, along with chicken and beef to plan meals for the week. He likes the client-choice model because it’s quick and easy for everyone.

“If you’re worried about language being a barrier, it’s very much a point-and-pick system,” Ty said. “You don’t have to have a conversation with these people about your life or anything. You don’t have to know the name of what you are getting. You can just see it, point to it, and go.”

Ty knows it can be hard to walk through the food pantry door for the first time. He encourages others to take the first step because the community is ready to offer support.

“There are no strings attached,” he said. “Nobody’s asking you to come to church on Sunday. Nobody is asking you to do this, that, or the other. They are just here to give and offer, and that’s been just fabulous.”

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to Grace Chapel Food Pantry, one of 110+ agency partners across NWA.

Grace Chapel’s food pantry is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Neighbors can visit the pantry each month. A photo ID is required for check-in. They are located at 1801 S. Dixieland Rd., and they can be contacted at 479-636-7045.

To support families like Ty's with a one-time donation, visit www.nwafoodbank.org/donate-online.

Agency Partner Spotlight: H2O Food Pantry

For Amy, the director of H2O Food Panty in Centerton, helping others is what community is all about.

H2O Food Pantry serves an average of 80 households a week, not only from Centerton but also from surrounding areas, including Gentry and Bella Vista.

Amy said the food pantry thrives on community support, including from local businesses, fellow churches, and Centerton’s mayor. They all aim to combat food insecurity and ensure that households have access to the nutritious food they need to thrive.

“People can come any time, whenever they need,” Amy said, emphasizing that there are no qualifications to receive help with food.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to H2O Food Pantry, one of 110+ agency partners across Benton, Carroll, Madison, and Washington counties.

Along with distributing meat, produce, bread, and shelf-stable foods like canned vegetables, rice, and beans, the pantry volunteers also hope to feed a person’s heart.

“It’s one of our important goals,” Amy said. “They need something even more important than food, and that is love, connection, and respect.”

H2O Food Pantry is open on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Living Waters Methodist Church, 424 N. Main St. in Centerton. You are welcome to visit weekly or as often as needed. They can be reached at 479-644-7598.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT November 2025

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:30:00 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – November 2025

The holidays are just around the corner. It is regularly documented about increased stress

around the holidays. There are many reasons for this: cooler weather, higher utilities, seasonal jobs such as landscaping slow down, even the fact that we leave for work in the dark and go home in the dark has an impact on each of us. Yes, stress impacts all those around us. This year, added to those annual factors is the government shutdown and its impact on SNAP and other benefit services. Our food insecure neighbors need help. Our role is to help reduce that stress by putting food in local pantries who in turn distribute it to those in need. In order for us to do that we need your help. The fourth quarter is critical for our continued success. Year-end giving helps support us through the lean first quarter of the year. If I may be so bold as to ask, this year if you consider an extra donation which can address the increased need because of the shutdown while still setting us up for success during the winter months, I, along with the neighbors we serve, would greatly appreciate it.

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Another event that is just around the corner is my birthday. Now, I have had enough of these

annual occurrences to view it as just another day, so I try not to get overly excited. But this

year is a little bit different. The 40/29 Turkey Drive has been moved up a week to November 14 rather than the Friday before Thanksgiving like it has been in the past. This will give us an opportunity to collect birds and get them distributed to be part of a Thanksgiving meal for our neighbors in need. If you don’t have early morning plans, I invite you to stop by the Pleasant Grove Walmart, meet some of the 40/29 on air talent, and catch me in the Tom Turkey suit for

perhaps the last time.

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I know this month’s column is short, and I hope you will forgive me for my brevity. I’ve had a bit of a challenge getting my mind focused on what I want to say without focusing on the challenges we have faced the last thirty-plus days, so I am going to close now, but invite you to look elsewhere in this newsletter to see our public release of the 2030 strategic plan. As Northwest Arkansas continues to grow, your Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has to continue to grow to keep up with the growing demand. This plan positions us to do so.

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Thank you all for your continued support.

Because of you, someone will eat today

Neighbor story: Allen, Grace Chapel Food Pantry

Photo representative of neighbor. Courtesy of Canva.

Allen has an unbreakable bond with his dog, Lady. He discovered her as an abandoned pup in a public park restroom, and he nursed her back to health.

The pair have stuck together through dire circumstances – living in Allen’s van, searching for help with food, and losing Allen’s first dog, Lobo, unexpectedly.

“I look at Lady as a gift from God,” he said with tears in his eyes.

When Allen first came to Grace Chapel’s Food Pantry in Rogers, he found a warm welcome and resources for the two of them. The pantry distributes a wide variety of human food and gives out dog food as well.

While Allen visits the food pantry, Lady lies and waits patiently. Her ears perk up when he returns with bags of groceries, including cooked chicken.

Allen says that Grace Chapel is his favorite place to visit because of the client-choice setup, where he can choose what he wants directly from the shelves. He easily finds food he can cook on his stovetop, and doesn’t have to worry about receiving food he can’t use or store in his van. Most importantly, he can choose items that meet his medical needs and avoid food allergies.

“A lot of the pantries just want to bag it all up, and you take it all,” he said. “Well, it’s all spaghetti and spaghetti sauce. But here you can choose and it’s a lot less wasteful.”

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to Grace Chapel’s Food Pantry, one of 110+ agency partners across NWA.

To support neighbors like Allen with a one-time donation, visit www.nwafoodbank.org/donate-online.

Agency Partner Spotlight: Second Street Food Pantry

When you first drive up to the Second Street Food Pantry in Bentonville, you’ll receive a warm welcome from their volunteer crew. They seek to create a space where anyone feels welcome and knows they will be cared for, regardless of their circumstances.

“We started in 2011, and there was a group of ladies from the church who saw a need,” said Barb, president of the food pantry. “They started the pantry and would go out to the stores and buy food. It’s evolved to the point that we give out about 300 bags a week.”

The pantry has a wide range of volunteers who help with distributions, including high school students, retired students and fellow churches. It’s a community effort that unites everyone to meet the needs of our neighbors.

During its weekly distributions, the pantry gives out bags with fresh produce, frozen meat, a variety of shelf-stable foods, snacks and more.

Different Tuesdays also include a special giveaway of personal care items. Diapers from the Diaper Collective are distributed on the first Tuesday of the month. Bombas socks are distributed on the second Tuesday. On the final Tuesday of the month, they distribute hygiene items like toilet paper and paper towels.

The church and food pantry also provide financial support for emergency situations on a case- by-case basis for households in Bentonville, Rogers, Centerton and Bella Vista.

JoAnn, who does procurement and food planning for the pantry, intentionally seeks out culturally-appropriate food to meet the needs of different households. She was inspired to help others from her family’s experience as immigrants from the Netherlands.

“We were the family that people left groceries on our doorstep because we didn’t have enough food,” she said.

Volunteers also make food bags for unhoused neighbors that include items like pop-tab canned goods, shelf-stable fruit cups and other items, depending on what food storage and cooking capabilities they have.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to Second Street Food Pantry, one of 110+ agency partners across Benton, Carroll, Madison, and Washington counties.

Second Street Food Pantry is open on Tuesdays from 12:00 to 5:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 201 NW 2nd St. in Bentonville. You can visit this pantry weekly, and there are no qualifications for food assistance. They can be reached at 479-273-9210.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT October 2025

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 21:45:36 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – October 2025

Well another Hunger Action Month has come and gone. My orange shirts are back in the

closet, the orange light bulb in my yard light has been changed back out and hopefully more people in northwest Arkansas know about our mission. Our staff participated in a Hunger Action Month Bingo game where they competed for prizes and had the opportunity to earn an extra day of PTO. Everything we do during September, both internally and externally, is designed to bring awareness to what our mission. I hope you found some ways to participate and I encourage you to share photos so we can continue to build a portfolio of different participatory activities.

Did you know that TEFAP (USDA commodity foods) make up between 15 and 18% of the total food we distribute? While I am grateful for TEFAP, I am also grateful that it doesn’t constitute a larger percentage of what we share with our neighbors in need. By contrast, there are Food Banks in the Feeding America network that over half of what they distribute is TEFAP. That puts them at a much higher risk when the Federal Government makes changes to the policies.

Speaking of Federal Government changes, hardly a day goes by that I am not asked by a

member of the media how the changes in Washington are impacting us. Unlike many great organizations that help make Northwest Arkansas a better place to live, we do not receive any government funding so cut backs do not directly impact our operating funds. As I referenced above, the amount of TEFAP Food, while important to our neighbors is an amount that we can make up with purchase product if necessary. Changes to SNAP will go into effect in October of 2027 so how that will impact us remains to be seen. However, the current Government shutdown could have an immediate effect on those who receive SNAP benefits and WIC benefits. So indirectly, the Government shutdown might have an impact on the Food Bank. It is important to note that we are committed to not letting our neighbors suffer. With your help we can weather this political storm just as we weathered the tornado of 2024, and weathered economic swings since 1988. Thank you to all the supporters who have asked if we need additional financial support during this time.

The older I get the faster the pages on my calendar fly by. I cannot believe October is here already. I like fall. I like the crisp air. I like that it doesn’t get really hot. I like that it doesn’t get really cold. I like that the pollen that is present in the spring isn’t present in the fall. I could go on and on but you get the picture. I also like fall because it is the start of the 4 th quarter. In football all the players always hold up four fingers at the end of the third quarter. The miler picks up the pace when he or she starts the fourth lap. Most retailers do the majority of their business in the fourth quarter. We are blessed with more donors during the fourth quarter of the year. People who support our mission and step up to make sure our neighbors in need are taken care of. What I don’t like about the fourth quarter is that our neighbors in need experience additional financial pressure, therefore making it harder for them to put a nutritious meal on the table. This year in particular we need all of you who make year end donations to be sure to remember the Food Bank once again. The pressure is on us to provide nourishing food to more and more people every day. We cannot provide the food they need without your help. It’s that simple. So on behalf of the growing number of Food insecure neighbors in Northwest Arkansas let me say thank you and Because of you, someone will eat today.

Photo credit Justin Froning- Celebrate Arkansas Magazine

Neighbor story: Marion, Feed Rogers

Marion likes visiting Feed Rogers, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s client-choice pantry, because the options make it easier to meal plan.

Walking through the aisles, she can choose items to create full meals, including pasta, rice, produce, bread and frozen meat. She also picks up groceries for her siblings who are unable to drive to the pantry.

One of her favorite things to add to her cart is a frozen Cornish hen. These hens are purchased at a reduced price from Tyson and processed in the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s Protein Repack Room at the food bank’s facility in Lowell.

“I like to broil it, boil it in a pot, put it in soup, a chicken pot pie, or use it as a whole chicken,” Marion said. “It’s absolutely been helpful.”

With a variety of options at Feed Rogers, Marion can cook meals that meet her health needs. “I’m trying to not eat as much red meat,” she said. “With the chicken, I can make more variety and watch my health and cholesterol.”

Feed Rogers is a client-choice pantry serving anyone in need in Northwest Arkansas. To schedule your appointment, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/feedrogers.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT September 2025

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 16:02:35 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – September 2025

September is Hunger Action Month. It’s time to resume my annual quest of wearing orange every working day of September. I have had several folks ask me why I established my “orange challenge.” To restate, orange is the color representing food insecurity. Our Northwest Arkansas Food Bank logo, “No Kids Hungry”, The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and Feeding America all have orange as an integral color. Any opportunity I get to bring attention to the need is a success. Monetary donations help pay the bills. Money helps put food on the tables of those in need. Advocacy is equally as important. Too many people are hungry and too few people realize the need is a great as it is. I have been proud to wear orange every day in past Septembers, and I am looking forward to putting my orange on. I even have some new orange shirts to add to the rotation. I invite you to accept this as my challenge to you to wear orange also. Please snap a selfie of you in orange attire and email it to me at kent@nwafoodbank.org and I will share it on our social media platforms. Well, technically I will have Julie share the photos.

At our last Board of Directors meeting, our 2030 Strategic Plan was approved. It is important for our organization, as well as all others, to look forward and plan for the future. I’m really proud of the work that our team, especially Taylor Speegle, put into this plan. I don’t want to delve to deeply into the new plan at this point, but do want to tease your interest. When the plan is released in its entirety in November, you can expect to see actions we will be taking to ensure our mission of helping food insecure neighbors is accomplished through stronger partnerships, a stronger staff, more advocacy, education and, not the least of which, using the Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief to its full capacity.

I want to bring to your attention an announcement elsewhere in this newsletter about the Flavor of Giving event, October 9. After over a decade of a Gala type event, we are repurposing our Jewels of Giving Gala to a more casual event. It will still be a celebration of sorts for what we have accomplished this past year with an eye toward the future. I hope you can join us.

Well, that about wraps it up for this edition. I continue to marvel at the support of the community. We could not do what we do without you all. When I talk to peers across the nation who are worried about the future of their food bank, I am so grateful for each and every one of you who support us through monetary donations, volunteerism, advocacy or a simple thank you. You make it easier for us. Because of you, someone will eat today.

Protein Pack Room Hits Major Milestone!

Congratulations to our Protein Pack Room staff on processing ONE MILLION POUNDS of protein!

Every day, this team processes bulk protein donated by Tyson Foods, repacking thousands of pounds into household-sized packages under rigorous food safety standards. These packages are sent out to our Agency Partners, who distribute them to families in need.

This protein is also shipped out to our partner Feeding America food banks across the United States.

Thank you and congratulations to our team for hitting this incredible milestone. We're so grateful for your dedication to fighting hunger in NWA and across the nation.

Neighbor story: Jené and Debra,

Pantry-to-Plate classes

When Debra came across a social media post about Pantry-to-Plate free cooking classes, she quickly reached out to her friend Jené. It would be the perfect opportunity to catch up and enjoy good food together.

“I signed us up, so we could do it together as friends,” Debra said.

“It’s been wonderful, absolutely. I’ve enjoyed every day,” Jené said.

Pantry-to-Plate classes are open to anyone in Northwest Arkansas and are led by Becky, the Food Bank’s nutrition education coordinator, in the Teaching Kitchen.

The class created a variety of recipes, including lentil and veggie soup and pineapple fried rice.

“They’ve all been wonderful,” Debra said. “They’re easy to cook. That’s what I like about it. You can go home and quickly make this. You don’t have to have an hour. You can have like 30 minutes and have a great meal.”

In another workshop, the participants made pasta salad and pesto ranch with basil grown in the Teaching Garden.

“We walked out there, we picked our basil, and made the pesto,” Debra said. “Oh my goodness gracious, it was so delicious!”

Along with making the recipes in class, participants learn nutrition tips and tricks to incorporate into their daily lives. Jené and Debra enjoyed the lessons on reading nutrition labels and safe food storage.

“After we cook, we get to eat, and then we get to learn more about the ingredients and how to read ingredient labels,” Debra said. “The education part is a great added component.”

Jené is already recommending the class to other people. They both want to attend future classes in the Teaching Kitchen.

“I’m so sorry it’s over because it was our weekly outing together,” Jené said. “I’ve enjoyed being with all the women in this group. It’s been fun to meet them and get to visit with them.”

For information on future cooking and nutrition classes, follow the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s Facebook page.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT August 2025

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:00:27 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – August 2025

This month’s newsletter column will be a little different than the previous 100+ I have written. Instead of a number of random short reflections, this will actually take the form of a letter. I wish I could address and send to each of you individually because each individual reading this has touched my life in a different way over the past few years.

After years of answering the “When are you going to retire?” question with the answer, “I’m not ready,” the answer has changed to “sometime in the second quarter of 2026.” That’s right, the wheels are in motion to find my successor. In fact, you may have already seen the job posting or read the news release. While this is an unchartered time of my life, it is one that I face without trepidation. I know Diana and I are prepared for this stage of my life but, more importantly, I know the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is prepared for life after Kent.

It has truly been my honor to serve the Northwest Arkansas community as President/CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. I cannot think of a better way to finish my career. I began working for a paycheck in 1967 when I was 13 years old and have worked continuously since. But never has a job made me feel more complete than the past ten years. The job isn’t done yet. In fact, I fear the job will never be done. When I started this role in 2016, I had every intention of eliminating hunger in Northwest Arkansas. Unfortunately, even as hard as we have

all worked, eliminating hunger is an unachievable goal. You see, there are too many factors that cause food insecurity that we at the Food Bank have no control over. To me, a more realistic goal is that everyone who is food insecure has reasonable access to the food they need. I strongly believe we are well on our way to achieving this goal.

I cannot begin to thank the community enough for supporting me. Collectively, you all have been there when I needed advice. You’ve been there when we needed financial support, answering the call to not only help with operational expenses, but also to construct the Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief, which opened in 2024 without a mortgage. You’ve been there when I needed volunteers. You’ve been there when I needed advocates. You’ve been there when I simply needed a smile, a hug, or a prayer.

Our succession plan calls for the President/CEO to give “sufficient notice” in order to recruit a successor. I’m confident that over the next few months, I can and will work closely with the Board of Directors to recruit and develop the next leader to take the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank to the next level of service to our neighbors in

need.

May God continue to bless Northwest Arkansas and the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank with associates who view our role as a mission, not just a job. In closing, let me remind you that “Because of you, someone will eat today.”

Neighbor story: Lu

Grace Chapel Food Pantry (Rogers)

Photo is representative of neighbor. Courtesy of Pexels.

While driving through Rogers, Lu spotted a food pantry sign outside Grace Chapel.

The sign caught her eye for a reason, yet her hesitation grew. She was unsure if she should go, even though money was tight.

“I had never, ever taken donations, you know,” Lu said. “I was always used to giving. I was raised on ‘It’s better to give than to get.’”

Lu spent 35 years working in the food industry and regularly donated to local charities. A cancer diagnosis changed her life. Now, her income comes only from disability benefits. She also started caring for one of her granddaughters on her own.

When she visited Grace Food Pantry for the first time, she said she “felt strange because I felt maybe I shouldn’t do it. But it was hard for me to make ends meet, so that’s the reason I did.”

Lu’s anxieties vanished when the food pantry volunteers warmly greeted her. They guided her through the client-choice pantry. She could choose the food and personal care items she wanted straight from the shelves.

Along with shelf-stable food, Lu was excited to see fresh fruits and vegetables. She also looked through an assortment of free books.

“I thank God every day for places like this that help people, because life is getting harder and harder,” Lu said. “Even if you really try to so-called ‘pinch your pennies,’ it’s hard to make it. I’m very thankful I have a place to come that will help me.”

To support families like Lu's with a one-time donation, visit www.nwafoodbank.org/donate-online.

C ome Volunteer with Us!

We love our volunteers and would love to have YOU come and volunteer with us! We have a variety of opportunities that will fit your schedule. Simply visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volutneer to find a day and time that will work best for you and register online. We look forward to having you!

Meet one of our OUTSTANDING volunteers!

Exciting Volunteer Opportunity!

The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G LPGA event is looking for a few more volunteers to work this year’s BITE event. This tournament is a huge supporter of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and generously gives back to us each and every year. In return, we try to help them fill their volunteer shifts. They are in need of volunteers for the following shifts at BITE :

September 20th - Saturday afternoon (1:00pm-5:00pm) – 6 openings
September 21st - Sunday morning (10:00am-1:00pm) – 4 openings
September 21st - Sunday afternoon (1:00pm-5:00pm) – 10 openings

If you are interested in volunteering, please visit: www.nwachampionship.com and use the code FB25 at registration.

Agency Partner Spotlight: Grace Chapel Food Pantry (Rogers)

It’s a new morning at Grace Chapel Food Pantry, where volunteers are preparing to serve their neighbors.

Before the doors open, volunteers stock the shelves with food, lay out tables with information on community resources, and reorganize toys in the play area for kids so their parents or guardians can walk through the food pantry independently.

The food pantry at Grace Chapel, formerly Grace United Methodist Church, has been in operation for over 20 years.

“The only reason we’re able to keep going is because we’re the conglomerate of three churches: First Church Downtown Rogers, Central Methodist on New Hope, and Grace Chapel,” said Richard, the food pantry manager.

As you enter Grace Chapel, a volunteer will greet you and give you a number. You will then go to the check-in desk to register. When your number is called, a volunteer will bring you a shopping cart and assist you as you choose the food and hygiene items you want. The pantry has a wide variety, including frozen meat, loaves of bread, fruit, laundry detergent, feminine hygiene products, and diapers from the Diaper Collective.

Richard has heard many stories from visitors about the pantry’s impact on the community.

“A lot of people come in and say that they’re treated with dignity,” Richard said. “That’s on the (volunteer) group for Tuesdays and Thursdays that deal directly with the people. It’s an amazing group of people.”

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to Grace Chapel Food Pantry, one of 110+ agency partners across NWA.

“We’re grateful that the Food Bank is here and helps us out,” Richard said. “The programs they offer are very beneficial.”

No matter your circumstances, Grace Chapel Food Pantry is here to help guide you.

“We try to reassure them that they’re welcome here and that the process is painless,” Richard said.

Grace Chapel Food Pantry is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at 1801 S. Dixieland in Rogers. You are welcome to visit once a month, and there are no qualifications other than a photo ID at check-in. Grace Chapel can be reached at 479-636-7045.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT July 2025

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:58:58 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – July 2025

Diana says that I am always working. While that might not be totally true, at least I am almost always thinking about work. This was apparent last weekend when we were checking into our hotel in New York City. It was our first trip to the city and we were eager to start seeing the sites. But as we were walking to the elevator, I spotted a sign listing all the opportunities guests had to help the hotel staff support those who suffer from food insecurity. Needless to say, I stopped to shoot a picture before going up to our room and setting out as tourists. So yes, I must confess, finding new ways to communicate our message or new ways to serve our neighbors in need are always on my mind. I’m always on the hunt for an idea we can adapt to our service area. However, I’m not too proud to accept help. Your challenge is to share ideas that you come across with me as you see them. You might just find that silver bullet that we need.

+++++

In June we celebrated a year in the new facility. To say it has flown by would be an understatement. Like with any new construction, there have been challenges, but for the most part the building has done all that was expected of it and more. It is a tool in the fight against food insecurity which causes us to continually assess procedures and look for ways to be more efficient. I believe we will continue to find ways the building can help us move more food out to our agency partners and ultimately into the hands of those who need it. If you haven’t had a chance to come by and see YOUR Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, I encourage you to come by and take a tour. You will be impressed by what you see and might even be motivated to sign up for a volunteer shift.

+++++

Do you remember a few weeks ago when everyone was wishing it would stop being so chilly and rainy? It’s stopped! Please take a few moments each day and check on your friends and neighbors to make sure they are alright. There have already been several people die because of heat related issues across the country and it’s only going to get hotter in the upcoming weeks. It’s also important that while you check on folks, that you make sure they are staying hydrated and even though they might not have much of an appetite, make sure they are eating. If they don’t have anything to eat, check out our website, nwafoodbank.org to find the nearest pantry.

+++++

Things change! Every day we are facing new challenges in our fight against food insecurity. We have to adapt and change with them. Please accept this as my promise to the entire Northwest Arkansas community that we will continue to change as necessary to achieve one of my primary goals in life…to be better today than I was yesterday, but better yet tomorrow. Repeating what I said above, you can help us be better by sharing ideas that either you have or you have seen be successful somewhere else. Many people have claimed to author this statement but regardless of who said it first, it rings true, “It’s amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets credit.”

+++++

Have a great month and remember “Because of you, someone will eat today!”

Neighbor story: Emilee, Order Ahead

Photo is representative of neighbor. Courtesy of Canva.

When Emilee discovered a free and easy way to order groceries online, she was elated.

All she had to do was visit www.orderahead.org and enter her zip code, select the participating food pantry closest to her in Lowell. Then she could choose the food that worked best for her family and schedule a time to pick up her order.

“The produce is always nice,” Emilee said. “I’m always excited about the protein because it changes, and I can switch up what we eat.”

Order Ahead is a Northwest Arkansas Food Bank program hosted by select Agency Partners. For most participating locations, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank packs each order and delivers them to the food pantry location for pick-up.

“Everything is perfect and goes smoothly,” she said. “Especially with having a baby, it’s easier to drive through, get the food, and go.”

To find a participating Order Ahead location near you and place your free online order for groceries, please visit www.orderahead.org and enter your zip code.

To make a one-time donation to support families like Emilee’s, visit www.nwafoodbank.org/donate .

Agency Partner Spotlight: St. Andrew’s Food Pantry (Rogers)

Food insecurity can impact anyone in our community – the worker stocking shelves at the store, the teacher educating students, the CNAs caring for our elders in nursing homes, and more. The need for help with food is more widespread than meets the eye.

“I don’t think that people realize how many people are hungry,” said Whitney, the assistant director of St. Andrew’s Food Pantry in Rogers. “I think they see how prosperous our area is, and we don’t take into consideration that not everybody is as prosperous.”

Feeding America estimates that over 89,000 people in Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties experience food insecurity.

At St. Andrew’s Food Pantry, anyone in need is welcome to visit. Volunteers pack boxes with a variety of foods, including pasta, soups, juice, snacks and more.

The amount of food given depends on household size, and the volunteers work to adapt the food box based on the household’s circumstances and dietary restrictions.

They also distribute USDA commodities (for this program, you can only visit one location a month and you must meet qualifications based on income and household size).

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to St. Andrew’s Food Pantry, one of 110+ agency partners across NWA.

“We really enjoy helping out, and we’re blessed to be here,” Whitney said.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry is open on Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at 820 W. Oak St. in Rogers. For regular food assistance, you can visit the pantry as needed. For USDA commodities, you can visit once a month. St. Andrew’s can be reached at 479-633-1493.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT June 2025

clientservices@wehco.com (Master Account) — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 13:57:06 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – June 2025

Can you believe that it’s been a year? Last June we moved into the Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief. Located at 1604 Honeysuckle Street in Lowell, the new Food Bank building offers many amenities that will help us in our fight against food insecurity. In case you haven’t had a chance to tour YOUR Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, please indulge me as I point out some of the features it has:

The Walmart Volunteer Center:

Climate Controlled Room with 6,729 square feet
Check In/Breakroom with 480 square feet
Production Lines for Box Building with 6,000 square feet
Floor storage or staging for +/- 108 pallets
In the past year we have had over 5,000 individuals who combined for nearly 15,500 hours. We’ve also reinstituted family night.

The Willard and Pat Walker Community Room and Teaching Kitchen:

The Multi-purpose room is approximately 3,000 square feet
Fully Operational teaching kitchen with audio visual technology
Seating for up to 100 people based on the configuration
Separate entrance and restroom facilities
In the past year we have hosted at least 40 different events and approximately 1200 individuals.

The Tyson Foods Protein Pack Room:

Became fully operational in September 2024, and is producing an average of 40,000 pounds of family sized packages of protein a week.
1500 square feet of automated technology
USDA inspected to ensure the integrity of the food product
Tyson, Simmons and Cargill have all committed to support this endeavor, while conversations are ongoing with other area protein producers.

There is expanded dry storage, cold storage and freezer storage that will serve us well for at least the next 25 to 30 years and beyond. Our entire staff is housed under one roof. Every effort has been made to build this facility for each room to have multiple functions and with the projected population growth in mind.

I am extremely proud of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank building, but I am even prouder of the staff, the board of directors and the community who have banded together to make this possible. It is the community’s food bank, I am just fortunate enough to represent you all. Please come see us. We love to show it off.

Because of you, someone will eat today…………And tomorrow!

Neighbor Story: Margo, Pantry-to-Plate classes

For Margo, cooking is all about care and creativity. She loves to experiment with flavors and ingredients to test new combinations.

“When they say, ‘Season with the heart,’ I think you cook with the heart if you’re a good cook,” she said.

Margo’s friend Amy asked her to join her in the Pantry-to-Plate classes at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

Pantry-to-Plate classes are open to anyone in Northwest Arkansas and are led by Becky, the Food Bank’s nutrition education coordinator, in the Teaching Kitchen. Along with making the recipes in class, participants learn nutrition tips and tricks to incorporate into their daily lives.

The class created a variety of recipes including Veggie Pizza with Whole-Wheat Crust and Asian Noodles with Peanut Sauce, including broccoli, carrots, red cabbage and baby corn.

“I love it. I love Asian food to begin with,” Margo said. “I don’t normally eat peanut sauce except with spring rolls. This was easy to make, and it was delicious.”

She would recommend the classes to anyone interested in cooking, from beginners to pros. “Even if you think you know everything, Becky is going to teach you something.”

“It’s fun to cook as a group because we’ve only been here twice,” Margo said, “but we’ve met different people and talked about our own experiences with different recipes and ingredients.”

For information on future cooking and nutrition classes, follow the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s Facebook page.

2025 Cereal Drive is Here!

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, along with the partners listed below, are hosting a Cereal Drive during the month of June. The Cereal Drive provides cereal and other non-perishable breakfast items that are kid-friendly to our neighbors here in Northwest Arkansas who might otherwise go without breakfast.

Harps Siloam Springs- 201 US-412 W, Siloam Springs, AR 72761

Harps Gentry- 300 S Gentry Blvd, Gentry, AR 72734

Harps Fayetteville- 1274 N Colorado Dr, Fayetteville, AR 72704

10Box Springdale- 1101 S Thompson St #10box, Springdale, AR 72764

Asian Fresh Supermarket- 203 N Bloomington St, Lowell, AR 72745

Ozark Natural Foods- 380 N College Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701

Allen’s Food Market- 60 Sugar Creek Center, Bella Vista, AR 72714

AKiN's Natural Foods- 4019 W Walnut St, Rogers, AR 72756

KNWA will also be hosting a special CEREAL DRIVE MEDIA DAY at the Walmart Supercenter on Pleasant Grove Road in Rogers on Friday, June 20th from 5:30am until 6pm.

Agency Partner Spotlight: Peace Lutheran Church, Rogers

A joy that can’t be contained goes beyond the walls of Peace Lutheran Food Pantry in Rogers. The volunteers’ positive attitudes and camaraderie radiate into every interaction with neighbors visiting the food pantry.

“We love what we do,” said Jan, a food pantry volunteer. “We love serving our community.”

This love is shared even in small moments, like when one of the volunteers grabbed a treat to surprise a little girl with her parents in line. The girl grinned widely as soon as she saw the juice boxes peeking out of the food bag.

Anyone in need is welcome to visit the drive-through pantry each week. Peace Lutheran uses a client-choice format, where visitors fill out a form to choose the food items they want. Volunteers take the completed form, fill bags with the selected items and bring the groceries outside to the neighbor.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to Peace Lutheran Church, an agency partner of the NWAFB.

“We are growing pretty steadily,” Jan said. “We get between four and eight new patrons every week.”

The pantry serves an average of 45 to 50 families a week, with some walking to the pantry from the surrounding neighborhoods and some traveling as far as Pea Ridge and Gravette.

“I think a lot of people are struggling, knowing the uncertainties,” said Pastor Melissa. She described how the church is intentional about serving the whole person, not just with the physical needs of food, hygiene items and clothing, but also with social connection.

“Our theme is neighbors helping neighbors,” she said.

Peace Lutheran Church Food Pantry is open on Mondays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at 805 W. Olrich St. in Rogers (except when Rogers Public Schools are closed due to inclement weather). Neighbors can visit the pantry each week, and there are no qualifications to receive assistance. They can be reached at 479-636-2140.

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Receives Grant for Protein Pack Room Upgrades

Feeding America, Tyson Foods, and Cargill have worked together to award the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank a $200,000.00 grant to provide some upgrades to their Protein Pack Room.

“We are so grateful for the support of Tyson Foods and Cargill, Inc. provided through Feeding America.” said Kent Eikenberry, President/CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “This grant allows us to purchase a piece of equipment, called the quick thaw unit, that will be a game changer in our Protein Pack Room by decreasing our preparation time significantly which will allow us to get much needed protein into the hands of our neighbors in need in a fraction of the time it takes now.”

The Protein Pack Room at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is one of only thirteen in the Feeding America network of food banks to have this type of operation.

“We’re able to take product from suppliers that is packed in large packages, such as 40-pound boxes or 2,000-pound totes and repackage that product in more user- friendly sized packaging.” said Tim Owen, Director of Operations at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “This allows us to distribute a more usable product, with less waste, to people that need it.”

“The protein gap in our country and communities is a real thing.” says David Bentley, Food Safety Manager at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “With the Protein Pack Room, we can narrow that Gap by repacking bulk quantities of poultry products into family friendly size portions. We have Corporate donors such as Tyson Foods and Cargill, Inc. that help make this happen through monetary donations, donations of protein, and support.”

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is one of over 200 Partner Food Banks in the Feeding America network.

Thank You, Volunteers!

During the month of May we welcomed 645 volunteers who served a total of 2,038 hours volunteering with us. We would love to have YOU, too! To find a day and time that works with your schedule, please visit: www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer.

Food For Thought May 2025

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 14:31:57 GMT

Food For Thought April 2025

Thu, 15 May 2025 20:28:29 GMT

Food for Thought March 2025

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:27:12 GMT

Food for Thought February 2025

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 21:00:00 GMT

The NWA Food Bank's February Newsletter

Food For Thought January 2025

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 15:05:29 GMT

Food For Thought December 2024

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 14:19:28 GMT

Food For Thought November 2024

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 20:27:31 GMT

FOOD FOR THOUGHT October 2024

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 16:34:13 GMT

Nov 04, 2024

FOOD FOR THOUGHT September 2024

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 15:25:10 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – September 10th, 2024

During the evening, I announced that this year’s Hunger Hero Award was given during the Grand Opening Activities. It was appropriate to announce the recipient at that time because this year’s winner was Ed Nicholson, who had served on our board of directors, was the Chair of the Food for Today/Hope for Tomorrow capital campaign and who had a long career with Tyson Foods addressing food insecurity. Unfortunately, Ed passed away a few days before receiving this award. Rest in Peace, my friend.

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Every Monday I send an email message to our Food Bank team entitled Mission Monday. It is a reflection on any number of topics which hopefully will reassure the team of the importance of their job. Below is an edited version of my August 19 Mission Monday. “I’m not sure how many of you, if any, noticed I was not here last week. Without boring you with all the details, suffice it to say that I am now the proud owner of three stents in the arteries surrounding my heart. However, that is not the takeaway from this week’s Mission Monday. Tuesday morning at 7:00 am there was a shift change of nurses. My new day nurse came in and without hesitation looked at me and said, “Hey, you’re the Food Bank guy! We have got to get you well and out of here as soon as possible because thousands of people are counting on you.” Then she asked how I was feeling and proceeded to check all my vitals, sharing how we had come to her aid a few years ago.

I share this story as a simple reminder that we never know who we will impact by what we do. The perception that our neighbors in need are freeloaders is not true. Never has been. Never will be. They are hard-working folks who, for whatever reason, have come up short in that month’s food budget. What we do is more than a job. We help people survive. Thank you for being so committed to our mission, and if you ever wonder if what you are doing really makes a difference, remember my nurse. Taking it a step further remember the lives that she has saved through her care who might not have made it had the Food Bank not helped her a few years ago. Have a great week. And, by the way, I feel great.”

I hope by reading this previously published Mission Monday, you are reassured of the importance of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and how we impact more lives than we can ever imagine. Thank you all for your role in our success. Whether you are a financial donor, a volunteer, a food donor, an advocate, or simply someone who shares a word of encouragement, you make a difference. In fact, I could even say, “Because of you, someone will eat today.”

Thanks for all you do.

Neighbor story: Karlee, Cooking Arkansas classes in the Teaching Kitchen

Karlee, a neighbor from Fayetteville, smiled as she shared strawberry spinach salad and whole-grain peach cobbler with fellow cooking class participants.

The group spent four weeks learning healthy recipes and nutrition tips, and now it was time to celebrate.

“It was a really good opportunity, a hands-on experience,” Karlee said.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank hosted the “Cooking Arkansas” nutrition classes from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP).

After the group cooked and shared the meal in class, participants received bags of ingredients to take home. They also received various cooking and nutrition tools.

“I was excited about the meat thermometer and learning how to calibrate it. And the veggie scrubber, too,” Karlee said.

Her favorite recipe they made was grilled quesadillas with vegetables. The zucchini, broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, and onions added lots of delicious flavors.

Throughout the course, participants also learned tips to improve their health, including how to read nutrition labels, store food safely and create meal plans for dietary needs.

During one class, Jacqueline, the EFNEP Nutrition Educator who led the class, held up ziplock bags of sugar and test tubes of salt to show the amounts in different foods and drinks. For Karlee, these visuals emphasized how food choices impact our health.

“It puts it into perspective,” she said. “You obviously don’t see it in the food.”

Karlee highly recommends the cooking classes to anyone interested in learning more about nutrition and connecting with the community through delicious food.

“I was looking forward to it every time,” she said. “It was really motivating to try new things.”

For information on future cooking and nutrition classes, follow the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s Facebook page.

To make a one-time donation to support nutrition education opportunities in our Teaching Kitchen, visit www.nwafoodbank.org/donate.

Agency Partner Spotlight: St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Food Pantry, Tontitown

Visiting a food pantry for the first time can be nerve-wracking. It’s the uncertainty of where to go, how to find what your family needs and what to do when you get there.

That’s why St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Food Pantry volunteers make things simple and straightforward with drive-through service.

Each Monday, volunteers pack groceries, paper products, bread loaves and more, loading the bags in wagons and pulling them to the cars waiting outside. They also have a community garden.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to St. Joseph’s in Tontitown, one of 110+ agency partners across the region.

People can visit twice a month and the only requirement is to have an ID. During the first visit, volunteers will register guests at their vehicles.

While the food pantry may be small, its impact is widespread, supporting many families living on the outer edges of Northwest Arkansas’ larger cities.

“When we first started, if we had 10 people, we were excited,” said pantry director Sharon. Now they average around 40-60 families during a busy week.

The pantry is a rallying point for the Tontitown community, a place where donors and volunteers of all ages help their neighbors.

When one of the church’s youth teachers “wanted to teach them about giving and sacrificing,” Sharon said, the class held a diaper drive.

The pantry now has a variety of diaper sizes to help families and children with this critical need.

Each month, the pantry also rotates between distributing hygiene and cleaning products. One month, they’ll give out personal care products like shampoo, razors, toothpaste, and toothbrushes, and the following month will be items like laundry detergent and dish soap.

The St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Food Pantry is open every Monday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. They are located at 192 E. Henri de Tonti Boulevard in Tontitown. They can be contacted at 479-200-2088.

Thank you to our wonderful volunteers who help us feed our neighbors by volunteering in our warehouse, at our Mobile Pantries, and anywhere else that we may need some extra help. In August, we had 416 unique volunteers who served over 1,104 hours! If you would like to learn more about how to volunteer or find a shift that would work for you and/or your team, family, or friends, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT August 2024

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 15:47:02 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – August 9th, 2024

Wow! What a week! The official ribbon cutting activities for the Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief brought several hundred supporters into the Food Bank over the two-day period. If anyone ever questioned if the community supports our mission, all they would have had to do was be here during those two days. Over the past few months, I have introduced you to various features of the new Food Bank; the community room/teaching kitchen, the climate-controlled volunteer center, the protein pack room, the expanded dry and cold storage, and more, all of which was designed for multi-function and to serve Northwest Arkansas for years and years to come. This is YOUR Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, so if you did not have a chance to come out this week and are interested in seeing it, feel free to stop by. I told those in attendance both Wednesday and Thursday that the building is just a tool in the fight against food insecurity. It is not the solution. We have to continue to be innovative and creative in finding ways to support our neighbors in need. One way you can help is through awareness. People simply do not think there is a problem in Northwest Arkansas. But there is! Feeding America estimates that over 89,000 are food insecure. The faces of those 89,000 are many. Most are working poor, many times a single parent household. Many are seniors, men and women who have outlived their savings. Far too many are children. As the population continues to grow, unfortunately the number of food insecure also grows but as I said at the ribbon cutting, “As long as there are food insecure neighbors, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank will be here to serve them.”

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In just a few days, the Eikenbabies, along with thousands of others, will be headed back to school. While some may be excited about seeing their friends who they may have missed over the summer, depending on which source quoted, between 1 in 5 and 1 in 6 kids under the age of 18 are excited to go back to school because they know they will get a nutritious meal. A hungry student struggles to pay attention in class. A hungry student struggles to keep up with his or her classmates and many times grows into a hungry employee. Our school pantry program is a partnership to try and help break that cycle. Thank you for your support of it.

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September is National Hunger Action Month. A calendar for the month with several ways to get involved will be posted on our website and on our social media channels. Please note, EACH OF US CAN DO SOMETHING to help spread the message! My “go to” is to wear orange every day of the month. I promise by the end of the month, I am ready to move my orange shirts to the back of the closet. As I said, there are lots of events going on next month so I encourage you to take part and spread the word.

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I begin most mornings with about 30 minutes of devotional readings, followed by a two-mile reflective walk during which I try to focus on my gratitude. While I may not think of each of you specifically by name, I do collectively remember to be thankful for your support of our mission.

Because of you, someone will eat today!

Agency Partner Spotlight: Peace at Home

For families in crisis, safety means more than having a roof over your head. Having a place to call home frees you from constant fear, creates space for rest and recovery, and opens the door to a brighter future.

Peace at Home helps families escape domestic violence through holistic support, including an emergency shelter, housing support, counseling, legal support, and connections to community resources.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to Peace at Home to help keep the kitchen stocked in the emergency shelter.

“The way we do the vouchers to the store (for clothing) and the way we do meals at the shelter are all connected to the empowerment model,” said AJ, Marketing Coordinator for Peace at Home. “We want it to be as much like home and as much about their choices as possible ... Everybody cooks for their family.”

A study published in “Public Health Nutrition” found connections between intimate partner violence and high levels of food insecurity. When families escape abusive situations, they often struggle “to acquire food because they are unable to afford it due to their tenuous financial status.”

AJ shared how some families escaping domestic violence experience financial abuse with the abuser limiting access to money or controlling how it can be spent. Abusers also can control how often and how much family members eat.

“The way we see that intersect with food insecurity is a lot of times they’ll have very specific shopping lists or a very specific budget,” AJ said, “... and that’s obviously reinforcing power and control, but it’s also to keep them from saving up the money to escape.”

Peace at Home wants to restore the freedom of “being able to choose what you want to eat and not having somebody exercising control over what you and your kids eat,” AJ said.

To connect with resources from Peace at Home, visit www.peaceathomeshelter.org.

For additional food resources in Northwest Arkansas, visit www.nwafoodbank.org/find-food for the latest Mobile Pantry schedule and information on 110+ agency partners in Benton, Carroll, Madison, and Washington counties.

Neighbor's story: Ricardo, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Tontitown

Photo is representative of neighbor. Courtesy of Juan Monino.

Ricardo knows strength and support are necessary to heal. As he recovers from major back surgery, he’s found a caring community at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Tontitown.

At the church’s food pantry, he picks up food for his family and diapers and wipes for his young children. The drive-thru format also is more accessible during his recovery.

“It’s a blessing,” he said. “The people are very cordial, very polite.”

As an agency partner of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, St. Joseph’s Food Pantry offers help to anyone in need twice a month. They provide pre-packed bags of groceries, including foods like bread, flour, sugar, frozen meat, cereal and more. They also have a community garden.

Living in western Washington County, Ricardo said it’s harder to find resources and that people don’t “always remember that there’s people on the outskirts” of the major cities. But he’s especially grateful for St. Joseph’s Food Pantry helping anyone in need.

“If it wouldn’t have been for this surgery, I would have never known the humbleness out there in the world, like this particular church,” he said. “They’re really good people.”

The St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Food Pantry is open every Monday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. They are located at 192 E. Henri de Tonti Boulevard in Tontitown. They can be contacted at 479-200-2088.

As the demand for food increases across food banks across the country, we’re thankful for CVS Health Pharmacy customers who have joined us in the movement to end hunger. Your donations will support our Mobile Pantry program and ensure that in Northwest Arkansas, no one goes hungry. Feeding America

FOOD FOR THOUGHT July 2024

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 14:49:25 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – July 10th, 2024

We’re in!

After years and years of planning and two weeks shy of exactly two years since the ceremonial groundbreaking, we officially moved into the Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief. And boy, are we excited to share it. Almost daily we have a community partner come for a tour. Almost daily we

have a new group of volunteers come enjoy the space. In fact, today we had a group of 40 +/- volunteer in the morning followed by an equally large group in the afternoon. It made my heart swell when I watched nearly 100 individuals working together to help address food insecurity. But large volunteer groups are just the beginning of what the capacity of this building will bring to the fight. Thank you all for your part in making this dream a reality.

I want to give a shout out to our Feed Rogers team of staff and volunteers. As you all know, on May 26 Feed Rogers, along with hundreds of other buildings in Rogers was damaged to the point that we had to shut down. But rather than host a pity party, the staff pulled together with an alternate plan and on May 28 began serving our neighbors through an alternate delivery system which has gone on without missing a beat. We’re not exactly sure when the repairs to the building will be complete. In the meantime, our neighbors in need can go to our order ahead portal, place their order and pick it up at the Claude and Betty Center for Hunger Relief in Lowell. I want to give special thanks to Cross Church in

Rogers who hosted the Order Ahead pick up in June prior to our decision to begin distribution at our own facility.

Speaking of tornado recovery, once again Northwest Arkansans have stepped up to help as needed. In the days immediately after the tornado, several groups opened up feeding sites for those persons who were affected by damage to their homes, loss of power, loss of work, or whatever. I’m not going to call out any specific groups because I’m afraid I will forget someone. Bottom line, people were fed. In the weeks following, business and community began reaching out to us asking how they could help. Our response was that it will take months for the community to fully recover and get back to semi-normalcy. Supporters began donating money and food so that when our partner agencies begin to see neighbors show up for assistance, they will have all the food they need. We are putting those donations to good use by ordering extra food in order to stock those pantries when they are ready.

In closing, I just want to say something I’ve said thousands of times before. We at the Food Bank are so grateful and appreciative of your support. We simply cannot operate without you. I wish I could thank you each individually, but since that is not possible, please read this sentence and visualize that it is me speaking directly to you…………….

“Your name here

I appreciate you. Thank you so much for your support. Because of you, someone will eat today!"

Kent

We love our volunteers!

We think we have the best volunteers out there! These are just a few pictures of some that so graciously give us their time helping us feed our neighbors in need. If you or your group would like to sign up to volunteer with us, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer. You will find several options for volunteering that will fit your preferred opportunity, day, and time. THANK YOU for choosing us! We appreciate you!

New Map the Meal Gap Data Released

Feeding America released its findings in the most recent *Map the Meal Gap study, and results are consistent with what we're seeing at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank: food insecurity is on the rise in Northwest Arkansas. The report, which looks at data from 2022 was released in May. It shows that more than 89,000 of our neighbors are food-insecure, a jump of nearly 17% since the last report.

"Obviously, we are disappointed to hear these numbers, but not surprised." said Kent Eikenberry President/ CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Coming out of the pandemic, many government programs which supported our food insecure neighbors were discontinued. Then, we entered into a period of rapid inflations which affected just about everything including gas and groceries. Another reason for the rise in food insecurity is simply the fact that northwest Arkansas has more residents. Yes, we are disappointed, but every day we attack the issue with more resolve, vetting new ideas which may move the needle."

We would love for you to join us in the fight against food insecurity in our area.

To Donate: https://nwafoodbank.givecloud.co/donatetoday

To Volunteer: https://northwestarkansasfoodbank.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/

*Map the Meal Gap is the only study that provides local-level estimates of food insecurity and food costs for every county and congressional district in the country. The study builds upon the USDA's latest report of national and state data, which showed a sharp increase in food insecurity in 2022 amidst historically high food prices and the expiration of many pandemic-era programs. Map the Meal Gap uses publicly available data from the USDA ERS, U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics to estimate local food insecurity at the county, congressional district and state levels. The study also estimates local meal costs and food budget shortfalls using food price data from NIQ based on the USDA Thrifty Food Plan, and grocery sales tax data for every county and state in the country.

To access this information visit: https://map.feedingamerica.org/

Agency Partner Spotlight: We Are Nourished Food Pantry (Trinity UMC)

Going to a food pantry for the first time can be overwhelming, but We Are Nourished Food Pantry wants to make your visit uncomplicated and encouraging.

On Wednesdays, you’ll first start off at check-in, registering with information like your name, address and how many people are in your household.

Then when your name is called, you’ll grab a shopping cart. With a client-choice setup, you’ll walk through pantry shelves, picking out meals, snacks, hygiene items and other items. Volunteers are close by if you need assistance. Once you’ve made your selections, you’ll finish by packing up your food at the bagging area.

Along with non-perishable foods, the food pantry also has produce, bread, desserts, and frozen meat. They also distribute emergency-sized bags of dog and cat food.

There are no restrictions on how often people can visit, and no qualifications or residency requirements.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to We Are Nourished Food Pantry, one of 110+ agency partners across the region.

Along with the Food Bank, We Are Nourished Food Bank sources its food from a variety of local organizations, including fellow agency partners. They work together with St. James Food Pantry to distribute produce.

Volunteers also go “to the Crossover Walmart every day, five days a week, and we pick up rescue foods,” said Joy, leader of We Are Nourished Food Pantry. “We never know what we’re getting, but it always seems like it’s really good stuff.”

Local retail partners work with the Food Bank and our agency partners to distribute a variety of products from meats, produce, and bakery items to shelf-stable and dry goods.

Visitors shared they appreciated the pantry’s evening hours, the kind volunteers and the variety of food options.

“We’re always trying to make it a better experience for our neighbors,” Joy said.

We Are Nourished Food Pantry, a ministry of Trinity United Methodist Church, is open on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 1021 Sycamore Street in Fayetteville. They can be contacted at 479-530-4395.

Neighbor's story: Sharon, GFA Pantry Gentry

Photo is representative of neighbor. Courtesy of Canva.

After decades of serving as a teacher, Sharon planned to spend her retirement checking off her reading list. Instead, she’s been busy with a new way to help her community.

She and her niece regularly visit GFA Pantry in Gentry, picking up food for multiple neighbors who live in her senior apartment complex and can’t go to the pantry themselves.

Helping others “is good for us, the ones who do it and the ones who get to receive it,” she said.

While dropping off food, one neighbor told Sharon they “love that the food pantry is unconditional,” and that “they are there to help and not to judge.”

Another neighbor told Sharon, “I appreciate their goodwill and their good food and seeing that some of us old folks have the nourishment that we need, that we otherwise might not have access to. Their concern is to be commended.”

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to the GFA Pantry, one of 110+ agency partners across the region. Housed within The Assembly Gentry church, the pantry provides help with food, toiletries and household items each month.

There are no income or residency requirements to receive help. All someone needs to do is fill out a form when they visit.

Expressing gratitude for GFA Pantry and the Food Bank’s support, Sharon shared, “With the Food Bank, we’re able to have very good food, and it helps us stretch our retirement pensions.”

The GFA Pantry is open every Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. They are located at 821 E. Main Street in Gentry. They can be contacted at 662-727-5157.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT June 2024

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 15:22:05 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – June 10th, 2024

By the time you read this, we should be well on our way of relocating the Food Bank to the new Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief. Located at 1604 Honeysuckle Street in Lowell, the new Food Bank building offers many amenities that will help us in our fight against food insecurity that we currently do not have. Truly it will be a tool in that fight. I’ve written about these features over the past few months, but to review, the new Food Bank will have:

The Walmart Volunteer Center:

Climate Controlled Room with 6,729 square feet
Check In/Breakroom with 480 square feet
Production Lines for Box Building with 6,000 square feet
Floor storage or staging for +/- 108 pallets
Photo backdrop for group photos

The Willard and Pat Walker Community Room and Teaching Kitchen

The Multi-purpose room will be approximately 3,000 square feet
Fully Operational teaching kitchen with audio visual technology
Seating for up to 100 people based on the configuration
Separate entrance and restroom facilities
The Protein Pack Room
Will be fully operational by September 2024
1500 square feet of automated technology
USDA inspected will insure the integrity of the food product
Tyson, Simmons and Cargill have all committed to support this endeavor, while conversations are ongoing with other area protein producers.

There is expanded dry storage, cold storage and freezer storage that will serve us well for at least the next 25 to 30 years and beyond. Our entire staff will be housed under one roof. Every effort has been made to build this facility for each room to have multiple functions and with the projected population growth in mind.

In closing, I would be remiss if I didn’t express my heartfelt appreciation to the late Claude and Betty Harris for whom the Food Bank is named. They were one of the first, if not the first, recorded donors to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank in 1988 and have continuously supported us since. Whether it was a financial donation, some technical expertise, or simply a kind word, the entire Harris family has walked with me every step of the way since I started in 2016, and I will always be indebted to them. I am extremely proud of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank building, but I am even prouder of the staff, the board of directors and the community who have banded together to make this possible. It is the community’s food bank, I am just fortunate enough to represent you all. Because of you, someone will eat today…………And tomorrow!

How it all started with the Harris Family

The Claude & Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief stands as a testament to one family’s faithfulness.

Claude and Betty devoted themselves to envisioning, believing and investing in a future where every family thrives in Northwest Arkansas.

As a member of the First United Methodist Church’s Covenant Group, Betty helped provide food for low-income households in Springdale. What started as buying groceries for individual families grew into Bread of Life, a food pantry housed at the church. Bread of Life now operates in a free-standing building and served over 2,200 households in 2023.

This desire to end hunger in Northwest Arkansas also captured the heart of June Self, the first director of the Ozark Food Bank (now known as the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank). Shortly after the food bank opened in 1989, Betty met with June to pick up food for Bread of Life.

During this meeting, Betty saw an opportunity for generosity, one with a lasting impact on the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s mission.

June faced a serious challenge in supplying food to area food pantries. Tyson Foods was willing to donate large amounts of protein, but June had no place to store it. Betty and the Harris Family Trust purchased a freezer, allowing the Food Bank to safely store and distribute these donations to partner organizations and families in need.

This moment of faithfulness led to nearly 40 years of supporting the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank through anonymous donations, guidance and pouring into the organization’s leadership development from June Self to Kent Eikenberry. All of this was done out of the spotlight, aiming to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, who healed and fed those in need.

Alongside their faith and generosity, Claude and Betty also valued tenacity. Taking risks meant believing the payoff would exceed the wildest imaginations. Claude always had an eye for the future, whether donating to the Food Bank's early stages or joining Sam Walton’s new venture – Walmart – as Claude climbed from store manager to becoming the company’s first merchant.

Through the Harris Family Foundation, Claude and Betty invested in a brighter future through supporting organizations focused on hunger relief and healthcare. With their generosity, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank continued to meet the growing region’s needs – reaching over 11.7 million meals distributed in 2023.

In 2022, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank announced its relocation and expansion in Lowell, named the Claude & Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief. As he did from the beginning, Claude planted a seed for the future as he pushed a shovel into the ground.

Because of Claude and Betty, families across Northwest Arkansas will have food for today and hope for tomorrow.

Neighbor's story: Dion, We Are Nourished Food Pantry (Trinity UMC)

For many of us, our pets are a part of the family. Dion, who lives in Fayetteville with his two dogs – a terrier and a German shepherd – does everything he can to make sure they are happy and healthy.

When hard times come and sacrifices must be made, some pet owners put their pets’ needs above their own – sharing meals or cutting back on other necessities to afford pet food. The pain of giving up their loving companions is too much to bear.

Located inside Trinity United Methodist Church, We Are Nourished Food Pantry provides both dog and cat food to support pet owners, along with a variety of food choices for people. The food pantry is an agency partner of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

Along with meals for himself and food for his dogs, Dion has found support and encouragement from the caring volunteers any time he stops by the pantry.

“I most definitely would recommend that people visit,” Dion said. “It has helped out a lot.”

Agency Partner Spotlight: Muslims4Community Food Pantry

With free, personalized online ordering, picking up food from Muslims4Community is not your typical food pantry experience.

“Basically, the model is that you request the items online,” said Rizwan, the food pantry director. “We have a catalog just like you would see on an e-commerce site. You decide which items you want, and then we box them for you.”

Muslims4Community first started serving individuals in need by delivering sandwich lunches to local shelters. In 2020, they transitioned to an online food pantry due to the pandemic.

“This was our way of doing it contactless and we stayed with the format after that,” Rizwan said.

Since 2020, the Muslims4Community Food Pantry has fulfilled over 1600 orders with more than 44,900 food items for families throughout Northwest Arkansas.

The pantry serves anyone in need regardless of religion, and there are no income or residency requirements.

The only requirement is to register online and place your order Monday through Thursday at www.m4cpantry.org. Families can pick out a week’s worth of food, including breakfast items, frozen meat, pasta, diapers and personal care products.

Volunteers pack the orders on Fridays and then food is available for pick-up on Saturdays in the drive-through line. There are also a limited amount of pre-packed boxes for families if online registration is full.

Online orders can be picked up from 4 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The Muslims4Community Food Pantry operates out of the Bentonville Islamic Center at 1801 SW 2nd Street in Bentonville. They can be contacted at 479-633-7275.

If you would like to help with disaster relief efforts, please scan the QR code below. We are here today and will be here tomorrow to help our neighbors who are in need of food assistance with your help.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT May 2024

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 13:22:07 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – May 10th, 2024

For the past few months, I have focused on one specific area of the Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief, Northwest Arkansas’ new Food Bank warehouse which is under construction. I’ll return to that topic in June, hopefully with good news about the move and a wrap up of how it will serve us all for many, many years to come. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some other topics that need to be addressed.

Diana and I have lived in our current home for over 30 years. We’ve done lots of maintenance and some remodeling, but for the most part a lot of what we moved into the house all those years ago is still there. After spending a few days packing up my office here at the Food Bank in preparation for the move to the new Food Bank, all I can say is I hope we never move!

“One hungry person is one too many.” It’s worse if that hungry person is a child. By last count, Feeding America estimates there are approximately 18,000 young people about to enter summer vacation hungry in our four-county service area. With school out, the safety net of school lunch, breakfast in the classroom, snack pack programs and school pantries are not available. I often tell people there is no slow time of the year for hunger. It never takes a break. However, summer vacation time puts additional stress on families and our agency partners.

I remember as a child looking forward to summer vacation. Time off from school meant days of baseball or swimming with friends. Carefree days in the sun. But every one of those days ended with me going home to a nutritious home cooked meal. My mom always had enough for all of my friends who wanted to stay and have some of whatever she had fixed that day. Like I said, I looked forward to summer vacation. Hungry children do not have that luxury. In many cases they are afraid of how they will survive while school is out. Where will the food come from? You can help us stock our partner agencies for the increased summer need. Thank you for helping us prepare.

I often get asked the question, “what is your most pressing need?” I respond with “knowledge.” Knowledge and understanding by the community that there is a food insecurity problem. People are surprised that I don’t say more donations or more volunteers, but that I emphasize that I need more people to know why we do what we do. Recently I ran into an old friend who I had not seen for several years. I was sharing this with him and he suggested that we all have on blinders and until an issue touches us directly, we don’t necessarily pay attention. He’s right. But food insecurity does touch us all. Every one of us knows someone who struggles to put a meal on the table. We may not know that we know someone, but I promise you we know one of the 70,000 plus in the four-county service area that struggle. I encourage you to think of food insecurity not as some faceless being living somewhere else, but think of the food insecure neighbor as someone you see every day. I promise you, it will bring a new perspective to the way you consider our neighbors in need.

I want to close by saying once again how much I appreciate your support. The staff and board of the Food Bank could not do what we do without your help. Recently I attended the Feeding America National Conference. The biggest thing I learned was confirmation of what I already knew….Northwest Arkansans have a giant heart and together we will address food insecurity for many years to com

Because of you, someone will eat today.

K

2024 Game Show Battle NWA

The 2024 Game Show Battle was held on Thursday, April 25th in Bentonville. A huge thank you to our sponsors, participants, and guests who helped make this event a success! The event proceeds will help the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank provide more than 341,000 meals to neighbors in the four- county area that we serve.

Congratulations to Hormel Foods for taking home the title this year!

Neighbor story: Christina, Christ the King Food Pantry

Christina works hard to provide for her family, and she’s grateful for the support of community food pantries during difficult times.

She and her family live in Bentonville, close to the Christ the King Lutheran Church. As an agency partner of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, the church’s Feast of Grace and Food Pantry offer help to anyone in need.

“I’ve been really grateful to have Christ the King help us with the food pantry,” Christina shared at a recent food distribution.

Today, she was picking up the homecooked meals the pantry offers weekly, but a while back, her family needed a once-a-month food box. “I know it’s been just one time, but I remember that week – it was just a little bit of relief for our family to get that assistance,” she said.

“When they helped us, I just remember feeling unburdened,” Christina said. “It’s just been nice to be able to find this place.”

The Feast of Grace and Food Pantry at Christ the King Lutheran Church is open on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at 406 W. Central Avenue in Bentonville. They can be contacted at 479-271-7117.

Agency Partner Spotlight: First Baptist Rogers

High rent prices are forcing families to make impossible choices – to keep a roof over their heads or food on the table.

Janet, the pantry leadership team coordinator at First Baptist Rogers, talked with a neighbor whose rent is going up in the next year – more than what they receive from Social Security.

“So many people, as you know, live one accident, one job loss, one anything away from being homeless, from not being able to provide, especially with the rents being so very high and going up,” Janet said.

“It’s just going to continue to be a bigger issue for people to provide food because you have to have someplace to stay, some sort of dwelling,” she added.

This is why the First Baptist Rogers Food Pantry uses a client-choice system to affirm visitors’ independence and dignity amid difficult circumstances.

At the pantry, visitors have the freedom to pick foods that fit their wants and needs across a variety of categories. Options include fresh produce, meat, masa, flour, sugar, along with hygiene items.

“People are given choices as they go through,” Janet said. “We have some fresh produce that we offer them and then we offer also a half gallon of milk and a dozen eggs if they would like. That’s something we’ve really tried to do, is to provide some really good nutrition.”

Pantry team members are there to support families through every step of their visit – from pushing carts to bagging groceries to loading vehicles.

As an agency partner of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, First Baptist Rogers distributes the food they receive to anyone in need. There are no income requirements or residency requirements. The pantry just asks that you visit once every 30 days.

First Baptist Rogers also hosts free community meals every Friday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

“We are here to serve people without judgment and just to love them,” Janet said. “What we want to do is to be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

The First Baptist Rogers Food Pantry is open every Tuesday and Friday from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. They are located at the Olive Street Campus at 626 Olive St. in Rogers and can be contacted at 479-636-3451.

First Baptist Rogers also hosts food distributions at the Family Church campus, 1950 Highway 412 E. in Siloam Springs. For upcoming distribution dates, please visit www.fbcrogers.org/assistance .

DECEMBER 2023

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 17:36:22 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – December 10th, 2023

A few weeks ago we participated in the 40/29 Turkey Drive. If you did not see any of the news clips of me dressed in a turkey suit, you were one of the few. It seems like everyone I know has commented on how good I looked that day compared to most. I’m not sure what they meant by that. What you might not have seen, though, was the interview about why I do it. I told the reporter that people are struggling to put food on their tables every day and if I can bring a little more awareness of their plight by putting on a turkey suit, I’ll gladly do it. I have to admit that I have to step outside of my comfort zone to put on the suit, but once I get “in character” I have a good time. I’m not sure when and where, but fair warning…don’t be surprised if you see “Santa Pops” somewhere in the next few days.

My family has a hard time deciding what to buy me for Christmas. I have everything I need, probably even more than I need. Plus, I am one of those people who gets far more enjoyment out of giving than receiving. This year I am reminded every day when I drive by the new Food Bank that I have received the best gift I could ever receive. The community’s support of our mission, and the commitment to supporting their food insecure neighbors has been manifested in the new Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief. Construction is progressing and we should meet our goal of celebrating our 36th anniversary in June in the new facility.

It is hard for me to believe that in just a few days I will have been at the Food Bank 8 years. I cannot begin to recall all the congratulations, the words of support, or more importantly the stories of how we have impacted someone’s life. But, it hasn’t been just me doing this work. I am blessed to work with a great group of people who put service above self every day here at the Food Bank. Our board of directors bring their personal expertise to help make us better today than we were yesterday. There are thousands of individuals who donate their time, talent and treasure to help us help others. I give thanks every day for all of you who support us.

I cannot tell you how many people in the last couple of weeks have mentioned to me that this must be a really busy time of the year for us. From a development side, it certainly is as more people donate during the fourth quarter, more companies have food drives, more individuals bring in donations of food and money, and more people volunteer. So yes, this is a busy time of the year for us. But like a squirrel heading into winter, we store up these food drive riches in order to serve our partner agencies in the future. If you walked through our warehouse today you would think, “There is no way they will ever distribute all this food.” The fact of the matter is we only have between a three and four WEEK supply of food on hand at any given time. We estimate we will distribute over 14 MILLION pounds of food this year. Based on that number of pounds moved in the course of the year, we turn our inventory between 12 and 13 times per year. From a client service side, we are busy year-round. A child’s hungry tummy doesn’t know if it is November or May, so while there may be an uptick of need during the holidays and winter, food insecurity is present all year long.

In a few days it will be Christmas morning. As you hustle around making last minute preparations, buying last minute gifts and stressing over “dressing or stuffing” be mindful of those less fortunate. You can make a huge difference in someone’s life by sharing your time, your talent or your treasure. There are literally hundreds of great causes in Northwest Arkansas. Trying to decide who to support might be overwhelming. I encourage you to not let that decision add to your stress. Pick an agency whose mission you support and help them out. No matter which one you choose you will be helping make northwest Arkansas just a little better place to live. Isn’t that what we are all called to do?

May you all have a blessed Christmas season. Remember, because of you, someone will eat today.

THANK YOU

We’re excited to be a recipient of the @Enterprise #FillYourTank program to fight hunger in our community. Thanks for the $7,500.00 donation to help us turn the tide on food insecurity.

Learn more: www.enterprise.com/fillyourtank

HOW WE ARE PUTTING YOUR DOLLARS TO WORK

Neighbor story: Penny, Christ the King Food Pantry

Photo is representative of neighbor. Courtesy of Mart Production.

Penny and her family were doing okay until inflation hit their grocery budget.

“Things aren’t good as they should be right now,” she said. “The more people you have in your house and the less people that are working, that’s a bad combination,” she said.

Looking for help, she came across the food pantry at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Bentonville.

As an agency partner of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, the church’s Feast of Grace and Food Pantry offer help to anyone in need. They provide weekly homecooked meals and once-a-month food boxes, along with hygiene items like laundry detergent, dish soap and shampoo.

Penny expressed gratitude for the pantry’s volunteers and the caring connection they share.

“They’ve always been so nice to me and very helpful, especially the lady I was just talking to,” she said.

Despite the difficult circumstances, Penny knows the community is here for her.

“It doesn’t make me feel so bad, you know,” she said. “Hopefully, things will get better real fast.”

The Feast of Grace and Food Pantry at Christ the King Lutheran Church is open on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at 406 W. Central Avenue in Bentonville. They can be contacted at 479-271-7117.

Agency Partner Spotlight: Daily Bread 07/10/23

Volunteers at Daily Bread know that hunger never stops. Since 1996, they’ve made delicious lunches for anyone who needs a meal.

“We feed a meal every Wednesday, 52 weeks a year pretty much, unless it falls on Christmas, to anybody that walks in the door,” Janelle, director of Daily Bread, said.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to Daily Bread, one of 110+ agency partners across the region.

The volunteers cook lunches just like they would at home, with love and a dash of creativity.

“We try to always make a quality meal,” Janelle said. “Anything that we make, it’s something that we eat ourselves. We try to always make it taste good and be good.”

They even make special dishes for the holidays, like ham and mashed potatoes around Christmas. Sometimes a musical guest will perform for attendees, too.

Along with the kitchen and eating area, the organization also houses a new free little library for all ages.

The Maryleen "Ms. Marv" Charles Memorial Children's Library was established in honor of its namesake who passed away earlier this year, “a dear friend and long-time volunteer,” Janelle said.

“It’s just kind of a nice little addition that when they come and eat, they can go over, grab a book and take it home,” she said.

With every meal, Daily Bread creates a welcoming space.

“It’s always been a place for people to come and gather and chill out for a lit bit, meet some family and friends,” Janelle said.

“Hopefully, it’s a warm and inviting place for people to come.”

Daily Bread, a ministry of First Church Springdale, is open on Wednesdays from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at 206 W. Johnson Ave. in Springdale. They can be contacted at 479-790-3648.

CENTER FOR HUNGER RELIEF UPDATE

Our new Center for Hunger Relief is really taking shape! If you have the chance, we welcome you to drive by the intersection of Pleasant Grove Road and old Highway 71 in Rogers. We are located on the northeast corner. We are thankful for those who have helped us build this new building that will allow us to serve so many more people in the NWA region who are food insecure. If you would like to become involved, please visit hope.nwafoodbank.org for complete details.

Food For Thought November | 2023

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 15:29:05 GMT

FOOD FOR THOUGHT NOVEMBER 2023

Letter From Our President & CEO – November 10th, 2023

If you haven’t driven by 1604 Honeysuckle Street in Lowell to see YOUR Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, I encourage you to do so. It is a sight to behold, but more importantly, it is another example of the Northwest Arkansas community working together to make our corner of the world a better place to live for all of us. It will be a tool in our fight against food insecurity for years to come. You may ask yourself “why it is so big?”. The short answer is that we are building for the next 25 plus years when our population will be well over 1 million. We could not do this without the support of the community. To those 300+ donors who have contributed to the Capital Campaign, I share my most heartfelt thanks. To those who haven’t contributed to it, there is still time to be part of a mission that we all can be proud of well into the next generation.

Speaking of the next generation, the Eikengirls are now 13 and 11. Yesterday I went to Mass at St. Joseph’s in Fayetteville to watch them be altar servers. As I sat there watching them, I asked myself “when did they grow up”? Just yesterday they were babies, now they are beautiful young ladies. Pops is proud! What does that have to do with the Food Bank you might ask? The short answer is that all of us need to do whatever we can for not only those who need our help today, but also for the next generation. Tomorrow will be here before you know it and, just like that, all the babies have grown up. We have to work together to break the cycle of poverty. Together we can make a difference.

The holidays are just around the corner. It is regularly documented about increased stress around the holidays. There are many reasons for this: cooler weather, higher utilities, seasonal jobs such as landscaping slow down, even the fact that we leave for work in the dark and go home in the dark has an impact on each of us. Yes, stress impacts all those around us. Especially our food insecure neighbors. Our role is to help reduce that stress by putting food in local pantries who in turn distribute it to those in need. The fourth quarter is critical for our continued success. We need your help. Year-end giving helps support us through the lean first quarter of the year.

For your support, as always, I thank you.

As this year comes to a close, I want to restate how grateful I am for the support you, the community have given the Food Bank and our mission. To say we couldn’t survive without you would be an understatement. As you have heard me say so many times before……………..

Because of you someone will eat today.

K

THANK YOU CONAGRA BRANDS FOUNDATION!

Thank you to the Conagra Brands Foundation for your generous grant to support our mission!

Conagra Brands and the Conagra Brands Foundation have been partners in the fight against hunger for close to a decade, and for much longer than that, have provided thought leadership among industry peers and nonprofits, invested in innovation and research, and engaged employees in the mission to end domestic hunger.

We are excited that they continue to support the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and our mission to fight hunger in the NWA region

Pictured: Northwest Arkansas Food Bank President/CEO Kent Eikenberry and Rep. Rebecca Burkes

We are honored to receive a Serving Up Solutions Grant from the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

Every year, the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance puts on “Serving Up Solutions,” a dinner where state legislators serve meals prepared by top local chefs, all while competing for tips that fundraise for hunger relief. Thank you to the alliance for supporting solutions to end food insecurity!

Special thanks to Kitestring Technical Services and Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) for your donations to further our mission to end hunger in NWA.

HOW WE ARE PUTTING YOUR DONATIONS TO WORK

Neighbor story: Stephanie, We Are Nourished Food Pantry (Trinity UMC)

Danielle and Brittany stand in the main meeting room of Positive Energy Affecting Recovering LIVES.

At the We Are Nourished Food Pantry inside Trinity United Methodist Church, Stephanie finds options for every member of her family. She guides her daughters and their shopping cart along the food pantry’s shelves, picking out ingredients for dinners and snacks.

The food pantry is one of 110+ agency partners of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

“It’s helped a lot,” she said. “It helps that the church is close to where we live.”

Here, neighbors can pick what they want directly in a shopping-like experience. The pantry provides a variety of food and household items, from hygiene care products and pet food to baked goods and frozen meat.

“We like the different options every week, for both kids and adults,” Stephanie said.

We Are Nourished Food Pantry, a ministry of Trinity United Methodist Church, is open on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 1021 Sycamore Street in Fayetteville. They can be contacted at 479-530-4395.

Agency Partner Spotlight: Feast of Grace and Food Pantry, Christ the King Lutheran Church

For a free homecooked dinner with drive-through convenience, visit Christ the King Lutheran Church’s Feast of Grace and Food Pantry in Bentonville.

“We’ll serve a hundred meals a night,” said Barbara, the pantry director. “Everything’s pretty much drive-through. They just tell us how many they want and we take it out to them.”

This particular night’s meal was chicken noodle casserole, with apple sauce, dessert and bottled water.

In addition to the dinners, the agency also offers once-a-month food support with prepacked boxes as “basically an emergency pantry. We offer approximately three days worth of food for anyone that comes in,” Barbara said.

For both the dinners and the pantry box, there are no qualifications or residency requirements.

When you first arrive, pull into the parking lot near the entry table. A volunteer will give you a registration form and ask how many meals you need, if you want a pantry box, or if you are picking up both. They’ll also ask if you need any extras like toiletries, soap or laundry detergent.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to Christ the King Lutheran Church, one of 110+ agency partners across the region. The pantry has been supporting the community since 1996.

The Feast of Grace and Food Pantry at Christ the King Lutheran Church is open on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at 406 W. Central Avenue in Bentonville. They can be contacted at 479-271-7117.

CENTER FOR HUNGER RELIEF CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

We are excited to see amazing progress on the new Center for Hunger Relief! If you haven’t seen it for yourself, we encourage you to drive by the intersection of Highway 71 and Pleasant Grove Road in Lowell. This new building will allow us to serve more people than ever for the next several years.

We Love Our Volunteers !!!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT | OCTOBER 2023

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 21:34:08 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – October 10th, 2023

Those of you who know me well will know how difficult it is for me to write this. Simply stated, I don’t like drawing attention to myself. However, since it was done with the Food Bank mission in mind, I encourage you to pick up a copy of October’s Celebrate Magazine. I believe you will recognize the guy on the cover, even if you don’t recognize my friend, Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, the CEO of Feeding America. A couple of months ago, Wylie Elliott approached me with the idea of featuring our fight against food insecurity in their magazine. I responded that our fight here in Northwest Arkansas is just one of the struggles across the nation and suggested we include Feeding America. The photos and the article do a wonderful job of showing the collaboration between our two organizations and the support of the business community not only here, but beyond.

Hunger action month is over. I haven’t worn orange yet this month, but that doesn’t mean I won’t. I pledge to take advantage of every opportunity to bring awareness to the problem of food insecurity. If that means wearing an orange shirt, or an orange tie, or an orange cap, I will. Last week I was interviewed on the KNWA morning show while at the Walmart NWA Championship presented by P & G. We received a generous donation from the tournament but, as I told Perry, the exposure the Food Bank receives from being supported by events such as the tournament helps bring the problem to the forefront of the public.

“I had no idea your building was going to be that big. It’s huge!”

If I heard it once recently, I’ve heard it a hundred times. And each time I hear it I give the same answer. “It’s not my building, it is the community’s. Plus, there is a reason we built it so large.” While going through the design phase, we determined that it would not cost that much more to build a facility that will take us through projected population growth to at least 1.5 million people. That sounds like a big number, but at a growth rate of 30+ per day it will be here before we know it. Several hundred people have stepped forward and donated to the capital campaign, thereby stating that a new building will be one of the tools to fight food insecurity. Not just today, but for years to come. I may not be around to see it, but whoever follows me will have a facility that will serve the needs of all future Northwest Arkansans.

It costs a lot of money to do what we do. We are projecting to spend over $3 million this year on food alone. As we enter into the fourth quarter of the year, I ask you to be mindful of the struggles the working poor are having. Is there money to pay rent, pay the utilities, feed and clothe the family? Is there money to cover prescription medicine if needed? Are my SNAP benefits going away? You have helped the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank answer all these questions by providing us the support to put food on the table of those who need it. You help turn a look of despair into a look of hope. We cannot do it without your help. So, as this year comes to a close, I encourage you to help someone you don’t know feed their family by a gift to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Thank you in advance.

Because of you, someone will eat today

K

We love our Community Partners!

The Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championship presented by P&G has been such a great partner to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank for the last 17 years. We are thankful for their generous monetary donation again this year, which was earmarked for our Food For Today/Hope for Tomorrow capital campaign, as well as Tyson for their donation of 40,000 pounds of protein that will go to help our neighbors who are food insecure in this region.

Agency Partner Spotlight – G.R.U.B Food Pantry

G.R.U.B. (God Relies Upon Brotherhood) Food Pantry is a ministry of First Christian Church in Rogers. As an agency partner of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, the food pantry helps anyone in need with once-a-month food support.

Jessica, a G.R.U.B. team member, sees families find stability during their visits to the pantry.

“You really get to know them and get to see families grow,” she said. “Somebody will say, ‘I got a job, and I’m not going to be coming anymore. Thank you so much for your help.’ It’s just a safety net and a backup.”

To receive assistance, the only qualification is that you must live in Arkansas. The pantry distributes pre-packed bags with a variety of foods such as beans, vegetables, rice, pasta, pancake mix, peanut butter and frozen meat.

The number of bags and the amount of frozen meat you receive depends on your household size. Along with these items, the pantry has pet food and hygiene products including child and adult diapers.

They also distribute USDA commodities (for this program, you can only visit one location a month and you must meet qualifications based on income and household size).

“We’re just a service to help them live a better and more fulfilling life without the stress of food insecurity,” Jessica said.

G.R.U.B. Food Pantry is open on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 905 S.13th Street in Rogers. They can be contacted at 479-636-2230.

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Launches OrderAhead, A Convenient Online Grocery Ordering System

Click-and-collect ordering has arrived to the charitable food experience

Springdale, AR. September 18, 2023 – Ordering groceries from select Northwest Arkansas Food Bank agency partners will become easier.

To provide more meals to our neighbors, a few of the agency partners of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank will be using OrderAhead, a convenient click-and-collect online grocery ordering system powered by Feeding America®, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.

Here’s how it will work: neighbors will be able to access the platform from a smartphone or computer to place orders for groceries from select agency partners, then pick up their orders like they would a pickup order at a local grocery store.

“We are all about removing barriers and connecting more people facing hunger to nutritious food. Rolling out a new platform like OrderAhead will help us fulfill our mission and makes life a little more convenient for our neighbors,” said Julie Damer, Director of Marketing at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “Right now, we are testing it with a couple of agency partners and are hoping to get it up and running by the end of November with at least 3-4 agencies. "

There are more than 70,000 food insecure in the Northwest Arkansas region which includes Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties.

OrderAhead was created by Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks and 60,000 partner food pantries and meal programs, to expand access to charitable food through a discreet system that reduces the social barriers encountered by our neighbors facing food insecurity. This exciting technology will allow food banks to serve more people facing food insecurity who might be prevented from seeking help by transportation, stigma and time.

Since its inception in October 2020, the OrderAhead online platform has served more than 41,000 households, distributed 4.5 million pounds of food and processed more than 140,000 orders across the country.

OrderAhead is made possible with support from the Walmart Foundation, which helped fund the program’s infrastructure through a multi-year investment in OrderAhead technology. This new grant will support 10 food banks, including the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, and expand the platform for up to 50 partner agencies, boosting its use by 25 percent. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation provide donations of both food and funds to the Feeding America network and the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

More information can be found at: https://www.orderahead.org/

About Philanthropy at Walmart-Walmart.org represents the philanthropic efforts of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. By focusing where the business has unique strengths, Walmart.org works to tackle key social and environmental issues and collaborate with others to spark long- lasting systemic change. Walmart has stores in 20 countries, employs more than 2 million associates and does business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people. Walmart.org is helping people live better by supporting programs to accelerate upward job mobility for frontline workers, advance equity, address hunger, build inclusive economic opportunity for people in supply chains, protect and restore nature, reduce waste and emissions, and build strong communities where Walmart operates. To learn more, visit www.walmart.org or connect on Twitter @Walmartorg.

About Feeding America-Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. As a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 agency partners, including food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.2 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry.

About Northwest Arkansas Food Bank -Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (a 501c3 organization) was established in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the need for hunger assistance in Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll counties. In 2022 the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed over 13.8 million pounds of food and provided over 11.1 million meals. Together with more than 110 partner agencies, we are able to reach out to those in need; providing nutritious food to children, the working poor and senior citizens. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and a founding member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

Media Contact: Northwest Arkansas Food Bank – Julie Damer – Director of Marketing & Communications – julie.damer@nwafoodbank.org

Neighbor Story: Danielle and Brittany

Danielle and Brittany stand in the main meeting room of Positive Energy Affecting Recovering LIVES.

Small steps towards support and healing can change your life. Danielle and Brittany’s journeys are testaments to this.

Positive Energy Affecting Recovering LIVES (P.E.A.R.L.), provides peer support and resources to help you on your recovery journey.

After living as a resident at P.E.A.R.L. for 15 months, Brittany started working for the organization as their house manager. She now serves as the transitional living coordinator over both housing programs for men and women, which lasts anywhere from six months to two years.

During her time as a resident, Brittany used P.E.A.R.L.’s food pantry, which is an agency partner of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. She has seen how the pantry helps clients in their recovery journey.

“When we get residents from jail, they have nothing,” Brittany said. “... I mean people are in here every day ... to get food. It’s just good to be able to help.”

Danielle, a former client, got connected to P.E.A.R.L. through Drug Court. When people walk in the door looking for help, she described how many “come in literally with the clothes on their back.”

“Last week, I watched Brittany take a guy from jail ... she was able to give him food that he otherwise wouldn’t have been able to have because he just got out of jail,” Danielle said. “...They find themselves in situations they wouldn’t normally be in and it really helps get them through that time.”

P.E.A.R.L. is located at 115 N. Dixieland Road in Rogers. To get connected to a peer support specialist and resources, contact them at 479-721-6778 and learn more at www.arpearl.org .

New Facility Update

Our new facility is taking shape and looking good! If you have the chance, please drive by the intersection of Hwy 71 and Pleasant Grove Road. You can’t miss it on the southeast corner of the intersection . We appreciate everyone who has made this construction possible. For more information on the Capital Campaign or find out how you can get involved, please visit www.hope.nwafoodbank.org .

Hunger Action Day, September 15th

Our staff celebrated Hunger Action Day 2023 by volunteering at our Feed Rogers pantry in downtown Rogers. It is so nice to get to see the smiles on our neighbors faces first hand. Thank you for supporting our organization that allows us to help so many families in the NWA region by providing much needed food to them. #feedingnwa

We Love Our Volunteers!

Each month we are blessed with the best volunteers in the area! This is just a sample of some of the wonderful people who donated their time with us in our warehouse, teaching garden, Feed Rogers pantry, or at one of our Mobile Pantries. If you are interested in volunteering with us, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer to find a date and time that works best for you. We appreciate all of volunteers each and every day!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT SEPTEMBER 2023

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:03:28 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO- September 10th, 2023

September is Hunger Action Month. It’s time for me to resume my annual quest of wearing orange every working day of September. I have had several folks ask me why I established my “orange challenge.” To restate, orange is the color representing food insecurity. Our NWAFB logo, “No kids Hungry”, The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and Feeding America all have orange as an integral color. Any opportunity I get to bring attention to the need is a success. Monetary donations help pay the bills. Money helps put food on the tables of those in need. Advocacy is equally as important. Too many people are hungry and too few people realize the need is a great as it is. I have been proud to wear orange every day in past Septembers, and I am looking forward to putting my orange on. I even have some new orange shirts to add to the rotation. I invite you to accept this as my challenge to you to wear orange also. Please snap a selfie of you in an orange shirt or blouse and email it to me at kent@nwafoodbank.org and I will share it on our social media platforms. Well, technically I will have Julie or Catherine share the photos.

On August 25 we celebrated some of our recent successes at our Jewels of Giving Celebration. The biggest part of that night of celebration was the announcement that the new facility in Lowell was to be named the Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief. The Harris family have been supporters of our Food Bank since the beginning and were one of, if not the first donor to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

Don Harris, the Harris Foundation Board Chair, stated: “As a Foundation it's been a blessing to support the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank over the years. The new facility in Lowell launches the next chapter of programming and services to address food insecurity in a vibrant, growing region of the country. We are humbled that the organization is honoring our Founders, Claude and Betty Harris, in conjunction with the new operating space. We also believe this is only one small part of what it takes to impact feeding those in our community. A building is nothing without leadership, staff, volunteers, corporate sponsors, churches, donors, food pantries and all the other tentacles of support needed to serve those most vulnerable here at home. It is those people and organizations that are the real key to success and we are so appreciative of what they do."

Please join me in expressing our deepest appreciation to the Harris family for all of their support over the years.

Speaking of the Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief, construction progress is really picking up. After a significant number of down days due to wet ground, we have dried out and picked up the pace. It remains our goal that we will celebrate our 36th Anniversary in the new facility in June of 2024. Please take a few moments and drive by the intersection of Pleasant Grove Road and Highway 71B in north Lowell and see what your support is building for tomorrow’s needs.

Thank you all so very much for your support. Whether you are a monthly donor, a once a year donor, contribute to a food drive, support our efforts through advocacy, use our services, or simply remember we are there for those who need our help, you make us better today than we were yesterday.

Because of you, someone will eat today.

The entire Eikenberry family wearing their orange in support of Hunger Action Month.

Jewels of Giving Celebration Held on Friday, August 25, 2023

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Announces New Campus Namesake

Honoring one family’s legacy in the movement to end hunger, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank announced the namesake of its new campus – the Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief.

The Harris family joined Kent Eikenberry, President/CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, in making the announcement Friday during the Food Bank’s annual Jewels of Giving Celebration.

“Speaking for the staff and board of directors for the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, we could not be any prouder than we are at this moment,” Eikenberry said. “The Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief will allow us to serve our neighbors in need not only today but for decades into the future. It is only fitting that one of our first donors, if not the first, stepped up to make our dream a reality.”

Claude and Betty Harris were posthumously awarded as the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank 2023 Hunger Heroes. They were represented by their family and the Harris Family Foundation: Gayla Harris, Gary Harris, Theresa Moore, David Harris, Paula Stansell and Don Harris.

To learn more about the Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief, visit hope.nwafoodbank.org.

We Love Our Volunteers

Neighbor’s Story – Robert

When Robert first moved to Fayetteville last year, finances were tight. With the low availability of affordable housing, he and his spouse were living in their car, trying to make ends meet.

It wasn’t until they drove by Trinity United Methodist Church and saw the sign for the We Are Nourished Food Pantry that they found some stability. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to the We Are Nourished Food Pantry, one of 110+ agency partners across the region.

“We had no money and no food, so we relied on food pantries to help us out,” Robert said. “This is the first one we came to, and we’ve been coming ever since.”

At We Are Nourished Food Pantry, neighbors can pick the food and household items they want directly from the shelves in a shopping-like experience.

Robert’s family now has a place of their own, and he shares the support he’s received with others. He invited his next-door neighbor to join him on a visit to the pantry when he discovered they needed help with food.

“All of the stuff that we can choose from – light bulbs, toilet paper – stuff that you can’t get at other food pantries,” Robert said. “It really helps out.”

Agency Partner Spotlight – The Shepherd’s Food Pantry

When you visit The Shepherd’s Food Pantry, you’ll find help and encouragement through once-a-month food support.

“There is a definite need out there,” said John with The Shepherd’s Food Pantry. “We have a lot of younger families coming in ... that are struggling to make ends meet with the inflation and everything. Then we have our seniors that come in and are trying to live on $700-$800 a month from Social Security, and that’s pretty darn hard to do.”

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank supplies food to The Shepherd’s Food Pantry, one of 110+ partner agencies across the region.

To receive assistance, individuals will need to go inside the pantry, fill out an intake form and present a photo ID.

The pantry operates a partial client-choice model. Families receive pre-packed bags with various shelf-stable foods including mac and cheese, oatmeal and soup, along with meat and eggs. They can also choose between white or wheat bread, if they want peanut butter and jelly, and the option between flour, sugar or oil. Local farmers also donate fresh produce.

The amount of food you receive depends on your household size. Volunteers can customize food bags for gluten-free and diabetic needs.

In addition, the pantry distributes hygiene products including laundry detergent made in-house, diapers, and soap.

“The people that come in ... just need a little hand up, and then they can take the money they were going to spend on those groceries and put it towards rent or an electric bill,” John said.

The Shepherd’s Food Pantry, a ministry of Bella Vista Lutheran Church, is open on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 1990 Forest Hills Boulevard in Bella Vista. They can be contacted at 479-855-0272.

The Shepherd’s Food Pantry is located at Bella Vista Lutheran Church.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT | AUGUST 2023

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:03:25 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – August 10th, 2023

It is hard to believe that back- to- school time is here. Today, children are experiencing that mixed feeling of excitement of going back to school to see their friends and the disappointment that the freedom of summer is over.

There are a couple of other things that excite a lot of students about returning to schools. One is school lunch. They know that every day they will receive a balanced meal for lunch, and in some cases, also get breakfast at school. The second is the school pantry program, a service of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

We ended the 2022-2023 school year with 16 active school pantries. Additionally, we are working with four other schools on a program to provide food for their school pantry, totaling 20 fully operational. There are 19 school districts in our four-county service area. Of those, nine have a free and reduced lunch percentage of 50% or higher. We are currently operating school pantries in six of those nine districts. I think it is important to point out that we have at least one school pantry in each county we serve.

It is also important to point out that the school pantries would not exist without the commitment of the school administration and staff where they are located. This is a commitment to supporting not only the educational and emotional needs of the students, but also the nutritional needs of the entire family.

For more information about school pantries, please email Sabrina Thiede, our programs director at: sabrina.thiede@nwafoodbank.org.

This is from my files published in 2021. What a difference two years makes.

“I know it is August because the calendar says so. However, you would not know it during my early morning walks. Temperatures the past few days have ranged from the low to upper 60’s, making my time on the trail system of Rogers much more pleasant. What does my renewed commitment to walking and the temperature have to do with food insecurity you might ask? I’m really not sure, I do know that when I walk, I have 40-45 minutes of quiet time to reflect, usually much of that time is spent thinking about how blessed I am to live and work in Northwest Arkansas; how thankful I am to work at the Food Bank supporting a mission I believe wholeheartedly in; and how important each and every one of you is in the fight against hunger. I try to say it a lot, but I don’t say it enough…Thank you for all you do to allow us to help our friends and neighbors.”

Now the part about being thankful is certainly consistent, but this morning it was 80+ degrees before the sun came up. You certainly can tell it is August when you step outside. Heat takes its toll on people in a variety of ways. For a food insecure individual who lives in an un-airconditioned residence, having a healthy diet is even more important.

I want to give a shout out to our staff and volunteers who are working hard in trying conditions every day. I’m sure this will not encourage you to volunteer, but earlier this week at 3PM, it was 95 degrees in our warehouse. Yet every day our staff and many volunteers brave that heat because they know our neighbors need our help. If you are interested in volunteering to help, please check out the volunteer tab on our website.

September is Hunger Action Month. Again, this year, I will pick an orange shirt out of my closet EVERY DAY to wear to work. I’m still working up the courage to dye my beard orange….one of these years! More details on Hunger Action Month coming soon!

Speaking of the calendar, September is the start of football season. Every team is still undefeated and every team has high hopes. Did you know that the Razorback stadium will seat over 70,000? Imagine all those people calling the Hogs. Now imagine that 100% of those cheering fans are food insecure. That’s right, over 70,000 of your northwest Arkansas neighbors do not have enough resources to put a complete meal on the table when it is time to eat.

Finally, I want to encourage you to drive by the intersection of 71B and Pleasant Grove in north Lowell to take a glance at what you, the Northwest Arkansas community, are building. The Center for Hunger Relief is one more tool that we will use in the fight against food insecurity, not just for today, but for many years to come. Next month I will share some of the features the building will have that we do not have in our current facility.

Stay hydrated and as cool as possible, and remember that because of you, someone will eat today.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR ORGANIZATION!

The Chase Family Foundation continues to support the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and our mission.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

“If they want a lunch, they should come here,” George says of the Community Meals at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

As a partner agency of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, St. Paul’s hosts free meals cooked from scratch each week.

George was drawn by “the companionship, to meet other people,” as people catch up with one another over good food.

George appreciates how the Food Bank’s partner agencies work together to support people facing hard economic times. He said it’s common for people to see those in need as less deserving of help. He went on to describe how sometimes things are outside of a person’s control, like a medical emergency causing someone to go into debt.

Depending on where someone lives, especially in rural areas, they have to travel long distances to find food pantries, he added. Families then have to decide on prioritizing transportation costs over other essentials.

“They have to go where the resources are,” George said. “That’s one good thing this area has going for it. This place has a lot of meals.”

St. Paul’s hosts Community Meals on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 224 N. East Ave. in Fayetteville. For more information, contact 479-442-7373.

Photo representative of neighbor. Courtesy of Al Aysegul/Pexels

Agency Spotlight: P.E.A.R.L.

New Center for Hunger Relief Coming Soon!

What our staff is saying about the new Center for Hunger Relief

We love our volunteers!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT July 2023

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:03:23 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – July 10th, 2023

I’ve often stated that I find inspiration in the strangest places. And in my case, I can transition nearly every inspiring thing I see into a story about food Insecurity. I also will readily admit that when I see a good idea in some other city, I will unapologetically steal it. That exact thing happened this past weekend. While on the third annual Eikenboys baseball trip, this year to St. Louis, we saw a sign for a fund-raising promotion the “Cardinal’s Families” was doing. As I was taking a picture of the sign, one of my three sons asked what I was doing. Before I could answer, one of the others responded with “you’re going to see that promotion in Northwest Arkansas next year.” Just as food insecurity is a world-wide problem, ideas of how to raise money to fight it can also be found world-wide if we just keep our eyes open. Stay tuned…….

Our Jewels of Giving Celebration is just a few weeks away. This year it will be Friday, August 25 at Heroncrest in Elm Springs. It will be more casual than years past, so instead of looking for an orange tie to go with my tuxedo, yesterday Diana and I bought two more orange shirts (I couldn’t decide which one I liked) so I think I am all set except for writing my remarks. Spoiler alert….my remarks this year will include a huge announcement (and no, I’m not retiring). Anyway, I hope you can join us for a more casual evening of celebrating the successes we have had in the past year including a progress update on the construction of the new Center for Hunger Relief.

I think I have told you all that each month when I sit down to write this I look back through past columns to see if I can find some thought starters. Following is a segment taken from July, 2018.

“Do you know where the Food Bank gets the food we distribute? We get it from several places. First, we get supplier donations. This list is not all inclusive. We get regular protein donations from Tyson Foods, Cargill and Smithfield. We get rescue food from our retail partners, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Harp’s, 10 Box, Aldi’s, and Kum & Go. We also spend nearly $1 million per year for items we do not get donated. Our staff works hard every day to find the best possible price if we have to purchase an item, as well as searching for possible partners (like the ones listed) who have a product we need that they might donate. Currently we are searching for items such as peanut butter and canned tuna or other canned meats.”

Please note that in 2018 we were spending nearly $1 million to purchase food. This year we are projecting to spend over $2.9 million. Part of that increase is due to inflation, but most of it is because of the increased need. As more and more people continue to move to Northwest Arkansas, the number of food insecure neighbors continues to rise.

But as I have said so many times before, those food insecure neighbors know they can get help from the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Help we can only provide because of your generous support of our mission. Because of you, someone will eat today.

Thanks
K

We Love Our Volunteers!

During the month of June, we had some amazing volunteers help us out. Here are just a few that came and crushed it while volunteering with us. We couldn’t do what we do with our volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer to find a day and time that will fit your schedule. We would love to have you!

#campbells #kraftheinz #bluecrossblueshield #jbhunt #tyson #convergint #walmart #feedingnwa

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Blanche smiles at volunteers as they load food boxes into her vehicle at a Mobile Pantry.

Blanche grew up in Northwest Arkansas and has witnessed the region’s development over the years, including the increased cost of living.

“It’s been rough but we’ve been making it,” she said. “We’ve still been able to keep a roof over our head, and I’ve still gotten to keep my job. That’s the main thing.” She works with people with disabilities and also cares for her son and great-nephew. To help support her family, she regularly visits one of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Mobile Pantries.

The food she’s received “have all been really helpful honestly, and then what I don’t use or if I don’t need it, I give it to somebody else that can use it,” Blanche said. “I like to share if I can, because I have a lot of friends, and people that can’t get here because they work or they’re not able to drive. If I have a little extra, I give.”

She thanked the Mobile Pantry volunteers who help load boxes of shelf-stable foods, frozen protein and fresh produce into people’s vehicles.

“It’s great that they do this,” she said. “It helps a lot of people I’m sure. But you know, I’m grateful for it all.”

Food Bank Staff Member Earns Press Awards

Catherine Nolte, Marketing Coordinator at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, earned two awards for her entries in the Arkansas Press Women's annual communications contest in May. Arkansas Press Women is a statewide association of communicators, journalists and public relations professionals.

She designed an educational series for Instagram, explaining the Food Bank’s operations and the barriers neighbors face while experiencing food insecurity. The series earned 2nd place in the Nonprofit Social Media Campaign category. The judge said Catherine’s work did a “great job breaking down a complex issue into bite-sized actionable posts.”

Catherine also earned 2nd place in the Nonprofit Social Media Presence category for the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s Instagram account.

“I’m truly honored to receive these awards,” Catherine said. “I’m especially grateful for our neighbors who have trusted me with their stories. I’ve learned so much from their experiences and insights that inform our social media content. I love cultivating our online community and celebrating the ways everyone can make a difference.”

FOOD FOR THOUGHT May 2023

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 17:49:22 GMT

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Letter From Our President & CEO – May 10th, 2023

“One hungry person is one too many.” It’s worse if that hungry person is a child. By last count Feeding America estimates there are approximately 18,000 young people about to enter summer vacation hungry in our four-county service area. With school out, the safety net of school lunch, breakfast in the classroom, snack pack programs and school pantries are not available. I often tell people there is no slow time of the year for hunger. It never takes a break. However, summer vacation time puts additional stress on families and our partner agencies.

I remember as a child looking forward to summer vacation. Time off from school meant days of baseball or swimming with friends. Carefree days in the sun. But every one of those days ended with me going home to a nutritious home cooked meal. My mom always had enough for all of my friends who wanted to stay and have some of whatever she had fixed that day. Like I said, I looked forward to summer vacation. Hungry children do not have that luxury. In many cases they are afraid of how they will survive while school is out. Where will the food come from? You can help us stock our partner agencies for the increased summer need. Thank you for helping us prepare.

This morning I had the opportunity to be the program at a local civic group. I shared with them some information about the current Food Bank, the work we do and talked a little about the future which includes the new Center for Hunger Relief. During the question period, one of the members asked “what is your most pressing need?” I responded with “knowledge”. Knowledge and understanding by the community that there is a food insecurity problem. I think he was surprised that I didn’t say more donations or more volunteers but that I emphasized that I needed more people to know why we do what we do. Later in the day I ran into an old friend who I had not seen for several years. I was sharing this story with him and he suggested that we all have on blinders and until an issue touches us directly, we don’t necessarily pay attention. He’s right. But food insecurity does touch us all.

Everyone of us knows someone who struggles to put a meal on the table. We may not know that we know someone, but I promise you we know one of the 70,000 plus in the four-county service area that struggle. I encourage you to think of food insecurity not as some faceless being living somewhere else, but think of the food insecure neighbor as someone you see every day. I promise you, it will bring a new perspective to the way you consider our neighbors in need.

If you haven’t had a chance, please take a few minutes and drive by 71B, Pleasant Grove Road and Honeysuckle Road in north Lowell. All I can say is “Oh My!” Every time I drive by the future site of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and see the progress we are making toward a new Food Bank facility I am amazed. Amazed not only with the progress being made, but amazed at the community support to make it happen. To this point we have over 250 individuals or corporations who have donated to the Food For Today/Hope For Tomorrow Capital Campaign. I cannot begin to thank each of you enough for your investment in the future of Northwest Arkansas. I’ve told many people that the community is building the new Food Bank. While it is much larger and much more modern, it is not extravagant. But I promise you, it is one that we all can be proud of, and we can all be proud of the work that will come out of it.

Thank you all for your continued financial support, your moral support, for keeping us and our food insecure neighbors in your thoughts and prayers, and most of all for making Northwest Arkansas one of the best places on earth to live. Because of you, someone will eat today.

NCR Wins Global Competition and Donates to the Food Bank!

We want to give a huge THANK YOU to the NCR Corporation for their continued support of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

They donated more than 450 pounds of cereal to the Food Bank in December. Putting a fun spin on things, the local NCR team created a video of a cereal box domino train and the journey from their offices to our warehouse.

The cereal video won a company-wide global social media competition, and the team was awarded a grant.

On May 3rd, they donated the $50,000 competition grant to the Food Bank for the Center for Hunger Relief. The team also spent the morning volunteering with us, providing 6,163 meals by packing boxes for our Mobile Pantry program. We are so grateful for your support!

Partner Agency Spotlight

Harmon United Methodist Church

The food pantry at Harmon United Methodist Church, which started in 2005, serves anyone seeking help with food. Volunteers build boxes according to each family’s size and needs.

If a family has limited storage space or does not have working appliances, the pantry also takes that into consideration. Boxes include a variety of foods like canned goods, frozen meat, produce and shelf-stable foods such as cereal and pasta.

Harmon UMC’s pantry is welcoming to all and focuses on building relationships with families in the community.

Nina and Shirley, pantry volunteers, said their goal is to serve families in a rural area where there are not many other options.

“God provides and we help each other,” Nina said.

Harmon UMC’s pantry is open on the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at 19032 Harmon Road just outside of Tontitown. For more information, visit www.harmonumc.org .

Neighbors Helping Neighbors - Liddy's Story

Everyone has a role to play in ending food insecurity and strengthening our communities. For Liddy, it’s sharing knowledge and resources.

She’s always on the lookout for ways to pass it forward. Along with offering rides to food pantries, she helps neighbors unload their items when they return.

“It makes me feel good ... I don’t want to see anyone go hungry,” she said. “It’s a disgrace and a sin when people do,” she said.

One place she found support was Bread of Life in Springdale, a partner agency of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. When Liddy first visited, “Everything was smooth, 15 minutes and I was out of there,” she said, noting how organized they were.

Liddy loves to cook with the food she receives, using ingredients and spices to make delicious meals.

“(The chicken patties) are easy to cook and quick,” she said. “I bake or fry them, cut them up in a salad or put them in stir fry.”

Whenever Liddy is able, she donates to Bread of Life. “If I’m going to be taking, I want to give back,” she said.

Bread of Life is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at 212 W. Emma Ave. in Springdale. They can be contacted at 479-751-4610.Economic hardship rarely affects one part of a person’s life. Often the dominoes come crashing down on your housing, food, and other necessities, leaving you to pick up the pieces and start again.

When Liddy fell into a hard economic situation a few years ago, she “had to, literally by the grace of God and luck, learn how to survive,” she said.

After experiencing homelessness and spending three years on the waiting list for Section 8 housing, she now has a place in Fayetteville and receives SNAP benefits.

“Through the luck of the draw,” Liddy said, she was connected to a social worker who told her about SSI, which helped her receive additional income due to her disability.

Going from financially secure with no worries about budgeting to watching every penny “was a reality check for me,” she said.

As she learned more about the systems of poverty assistance, Liddy became determined to help her neighbors in similar circumstances.

Whether it’s sharing food pantry offerings or community services, Liddy wants to help her neighbors find the resources they need to thrive.

“I won’t just keep it to myself,” she said. “I’ll share it.”

WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS!

We couldn’t do what we do without our wonderful volunteers. During the month of April, we had 427 volunteers serve a total of 1,680 hours in our warehouse, in our garden, at one of our mobile pantries, or at our Feed Rogers location. THANK YOU for volunteering with us! If you would like to volunteer with us, you can find a complete listing of opportunities by visiting www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer .

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON HELD TO CELEBRATE OUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS!

On April 28th we ended Volunteer Appreciation Week with a BBQ luncheon to celebrate our volunteers. Thank you to everyone that attended and a special thank you to First Security Bank for supplying the food and manpower to cook up the delicious food!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT JUNE 2023

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 17:48:23 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – June 10th, 2023

WE HAVE WALLS!

I didn’t know if this day was ever going to get here, but the warehouse walls are up on the new Center for Hunger Relief. There is still a lot of construction to happen, but at least we can see the fruits of our efforts. For those of you keeping track, we had our ceremonial groundbreaking in June 2022. One of the key reasons was out of respect for June Self, our founder. It certainly is not lost on me that the most visible signs of progress can be seen in June 2023.

If you happen to drive by the construction site and think to yourself,” wow this is huge.” Why does the Food Bank need a building this massive? Population projections show Northwest Arkansas to top 1 million residents in a few short years. More population means more need. As we prepared for the construction of the new Center for Hunger Relief, the staff visited lots of Food Banks across the country. Almost every one of them said they built too small and they were having to go back to their donors with a second capital campaign to build on. We are hoping to avoid that by building for the future.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors - Mikki's Story

“It’s like a major part of my life, these meals,” Mikki said as they set down a tray on the table. Today’s lunch featured made-from-scratch tomato, chicken and cheese pasta, garlic bread, salad and cupcakes.

Mikki (they/them), a student, regularly joins the Community Meals at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in downtown Fayetteville, a partner agency of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

They currently live out of their van and don’t have access to a kitchen to cook for themselves. Having consistent hot meals takes stress off Mikki’s plate so they can focus on their social work classes.

“The thing about all of the meals is that they are very welcoming,” they said. “There is little barrier to entry.”

Although Mikki doesn’t identify as religious, they said that at the church, “I feel welcome ... They want you to come to the lunch.”

And it’s more than just a meal. Here, Mikki has established new friendships, connected to community services and discovered volunteer opportunities.

These kinds of connections push back against the stigmas of food insecurity and homelessness.

Mikki explained how people try to distance themselves from those who experience homelessness and food insecurity. But, they emphasized, you can’t always tell what someone is going through by looking at them.

The traumas of homelessness and food insecurity are invisible, making the ability to ask for help even more difficult. A person may fear judgment for seeking support or feel like someone else needs help more than they do.

“I think people are barely scraping by,” Mikki said. “... Students are managing to stay housed but under a lot of stress.”

Some students may be couch surfing, Mikki said, working multiple jobs or staying in toxic relationships to keep a roof over their heads and have consistent access to food.

“I wish it wasn’t that way. Housing is a human right. Food is a human right.”

St. Paul’s hosts Community Meals on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 224 N. East Ave. in Fayetteville. For more information, contact 479-442-7373.

Partner Agency Spotlight: St. Paul’s Community Meals

A homecooked meal brings people together for a moment of community. Gathering at the table, we pause for a moment, savor delicious food and connect with one another.

The Community Meals at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is open to anyone who wants to join them for a meal.

“We don’t have any requirements. Come if you are hungry,” said Grace, the parish chef. “... No one is going to be turned away.”

Each week, the meal is cooked and served by volunteers. Grace orders food and sets the menu to make it nutritionally balanced, always including a protein and a fresh garden salad. There are also grab-and-go options like sandwiches.

Attendees shared favorites being spaghetti, hamburgers and traditional holiday meals including turkey, dressing and pie.

With such large meals, the team works hard to reduce food waste by packaging leftovers and using items in creative ways, such as making breakfast burritos from breakfast meal items like sausage.

“We are really all about not wasting anything,” Grace said.

As a community crowdsourced project, the church also has a Free Little Pantry and a Friendly Fridge located outside the Welcome Center.

St. Paul’s hosts Community Meals on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 224 N. East Ave. in Fayetteville. For more information, contact 479-442-7373.

New Center for Hunger Relief Coming Soon!

Our new Center for Hunger Relief, located at the intersection of Pleasant Grove Road and Highway 71 in Lowell, is starting to take shape. If you haven’t been by there lately, we encourage you to do so. This new location will help us better serve our neighbors in need in so many ways. If you would like to find out more about the new facility or how you can get involved, please visit www.hope.nwafoodbank.org .

What our staff is saying about our new Center for Hunger Relief

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Receives $25,000 Grant

Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc Provides Grant to Fund School Pantry Program

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has received a $25,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc. This grant will serve to provide food to the school districts that are participating in the Food Bank’s School Pantry program.

“The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s School Pantry program plays a vital role in providing food-insecure neighbors reliable access to nutritious food,” said Sabrina Thiede, Director of Programs at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “Each month our School Pantry program serves thousands of students throughout Northwest Arkansas, and we couldn't do it without strong partnerships. We're grateful for Bank of America and their continued commitment of serving students and their families in Northwest Arkansas. By working together, we can ensure all students have the opportunity to arrive to school happy, healthy and ready to learn!"

Bank of America has been and continues to be a great supporter of the Food Bank. For more information on the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and our programs, please visit: www.nwafoodbank.org .

FOOD FOR THOUGHT April 2023

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 18:53:31 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – April 10th, 2023

Sometimes life is just inches away from disaster. I’m somewhat embarrassed to share this story but if you will indulge it, there is a reason. Earlier this week, I headed out for my pre-dawn walk and reflection time. I was about two blocks from my house when a car came down the street. I stepped up into a driveway, like I have done thousands of times before. After the car passed, I started to walk again, only to trip on the curb and face plant onto the street. Fortunately, I was not badly hurt. A couple of scrapes on my nose and forehead and a cut on one hand. But where I am going with this is that one of my first thoughts was of a friend who had fallen while jogging, who dislodged her brain and went through a two- year recovery cycle. I also thought of my friend Bob, who runs a non-profit in Las Vegas for persons who have developmental issues or who have had some type of brain trauma. I sure didn’t want to be one of his clients. I share this story to remind us of what I often say, we are all “this close” to needing assistance. One misstep can make all the difference in the world.

Speaking of “this close” to needing help, many of the people we see today at food pantries or at our mobile pantries have not needed food assistance in the past. Whether it is because of gas prices, utility prices, overall inflation, or an unplanned expense, they have moved from being close to the edge to falling off the edge and needing help. Since 1988 the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has been there as a safety net for those who need nutritious food. We cannot do it without your support, so thank you for putting your trust in us to support our neighbors in need.

Elsewhere in this newsletter you will see some photos showing the progress of the new Center for Hunger Relief. While we have lost several days due to weather, progress is moving forward on a building all of Northwest Arkansas can be proud of and be a part of. We are in the final stages of our Food For Today/Hope For Tomorrow capital campaign. We truly do want this to be the community’s Food Bank, so for information of how you can help make this dream a reality, and join the nearly 300 donors who have already contributed to the campaign, please go to hope.nwafoodbank.org. Thank you for your consideration.

It takes us all. April is National Volunteer Month. I want to give a giant thank you to all of you out there who volunteer. Whether you are packing boxes, bagging beans (as the group working today is doing), stocking shelves at Feed Rogers, working at a mobile pantry, harvesting or hoeing in the garden, or doing any one of hundreds of other volunteer tasks, you make a difference. Last year 1,664 individuals volunteered a total of 12,263 hours. That’s the equivalent of six full time employees. I cannot begin to thank you all enough for what you do.

I hope you enjoy reading this edition of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank monthly newsletter. If you come across anything that piques your interest, please don’t hesitate to give us a call for more information.

Because of you, someone will eat today

How we are putting your dollars to work- Jerry's Story

Jerry first learned about the Community Meals at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church from a friend. Each week, the church, which is a partner agency of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, hosts free meals, cooked from scratch by volunteers.

He’s been attending for about five years and loved today’s meal - tomato, cheese and chicken pasta, with green beans, garlic bread, salad and dessert. “It’s top-notch – it’s good,” he said.

He often comes with friends and also picks up the go-to meal, typically a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He encourages anyone who is hungry to come to the meals.

St. Paul’s hosts Community Meals on Mondays and Wednesdays from from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 224 N. East Ave. in Fayetteville. For more information, contact 479-442-7373.

Partner Agency Spotlight - Bread of Life

At Bread of Life, you can find support for your family with fresh groceries and personal hygiene items. As a partner agency of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, Bread of Life helps anyone in need with once-a-month food support. They also distribute USDA commodities (for this program, you must live in Washington County and meet income requirements).

To receive assistance, no appointment is required. You go in and fill out a pantry sheet to pick which foods you would like. Volunteers will fulfill your order and help you load the food into your vehicle.

“We’re really just a community here, and if there’s a need, we try to meet it,” said Whitney, Missions and Outreach Coordinator at First Church Springdale, which oversees the pantry. “If we can’t meet it, we try to at least point them in the right direction.”

Bread of Life is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at 212 W. Emma Ave. in Springdale. They can be contacted at 479-751-4610.

Thank You!!

We are proud to support our veterans, serving those who have served our country.

This gift from the U.S. Submarine Veterans USS Snook Base group will ensure our neighbors, including veterans, have reliable access to food. Thank you all for your service and your generosity.

Center for Hunger Relief Construction Update!

We are happy to announce that visible progress is being made on the new Center for Hunger Relief. This new building is at the intersection of Highway 71 and Pleasant Grove Road in Lowell. Next time you drive by, please take a minute to check out the progress. If you would like more information on how you can get involved, please visit hope.nwafoodbank.org.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT March 2023

Mon, 08 May 2023 15:39:45 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – March 10th, 2023

There are multiple definitions for the word share. As a verb is means to give a portion of something to someone else. From the time we were toddlers, we have been taught to share.

“Let your sister play with that toy.”
“Don’t eat it all, give your brother part of that cake.”
“If you don’t learn to share, you will be put in time out.”

You get the picture. But the above examples are negative reinforcements of “sharing.” We’ve all seen the heartwarming pictures of a small child generously offering to share whatever he or she has with a friend, a family member and, in some cases, someone they don’t even know. There are over 6,400 of you out there who have shared what they have with those less fortunate through your donation to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. That’s right, in 2022 we had over 6,400 individuals make donations to us to help us serve our neighbors in need. Simply stated, we could not do what we do without you. On behalf of the 70,000 plus neighbors we serve, please let me express my deepest appreciation and gratitude.

Speaking of sharing, there are many, many great organizations out there working to make Northwest Arkansas a better place to live. I want to express my thanks to people who support those other organizations as well as, or even instead of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. For as it has been said many times, we are better together and any investment in our community is a step in the right direction.

Can you imagine, after working your entire life, sitting down at the kitchen table with your spouse, not to eat, but to decide if you are going to turn on the heat? Or are you going to take your medicine? Or which bill is the most pressing and must be paid before services are turned off? Maybe after all these are taken care of, you finally look in the cabinet for something to eat-and the cupboard is bare!

That’s life for approximately 17% of those Arkansans over the age of 60.* (source: Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance)

If you cannot visualize what life is like for these neighbors, perhaps this story will better illustrate it.

Several years ago I was volunteering at my church food pantry when a friend of mine came in. Now he was retired as a civil employee and had owned his own business so I was shocked to see him. With a tear in his eye he shared the reason. “Kent, you know my wife has been sick. We have spent our entire savings on medicine and treatment. My grandchildren are coming and we don’t have anything to feed them and I cannot imagine having to tell them there is nothing for them to eat.”

Thankfully, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is there to help my friend, and the thousands who, like him, are experiencing food insecurity. But we can only be there with your help. Your donations provide more than just food, they provide security in the fact that those in need can feed their grandchildren when they come visit.

Because of you, someone will eat today.

Letter from Sabrina Thiede, Director of Programs, Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

When I was first asked to help oversee the implementation of the first ever Northwest Arkansas Food Bank run pantry and community resource center, I was a little overwhelmed at the daunting task ahead, but I knew a space like Feed Rogers is exactly what Northwest Arkansas needed to move the needle on food-insecurity.

I can honestly say that over the past year, it’s been a true joy to have a bird’s eye view of something really special happening at Feed Rogers. In this space, I’ve seen a neighbor brought to tears over her gratitude for a watermelon. A child giddy with excitement because he was able to choose whatever cereal he wanted. I’ve watched a volunteer console a neighbor because of the loss of a loved one. I’ve seen a community be built.

When planning originally began for Feed Rogers, we had big expectations. In our first year, our hope was to distribute 500,000 lbs. of food into the community, be open 4 days a week, and provide our neighbors with an environment of dignity and respect. I am proud to say, in the past year we’ve distributed nearly 800,000 lbs. of food, are open 5 days a week, and have absolutely created a space where neighbors feel seen, heard and welcomed. We’ve also added an online ordering platform, delivery service, and have provided opportunities for our neighbors to meet with other community organization.

We couldn’t do this great work without our Feed Rogers Team. Chelsea Tatlow, Feed Rogers Manager and Rosario Javier, Feed Rogers Assistant Manager are a true gift to our community, and give so much of their selves to make Feed Rogers a success. We’d also be silly to not give a HUGE shout-out to our volunteers. We have approximately 100 volunteer slots each week. I am constantly humbled by how quickly those spots are filled, and how eager our community is to show up to serve!

Never in a million years did I think we’d be where we are today. However, as I look to the future I see so much more that needs to be done. If you’ve never visited Feed Rogers, I’d invite you to come take a tour, or spend some time volunteering. We’d love for you to be part of our journey!

-Sabrina

Neighbors Story- Elisa-Helping our Neighbors in Need

Families are contending with higher food costs in a variety of ways. For Elisa, this means trading fresh produce, like strawberries and grapes, for more affordable canned fruit when preparing meals for her two kids.

The price of school meals has also increased for her oldest son, but her family doesn’t qualify for free or reduced lunch.

For additional support, Elisa visited the Springdale Mobile Pantry to pick up food for her family. She plans to share what she doesn’t use.

“A lot of people don’t have a car or aren’t working,” she said. “I know the last time I came, we actually didn’t have much room in our freezer because we just had a small, regular fridge, so I couldn’t keep all of the food I was given.”

She shared the frozen items in a community Facebook group for moms and delivered them to families who didn’t have transportation.

Not everyone “can go at these hours or at these times,” she said. “But there are resources. I just feel like not everyone knows about them or can get to them.”

Elisa pointed out the challenges faced by families new to the NWA region, similar to what she experienced after moving a few years earlier.

Without established relationships, it can be hard to ask for help. Using social media, she helps fellow moms get connected to resources.

“On a personal level, there’s a lot of moms or people who stay at home that would be willing to help if you will ask them ... Like I said, I wouldn’t mind helping out somebody if I knew that I could do it somewhere locally or something like that.”

Whether online or in person, Elisa helps her neighbors access food and builds a stronger community.

Photo is representative of neighbor. Courtesy of Max Harlynking/Unsplash.

WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS!!!

For the month of February, we welcomed 312 volunteers into our warehouse, garden, Mobile Pantry and Feed Rogers location who served a total of 1,472 volunteer hours. We could not do what we do without our wonderful volunteers. We would love to have you, too! To find a day and time that will fit your schedule, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer .

COMING SOON: Learn how to grow your own tasty, fresh food!

Seed to Supper is a FREE beginning gardening course that teaches you the skills you need to start a garden and grow your own food on a budget. You'll also have an opportunity to earn a free gift card. Spots are limited, so reserve yours now!

*Location: The Jones Center and the NWA Food Bank Teaching Garden in Springdale

*Date: Wednesdays, April 12 - May 17

*Time: 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED: RSVP at haley.deatherage@nwafoodbank.org by April 7.

2023 Annual Agency Summit

Across NWA, our partner agencies distribute nutritious foods, establish caring relationships with neighbors and share connections to community resources. On February 28th, we gathered with several of our partner agencies at the Jones Center in Springdale to share tools, experiences and information on how to better serve our community. Thank you to our partner agencies who attended and a special thanks to our wonderful speakers!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT February 2023

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 14:56:35 GMT

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Letter From Our President & CEO – February 10th, 2023

Today I am working from home in a guest bedroom/office watching the sleet to continue to fall. It looks like we will only end up with a couple of inches on the ground, but it definitely is sticking on the roads and impacting travel. Those of us who have the ability are working from home today and tomorrow. The Food Bank is closed. Deciding to be open or closed is one of the more difficult choices I have to make. On one hand, I don’t want to put any of my team, or partner agencies, in danger by asking them to come to work on snow-packed roads. On the other hand, our food insecure neighbors need us now more than ever. Fortunately, our food insecure neighbors saw this coming so we saw a slight bump in our distribution before the weather hit. An additional challenge is that the cold weather necessitates more energy to heat everyone’s house so next month when the bill comes, our food insecure neighbors will still need our help. We will need your help between now and then to assure we can meet the needs. *written on February 1, 2023

Fast forward a few more weeks and schools will be on spring break. Having children home from school presents one more challenge to a food insecure parent. Instead of receiving lunch and in some cases breakfast at school, that responsibility falls on the parents. Here again, with your help, we can provide the necessary nutritional food to help families enjoy spring break.

Can you imagine, after working your entire life, sitting down at the kitchen table with your spouse, not to eat, but to decide if you are going to turn on the heat? Or are you going to take your medicine? Or which bill is the most pressing and must be paid before services are turned off? Maybe after all these are taken care of, you finally look in the cabinet for something to eat-and the cupboard is bare!

That’s life for approximately 17% of those Arkansans over the age of 60.* (source: Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance)

If you cannot visualize what life is like for these neighbors, perhaps this story will better illustrate it.

Several years ago I was volunteering at my church food pantry when a friend of mine came in. Now he was retired as a civil employee and had owned his own business so I was shocked to see him. With a tear in his eye he shared the reason. “Kent, you know my wife has been sick. We have spent our entire savings on medicine and treatment. My grandchildren are coming and we don’t have anything to feed them and I cannot imagine having to tell them there is nothing for them to eat.”

Thankfully, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is there to help my friend, and the thousands who, like him, are experiencing food insecurity. But we can only be there with your help. Your donations provide more than just food, they provide security in the fact that those in need can feed their grandchildren when they come visit.

Because of you, someone will eat today.

The new Center for Hunger Relief construction has started!

We are so excited that ground has been broken, dirt is being moved, and construction of our new facility will soon start! If you are near the intersection of Pleasant Grove Road and old Highway 71 in Lowell, be sure to take a look at the progress being made. If you are interested in finding out more about our Capital Campaign, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org

Thank You Nabholz!

Garden Sheds built by Nabholz Corporation 2021-2022 Apprentice Class are getting set up and completed with a paint job! We should be finished with painting during the next good weather stretch and then just have some simple steps to install.

Our Gardening and Nutrition Manager has started to organize and set these up for an early Spring launch at the Teaching Garden.

Thanks again to the Apprentice Class and Nabholz for this generous gift.

Neighbor Story Sheri, Victoria and Calyn - Feed Rogers Oct. 20

Sheri, Calyn and Victoria stand next to Rosario (center), assistant manager of Feed Rogers.

Talk with Sheri and her daughter Victoria, and you’ll quickly connect with their easygoing nature.

Sheri’s youngest daughter Calyn shares this spirit, too, telling stories and jokes to everyone she meets at Feed Rogers.

Sheri and Calyn live in Rogers and Victoria lives in Lowell. All three regularly visit the pantry operated by the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, where they can pick out a variety of foods in the grocery-store-style space.

“I get excited when I see the produce,” Sheri said. “It’s so expensive, and it’s so hard to find good stuff.”

With options, families can meal plan and make choices based on their household’s needs. Sherri plans to make fried potatoes and squash, while Victoria looks forward to trying out a new recipe.

“I’m excited to make some potato balls with meat in them,” Victoria said. “I just recently learned how to make those.”

At Feed Rogers, families can find connections to community resources – which Sheri and Victoria share with everyone they know.

Although appointments are required, the removal of barriers such as proof of residency has helped Victoria connect her coworkers to help.

“Most people don’t even know that places like this exist ... where they don’t require you to have like eight different documents. Sometimes you live in a place where your name is not on the lease or your name is not on any of the bills so you can’t bring them,” she said. “This place gives a nice opening for people who are in a position like that. It takes the pressure off some.”

As a single mom, Sheri is limited to one income, but she is just over the income requirement for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP benefits.

“With the prices of everything, it’s so expensive to feed even me and one child,” she said. “(Feed Rogers) actually helps with that little bit of a gap, especially since I have a special needs child. I have to buy separate meals, and I have to send her lunch every day. It’s really costly nowadays.”

Sheri and Victoria want to break down stereotypes that keep people from reaching out for support.

Visiting food pantries “doesn’t necessarily mean that you are below the poverty level or that you are homeless or anything,” Sheri said. “It’s just times are tough, especially for single parents.”

“I’m not ashamed to come (to Feed Rogers), and I’m not ashamed to tell people that I come here,” Victoria said.

Thank You, Walmart Foundation!

We would like to thank the Walmart Foundation for their continued support of our organization and those we serve. The Foundation graciously gave us a grant that has made a program called Order Ahead possible at our Feed Rogers client choice pantry that is run by the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. We launched the program, which is similar in design to the “curbside pickup” that is offered at Walmart locations nationwide, on January 17th. Since the launch date we have been able to serve 181 households and 707 neighbors with this service.

Thank you, Chick-fil-A!

Thank you to the Chick-fil-A Child and Family Feeding Program for supporting our School Pantry Program through a $25,000 grant. This will help children and families thrive across Northwest Arkansas!

We Love Our Volunteers!

During the month of January, we welcomed 496 volunteers who served a total of 1,113 hours in our warehouse, in our garden, at Feed Rogers and working at one of our many Mobile Pantries. We couldn’t do what we do without our wonderful volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering with us, you can find a complete list of opportunities by visiting www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer .

FOOD FOR THOUGHT | DECEMBER 2023

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 19:02:03 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – December 10th, 2022

I cannot tell you how many people in the last couple of weeks have mentioned to me that this must be a really busy time of the year for us. From a development standpoint, it certainly is as more people donate during the fourth quarter. More companies have food drives. More individuals bring in donations of food and money. More people volunteer. So yes, this is a busy time of the year for us. But like a squirrel heading into winter, we store up these food drive riches in order to serve our partner agencies in the future. If you walked through our warehouse today you would think, “There is no way they will ever distribute all this food.” The fact of the matter is we only have between three and four WEEKS supply of food on hand at any given time. We estimate we will distribute nearly 14 MILLION* pounds of food this year. Based on that number of pounds moved in the course of the year, we turn our inventory between 12 and 13 times per year. From a client service side, we are busy year-round. A child’s hungry tummy doesn’t know if it is November or May, so while there may be an uptick of need during the holidays and winter, food insecurity is present all year long.

14 million is slightly down from 2021 numbers, mostly because of a decrease in Federal TEFAP foods.

In a few days it will be Christmas morning. As you hustle around making last minute preparations, buying last minute gifts and stressing over “dressing or stuffing” be mindful of those less fortunate. You can make a huge difference in someone’s life by sharing your time, your talent or your treasure. There are literally hundreds of great causes out there. Trying to decide who to support might be overwhelming. I encourage you to not let that decision add to your stress. Pick an agency whose mission you support and help them out. No matter which one you choose you will be helping make northwest Arkansas just a little better place to live. Isn’t that what we are all called to do?

The flu bug has hit the Food Bank. We have several staff members out with serious flu symptoms. We have requested they stay home until they have a 24 hour period without fever, without the aid of medications. Please do your part to keep your friends and coworkers healthy by doing the same.

This year we did a lot, but we could not have done any of it without your help. Whether you have donated cash, food, volunteered or simply talked about the need, you have played an integral role in our work this year. In closing, let me please say thank you and remind you that because of you someone will eat today.

Please have a blessed and Merry Christmas.

Neighbors Story

Al, a Springdale neighbor, walks alongside Mary Ann, a volunteer with Feed the 479, as she pushes a cart through the aisles of the food pantry.

As they turn the corner into the baked goods section, Al spots a sweet potato pie on a shelf. “It’s perfect for this season,” he says with a smile as he places it in the basket.

Al fills his cart with things that he enjoys and can make the most of, including garlic bread and canned vegetables.

A few moments later in the freezer section, he picks up hamburger meat and grabs lettuce at the last station to make burgers for dinner.

Unlike the limitations of a prepacked box of food, the options made possible in a client-choice pantry mean Al can actively plan his meals while picking up items.

Al regularly visits Feed the 479 to help support his three family members who have limited incomes. He counts the pantry as one of his many blessings.

“I do pray for this place to help people down on their luck,” he says. “The Lord blesses this and everything happens for a reason.”

As a ministry of Cross Church, Feed the 479 supports anyone in need of food. They partner with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank to host mobile pantries on the 3rd Friday of each month at Cross Church Fayetteville and the 4th Friday of each month at Cross Church Pinnacle Hills from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Feed the 479 is located at 3157 W. Sunset Avenue in Springdale and is open Mondays and Tuesdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

We Love Our Volunteers!

10th ANNUAL 40/29 & THE ARKANSAS CW TURKEY DRIVE HELD ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18

On Friday, November 18, 40/29 (KHBS/KHOG) and The Arkansas CW encouraged Northwest Arkansas and River Valley residents to help feed our neighbors in need by donating to the 10th annual Turkey Drive. 40/29, The Arkansas CW and our turkey drive partners collected turkeys at area Walmart Super Centers and Neighborhood Markets. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank staff was at one of the locations all day to help with the drive and personally thank the public for their support. For every Butterball turkey you gave, your donation was matched, up to a total of 1,000 Butterball turkeys. Knorr also donated 10,000 bags of Knorr sides to supplement holiday meals for the hungry in our region. The drive resulted in 3,925 turkeys being donated to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and the River Valley Food Bank.

“For nine years our stations have been honored to help collect over 36,000 turkeys to fight hunger,” said 40/29 and The Arkansas CW President and General Manager, Bruce Barkley.

Arkansas CW’s Turkey Drive is a community outreach initiative developed with the support of Walmart, The River Valley Regional Food Bank, The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, their agencies, food pantries and supported by Butterball and Knorr.

2022 FOOD DRIVE CHALLENGE A HUGE SUCCESS!

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FOOD BANK RECEIVES FUNDS FROM LOCAL EVENT

*From left: Tom Hauge, Dan Clous, Kent Eikenberry, Bill Adams, Collin Adams

Members of the Ale-Truism board of directors and Kent Eikenberry, hoist a glass to celebrate Octoberfest, a third-party fundraising event for the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank held at GOAT LAB Brewery in Lowell on October 8.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT JANUARY 2023

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 19:00:59 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – January 10th, 2023

Seven years ago, I sat down to write my first Letter from Kent. I remember one of my sons remarking after he had read it, “Pops, that was pretty self-deprecating. It certainly doesn’t ooze with your confidence to do the job.” He was right! But so was I. I really didn’t know how to be the President/CEO of a food bank. I’m sure there is still much to learn, but looking back on that day I can honestly say that I have grown in my food bank knowledge, grown in my leadership abilities and most importantly grown my passion to serve our neighbors in need.

But I did not and cannot do it alone. I need the support of our team of associates, the support of the board of directors and the support of the community to achieve our goal of providing reasonable access to the food they need to all neighbors in need by the year 2025. We are well on our way, but still have lots to do. Let’s take a moment to take a quick reflective look at 2022 before looking to the future.

*We had approximately 15,000 cash donations to the Food Bank which came from approximately 6,400 different donors.

*We distributed just under 13.5 million pounds of food, down from just under 14 million in 2021. Our pounds distributed peaked in 2020, mostly because of additional USDA commodities aimed at addressing COVID needs.

*We spent nearly $1million more buying food in 2022 than we did in 2021. Because of the decline in USDA offerings, a decline in donated food product, we were forced to spend $3.3 million to have food available for our partner agencies.

*We served 31,910 households totaling over 104,692 individuals through our Mobile Pantry division. Please note that some of these individuals were served more than once.

*Once again, we invested over $100,000 in our partner agencies to help them better serve the community. Our agency capacity grant program purchased double-door refrigerators and freezers, a walk-in cooler, skid loader, shelving, tables and laptops just to name a few of the items that helped our partner agencies increase the amount of people they could serve.

*We opened Feed Rogers. To say that it exceeded our expectations of serving our neighbors in need with dignity would be an understatement. Just take a look at the numbers from when we opened that day in March of 2022. We served: 8,374, and 29,259 individuals, unique households- meaning folks that came only one time. During the course of 2022, several neighbors had to come more than one time resulting in total interactions of 45,558 individuals. Feed Rogers also provided a much- needed outlet for all those persons who wanted to volunteer, but because of space limitations in our warehouse we could not use.

These are just a few of the accomplishments we had in 2022. But as I said earlier, our work is far from over. During 2022 we completed the bulk of the $25 Million Food for Today, Hope for Tomorrow capital campaign. While we have raised just under $23 million, there is certainly still an opportunity for you to be part of this life changing campaign*. As part of the campaign, construction has started on our new state of the art Center for Hunger relief in north Lowell. I encourage you to drive by Pleasant Grove and Honeysuckle to monitor the progress. I know I do every day. As I have often said, however, the new Center for Hunger relief is just one tool in the fight against food insecurity. We continue to invest money into programs to help those we serve to provide them with more nutritional options, as well as teaching them how to prepare those offerings.

Yes, we have along way to go, but because of the support of each one of you, I am confident that the Food bank will continue to grow and improve, just as hopefully, I have over the past seven years.

Because of you, someone will eat today.

*if you want to be part of assuring the Food Bank will be positioned for someone to eat tomorrow, please give me a call at 479--419-5392. I would love to explain what our plans for the future look like.

We would like to congratulate these employees who have work anniversaries in January. We are lucky to have each of you on staff at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

We love our volunteers!

During the month of December, we welcomed 310 volunteers who served a total of 1,139 hours in our warehouse, at our Mobile Pantries, in our garden, and at our Feed Rogers location. We couldn’t do what we do without our wonderful volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering with us, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer to find a date and time that will fit your schedule. We offer times for individuals, groups, and even a few special times for families!

Welcome!

We would like to welcome two new members to our Board of Directors.

We appreciate your willingness to serve on our Board and for your dedication to helping us feed our neighbors who are food insecure in the NWA region.

We want to thank City Title & Closing for their donation and support in the fight against hunger! Your gift will help put food on the tables of families across Northwest Arkansas.

How your dollars are helping our neighbors

Mike beams with pride when he talks about his four kids.

“All the kids, we’ve been lucky,” he said. “Because the parent’s dream, in my book, is always been that they do better than you. They’ve all done better than us.”

His two sons and two daughters have grown up to be caring and hardworking people like their dad, who worked as a mechanic in Fayetteville for 20 years.

About a year ago, Mike’s wife became sick, so he retired early to support her. Things are tight with a smaller pension, medical bills and rising costs, but he is determined to make it work.

“We’ve never tried to live out of our means,” he said. “We’ve been surviving and we’re going to keep surviving.” ]

“It’s crazy when you go to the store and you see a dozen eggs for $5 or an 18-pack for $6.50, but we’ll get through it I’m sure,” he said.

Mike found additional support at Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry in Elkins, where he can pick up produce, frozen meat and shelf-stable foods. He said his wife will be especially happy with the sweet potatoes he got that day.

Witnessing the care of the community during this time has encouraged Mike.

“I’m one of those guys, I’ve worked all my life, and I always thought about handouts and things like that,” he said. “But when you get in a situation, you know, sometimes they’re not handouts, it’s a hand up.”

He encourages people facing similar difficult circumstances to connect with resources, like the Mobile Pantries, and to give back when they are able.

Overcoming the stigma the first time may be hard, but “... always keep in mind that it’s not a handout,” he said. “A lot of people might give you a hard time and all that. It’s a hand up.” .

We are so grateful for our partners at Smart Chicken and Harps Food Stores . They donated over 6,500 pounds of chicken to help our food-insecure neighbors in Northwest Arkansas. Thank you for your generosity!

A BIG THANK YOU TO WEST TEXAS RUB!

West Texas Rub "Judge's Choice" blew us away by donating an incredible dinner for our Food Drive Challenge event that was held in December. The team drove over 11 hours to bring us the winning flavors of Texas BBQ smoked in their custom pit. Thank you for the delicious meal and for supporting our cause!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT | NOVEMBER 2022

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 20:14:24 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – November 10th, 2022

The holidays are just around the corner. It is regularly documented about increased stress around the holidays. There are many reasons for this: Cooler weather, higher utilities; seasonal jobs such as landscaping slow down; even the fact that we leave for work in the dark and go home in the dark has an impact on each of us. This year we can add inflation to the stress contributors. Inflation is showing up across the board, but it is especially apparent at the gas pump and at the grocery stores. These are two areas critical for survival, regardless of your income level. For too many of our neighbors, inflation is creating more food insecurity. Our role is to help reduce that stress by putting food in local pantries who in turn distribute it to those in need. The fourth quarter is critical for our continued success. We need your help. Year-end giving helps support us through the lean first quarter of the year. For your support, as always, I thank you.

On October 15 we were able to gather, for the first time since 2019, for our Jewels of Giving Gala. The overwhelming support of the community was apparent in those who were ready to get together in the same room and celebrate successes. When I think back to the very first Jewels of Giving Gala when we had in the neighborhood of 75 people present, the fact that 700 or so that joined us makes me so very appreciative.

For those of you who were not able to join us at Jewels of Giving, let me share a few comments I made during my remarks as I recognized this year’s Hunger Hero.

“I find inspiration in a multitude of places. A few weeks ago, I was in Washington DC for a Feeding America meeting. During some free time, Diana and I visited the tomb of the unknown soldier. As we paid homage to those who had given their life for our country without knowing their names, it made me think of the persons who have donated to the Food Bank Anonymously. Each year we have several people who financially support the Food Bank but don’t want any public recognition for it. Sometimes I know who these people are and am sworn to secrecy but other times I don’t even know who the donor is. The money just shows up. So, without further ado, this year’s Hunger Hero goes to those folks who have donated Anonymously. You know who you are even if I don’t. Thank you for believing in our mission and trusting us to be good stewards of your gift.”

In closing, I would just like to repeat part of those comments. Thank you for trusting us and allowing us to be good stewards of your gift. We could not do what we do without you. It’s that simple!

Because of you, someone will eat today!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Whataburger Donation

Following the Northwest Arkansas fundraiser for Hunger Action Month in September, Whataburger presented a check for $7,500 to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank to help fight hunger in the community. Funds were raised in the Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville restaurants and will support the School Pantry program across Northwest Arkansas, providing over 60,000 meals. Out of four restaurants in the area, the Springdale team raised the most money during all four weeks of the fundraiser.

Additionally, to kick off Hunger Action Month and our annual partnership with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, Whataburger donated an additional $3,600, creating a local impact of over $11k. The total from both donations are all in support of Whataburger Feeding Student Success, the company’s signature community program operating at the intersection of food insecurity and education and focusing on helping students at all levels of education achieve their goals and dreams.

Director of Marketing and Communications of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, Julie Damer said, “We are so excited and proud of our partnership with Whataburger. They have really supported our School Pantry program from the start and have continued to sponsor this program as it grows. We could not do what we do without partners like Whataburger.”

Neighbors Story

Rising food prices are hitting families hard, especially those who are living on a fixed income like Rita.

She began looking for help for her and her husband when a family member told her about Feed the 479, a food pantry and Northwest Arkansas Food Bank partner agency.

Feed the 479 hosts mobile pantries on the 3rd Friday of each month at Cross Church Fayetteville and the 4th Friday of each month at Cross Church Pinnacle Hills from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

“We appreciate when we can come by and they load the food in (the car),” Rita said, expressing gratitude even for the things she doesn’t eat but can share with her neighbors.

They also have a client-choice pantry located at 3157 W. Sunset Avenue in Springdale where neighbors can choose the food they want.

On this day, Rita went to the client-choice pantry, where she could pick foods that fit her dietary restrictions and health needs.

She walked through the aisles, selecting what she wanted from a variety of foods including baked goods, canned vegetables, frozen meats and fresh produce.

Pantries that use a client-choice model support our neighbors by empowering them to make decisions about their meals based on their needs and wants.

When a person chooses what they eat, they can share family recipes, continue cultural traditions, meet health needs and address dietary restrictions, like allergies. These choices can also reduce food waste.

“Being able to choose my own food has been very helpful,” Rita said. “I never have to take anything I can’t see us using right away.”

U of A Student-Athletes Help Distribute Big Tyson Donation

Last month, our friends at Tyson donated 80,000 pounds of frozen wings for distribution to our partner agencies to help feed our neighbors who are facing food insecurity. University of Arkansas student-athletes volunteered to load product into vehicles. We are so thankful for the continued support we receive from our friends at Tyson.

We love working together with community partners to feed Northwest Arkansas!

We Love Our Volunteers

During the month of October, we welcomed 309 volunteers who served a total of 1,207 hours with us at our Mobile Pantries, in our teaching garden, at our Feed Rogers location, or in our warehouse. We couldn’t do what we do without the help of our wonderful volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer to find a day and shift that would work best for you. Our open spots for November and December are filling up fast, so reserve yours today!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT | OCTOBER 2022

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 20:14:52 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – October 10th, 2022

Later today (October 4th) I will be driving to Little Rock for a retirement celebration for my peer Rhonda Sanders of the Arkansas Food Bank. Since my first day in this role, Rhonda has been a mainstay in my development. She has always been ready with a response to a question, to listen to me vent and to offer suggestions of how we can serve our neighbors better. I wish her luck in the next chapter of her life, but will miss her.

On October 3rd, my friend Bill Adams and I were invited to appear on KNWA’s Good Day NWA to promote an Octoberfest event that happened in Lowell on October 8. For the first time in my life I wore Lederhosen. However, it was not the first time I have appeared in costume to promote a Food Bank event. For the past three years, you could find me in a turkey costume at the Walmart store on Pleasant Grove in Rogers at the 40/29 Turkey Drive. This November 18th I plan to be there again, with some improvements to the Food Bank turkey suit. Please stop by to say hello to me, the turkey, and the on-air personalities of 40-29 News.

I don't dress up for this event, but I would like to call your attention to KFSM’s “GIVE WHERE YOU LIVE” promotion partnering with Harp’s stores and Cargill. It runs from October 10 through October 23. You’re invited to shop your area Harps’ stores and pick up a pre-bagged donation for the Food Bank.

November 5 is Homecoming at the U of A. We are still working on the details, but our friends at Unilever are helping to coordinate a combination food drive and monetary donation (through a QR code) drive. Please look for more details to come.

Finally, in just a few days we will host our Jewels of Giving Gala. As you all know we have had to suspend it for the past couple of years. On October 15 we will gather for the first time since November 2019. Thanks to all the sponsors and everyone planning on attending for helping us raise money to support our neighbors. Thanks for all you do. Because of you someone will eat today

Celebrity Bartending Tip-Off Event a Huge Success!

On Thursday, September 15th we held the first ever Celebrity Bartending Tip-Off event at the J.B Hunt Tower Terrace in Rogers. Five local celebrities including Emi Cardarelli (Unilever), Megan Crozier (Sam’s Club), Jerome Drolet (KraftHeinz), Tom McDonald (Bayer), and Patrick Shanks (Sam’s Club) along with Nashville recording artist Blane Howard served up drinks and smiles while competing to see who could raise the most tips. Around 250 people attended the ticketed event and enjoyed drinks, appetizers, networking, and a lot of fun while raising some money for the Food Bank. The event raised over $22,000, and thanks to a match from the Alice L. Walton Foundation, that total was doubled for a total of over $44,000! A huge thank you to all that attended, that volunteered their time to bartend, and our sponsors. We appreciate your continued support of our organization and those we serve!

Some photos courtesy of our friends at 3W Magazine.

Cargill Makes Large Donation to Help Fight Food Insecurity in NWA

Cargill Continues its Support for Food Insecurity with $600,000 Donation to the New Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

The company’s donation will expand the food bank’s protein distribution capacity and help the organization keep up with rising demand in the region

SPRINGDALE, AR – September 14, 2022 – Cargill is proud to announce that the company has made a $600,000 donation toward the construction of the new Northwest Arkansas Food Bank that will serve residents across the counties of Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington in the Northwest Arkansas region. The donation builds upon Cargill’s legacy and commitment to fighting hunger and comes at a time when the need for food assistance remains high across the nation.

Cargill’s donation will support several projects for the new facility, including an expansion of freezer capacity that will allow the food bank to increase its distribution of frozen protein. Protein, including chicken, beef, pork, and some plant-based foods, are the most requested items for people facing hunger. Yet many local food banks lack proper infrastructure to refrigerate and repackage donated proteins in a safe way, resulting in a substantial gap in the amount of protein being distributed versus what is needed.

“This gift toward [the construction of our new center for hunger relief is another example in a long line of support Cargill has given the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. From donating protein to having fundraisers, to sponsoring a truck, to its team members serving on our board of directors, Cargill has always been there for us,” said Kent Eikenberry, President/ CEO, Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

Groundbreaking for the new facility was held earlier this year and it is expected to open for operations in the first quarter of 2023. The Northwest Arkansas region is home to over 70,000 food insecure residents, many of whom rely on the food bank as a critical source of food and nutrition. With the population of the region expected to more than double in the coming years, the food bank is preparing to service a growing number of residents.

“Hunger remains a critical issue that impacts virtually every community across our nation, and Cargill is proud to continue our legacy of support for Feeding America and its network of member food banks,” said Shane Acosta, General Manager of Cargill’s Springdale facility. “We’re thrilled to support the development of this new state-of-the-art facility that will play a vital role in fighting hunger across Northwest Arkansas.”

The donation is one of many ways that Cargill is looking to tackle hunger throughout the United States. Cargill recently made a $4.9 million renewed commitment to Feeding America and network food banks, and has donated more than $28 million to Feeding America and member food banks in the last 35 years.

About Cargill
Cargill helps the world’s food system work for you. We connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients and families with daily essentials—from the foods they eat to the floors they walk on. Our 155,000 team members around the world innovate with purpose, empowering our partners and communities as we work to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, sustainable way. From feed that reduces methane emissions to waste-based renewable fuels, the possibilities are boundless. But our values remain the same. We put people first. We reach higher. We do the right thing. It’s how we’ve met the needs of the people we call neighbors and the planet we call home for 157 years—and how we’ll do so for generations to come. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

About Northwest Arkansas Food Bank
Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (a 501c3 organization) was established in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the need for hunger assistance in Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll counties. In 2021 the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed more than 14 million pounds of food and provided 11.3 million meals in the four-county area. Together with more than 110 partner agencies, 20 mobile pantries, and 19 school pantries, we are able to reach out to those in need; providing nutritious food to children, the working poor and senior citizens. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and a founding member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

Sam’s Club Associates Rally to Help Feed Our Neighbors

It was a great morning on September 13th packing boxes at Sam's Club Studio 83 in Bentonville.

With the help of over 70 Sam's Club Home Office Associates, we were able to pack 1,440 food boxes to be distributed into our community. These boxes are the equivalent of 22,800 meals for our neighbors facing food insecurity! Thank you, Sam’s Club for your continued support. We appreciate you!

How We Are Putting Your Dollars to Work

After moving from Florida to Springdale, Arkansas, Darryl hit a rough patch and needed help with groceries.

“I don’t have to launch into a long speech about how times are tough for everyone,” he said while waiting inside Feed the 479, a client-choice pantry and partner agency of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

At Feed the 479, neighbors peruse the pantry shelves, freezers and coolers similar to a grocery store. They have various choices, from racks of baked goods, shelves of canned vegetables and soups, freezers with meat and meals, fresh produce and more.

One time Darryl visited the pantry and received a case of ground turkey. “That’s a lot of spaghetti, meatloaf, lasagna and turkey burgers,” he said.

These options - made possible by a client-choice pantry - help Darryl to get exactly what he needs.

“Everybody doesn’t like the same thing,” Darryl said. “The selection is a plus ... It’s a variety which is good for me.”

“I’m just full of gratitude,” he added.

Feed the 479 is located at 3157 W. Sunset Avenue in Springdale and is open Mondays and Tuesdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Photo is representative of neighbor. Courtesy of Nathan Allotey/Unsplash

We Love Our Volunteers!

A special thanks goes out to the members of the Kellogg’s team for volunteering at our Feed Rogers location. On September 30, it was the 27th Friday in a row the team came in and volunteered at this location!

Thank you, Kellogg’s!!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT | September 2022

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 16:43:52 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – September 8, 2022

September is Hunger Action Month. It’s time for me to resume my annual quest of wearing orange every working day of September. I have had several folks ask me why I established my “orange challenge.” To restate, Orange is the color representing food insecurity. Our logo, “No kids Hungry”, The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and Feeding America all have orange as an integral color. Any opportunity I get to bring attention to the need is a success. Monetary donations help pay the bills. Money helps put food on the tables of those in need. Advocacy is equally as important. Too many people are hungry and too few people realize the need is a great as it is. I have been proud to wear orange every day in past Septembers, and I am looking forward to putting my orange on. I even have some new orange shirts to add to the rotation. I invite you to accept this as my challenge to you to wear orange also. Please snap a selfie of you in an orange shirt or blouse and email it to me at kent@nwafoodbank.org and I will share it on our social media platforms. Well, technically I will have Julie or Catherine share the photos.

I assume you have noticed inflation at the grocery store. Items are costing more than ever before and unfortunately, no end in sight. Inflation is impacting us as well. Recently Tim Owen, our director of operations, shared with me that our staples, the food we distribute to our partner agencies, who in turn give to our neighbors in need, have increased in price no less than 15% since the first of the year. For those of you who want to see how percentages translate into dollars:

2022 budget for purchasing food: $2.81 Million

2022 projections as of July 31: $2.96 Million

2022 projections factoring in inflation for the remainder of the year: $3.4 Million

You can easily see that your donations are critical for us to continue to meet the need of the growing number of food insecure neighbors. As tough as it is on us, think how tough it is on a struggling family when inflation pushes them over the edge and into the food pantry or mobile pantry lines. To further illustrate this point, we are currently seeing over 400 families using our charitable food system for the first time each week, with 58% of those first time users returning later for subsequent visits.

For those of you who are wondering what the status of our new Food Bank on Honeysuckle in Lowell is, we are in the final design phases working with the architects and engineers to make sure once we begin construction in early November, all our ducks are in a row and we are good to grow. If there was ever any doubt in your mind that we need a newer, larger facility, I hope the paragraph above has addressed your concerns. We are still on track to open the facility Q1 of 2024. If you want to know more about the building, or the programs we intend to add after the Capital Campaign, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thank you all so very much for your continued support. As always, I pledge that we will be a good steward of your donations. In fact, our recent audit showed that between 94 and 95 cents out of every dollar went to feeding people in our four-county service area. I’ve said it before and will continue to say it, we could not do what we do without you.

Because of you, someone will eat today.

Thank you to our friends at Nabholz Construction!

The Nabholz Carpentry Apprenticeship program supported the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank by building four 8x8 sheds. The sheds were placed in a community garden space at the Food Bank’s Springdale location and will be used to store gardening supplies for volunteers.

The apprenticeship program is a four -year program, in conjunction with the Department of Labor, that is focused on training carpentry skills. Since its establishment in 1973, the Nabholz program has produced more than 200 journeyman carpenters, many who have since become superintendents, project managers, and upper management.

The Community Table in Bentonville is one of Brooke’s favorite places to go. She, her two boys and their grandmother travel from Gravette to the client-choice pantry in downtown Bentonville.

There, they are greeted by volunteers offering coffee, orange juice and cookies as they wait to browse the shelves and pick up their groceries for the week.

“They don’t make you feel judged here,” Brooke said. “They make you want to be a part of this.”

As a ministry of Bentonville Community Church, The Community Table serves anyone in need. The pantry recently re-opened in mid-June with a full client choice model. Volunteers assist neighbors and also help them register for programs like free-and-reduced school lunches and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The Community Table is located at 216 NW A St. in Bentonville and is open on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. There are no requirements for receiving food.

While shopping at The Community Table, Brooke always looks for milk and meat, which have seen major price increases due to inflation. Last week, she picked up a turkey and made three meals out of it.

In Brooke’s household, every cent counts. Her limited salary as a restaurant manager only goes so far in covering the bills, especially for a household of six. While she is working, grandmother Betty helps homeschool her two boys.

“People don’t know how hard it is for big families to make ends meet,” Brooke said. She described how, as a parent, she always ensures her kids have what they need first.

Brooke said The Community Table’s flexible hours allow her to visit on her days off from work.

“It takes a lot of pressure off of me,” she said.

Many people across Northwest Arkansas are under similar pressures as Brooke, making difficult decisions between paying for food, utilities, medicine or other necessities.

This year, Hunger Action Month focuses on these impossible choices that people experiencing food insecurity face. Food shouldn’t be an impossible choice.

During the month of August, we welcomed 293 volunteers who served a total of 1,186 hours in our warehouse, in our garden, at our Feed Rogers location and at our Mobile Pantries. We couldn’t do what we do without our wonderful volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer . All volunteers need to register thru this link. There are many options available for days and times. We do limit our number of volunteers on any given volunteer opportunity, so if you have a specific date in mind, we urge you to sign up early. Thank you for supporting our organization and those we serve!

If you are interested in volunteering with us, please visit: www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer to find a day and time that fits your schedule. We would love to have you!

Welcome to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

The Client Services department would like to welcome Kevin Azanza to the team. After graduating from the University of Arkansas with two Bachelor Degrees; one in Communications and one in Political Science, Kevin interned with a local non-profit, The Bail Project. Soon after, his avid love for the Razorbacks and policy work, lead him to work for the University of Arkansas Law School. However, his desire to give back to the same community he grew up in, has led him to now join the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Kevin is our new Agency Relations Manager for Washington and Carroll County and he will serve our partner agencies in those counties.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT | AUGUST 2022

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 16:30:55 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – August 8, 2022

One of the first things I do when I sit down to write my monthly column is to look at my files from previous years. Sometimes I take the liberty of re-using part of them, sometimes I take inspiration from them, sometimes I smile and sometimes I wonder what was I thinking. One inspiration from August 2021 was “boy it’s hot outside.” Little did I know that last summer would seem like spring compared to this one. While the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank focuses on feeding the food insecure neighbor, we also recognize they have other survival needs. Please be sure to check on your neighbors who don’t have air conditioning to make sure they are okay. Make sure they have plenty of water to drink in order to stay hydrated. That is a good transition to say thanks to the team at the BITE who donated over two pallets of water to the Food Bank after BITE in Rogers last weekend.

Speaking of last weekend. Diana and I drove across Kansas to a small town called Leoti to attend my 50-year high school reunion. I was hesitant to go for a number of reasons, but so thankful that Diana encouraged me. We were blessed to see and visit with over half of the class, some of which stayed in Leoti to farm, others who have moved away. It was a weekend full of memories that I will never forget. You don’t have to be a mathematician to calculate that if it has been 50 years since 1972, that many of my classmates have already retired, and many were not aware that I had left the newspaper business. When I told them I was still working full time at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, 100% of them thanked me for what I do. 100%, regardless of political beliefs, regardless of any social differences or economic standing, every one of them recognized the need for the Food Bank to help our food insecure neighbors. Thank you, Wichita County High School class of 1972, for helping to shape my life and the kind words of support.

Next month is National Hunger Action Month. Elsewhere in this newsletter you will see a sampling of a few of the things we have planned to bring more awareness to the plight of the food insecure individual. Please note, EACH OF US CAN DO SOMETHING to help spread the message! My “Go-To” is to wear orange every day of the month. I promise by the end of the month I am ready to move my orange shirts to the back of the closet. I’m also thankful that college football doesn’t start in August. Could you imagine me going to a Razorback game against Oklahoma State, Tennessee or some other team whose colors are Orange? As I said, there are lots of events going on next month so I encourage you to take part and spread the word.

Last month, my column was basically a rewrite of my remarks at the ceremonial ground breaking for our new facility. If you didn’t get a chance to read them, I urge you to scroll back to last month and look at them. Those remarks focused on the commitment of the Food Bank Board of Directors to make YOUR Northwest Arkansas Food Bank prepared to serve the community for many, many years to come. I invite you to join us in that journey. If you want more information about our plans for the future, please don’t hesitate to call me. I would love to visit with you one on one, or if you are a member of a civic organization looking for a program speaker at one of your meetings, I’m your guy.

I can never say thank you often enough. We could not do what we do without your help. Your financial contributions, your donations of food, your donations of your time to volunteer, your commitment to advocate on our behalf all add up to the success we have experienced in the past. BUT, our work is far from over. We need your help for the future and as I close please remember:

Because of you, someone will eat today.

K

THANK YOU FOR THESE AMAZING DONATIONS!

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and Arkansas Children's work together to improve the lives of children and families.
Thank you for your $10,000 donation to continue this mission!

Thank you to the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks and its donors for supporting our mission to feed Northwest Arkansas!

When donors contribute blood they are able to double their impact through the Life Points program. Recently, they provided approximately 3,773 meals to food insecure neighbors in our community.

We are so grateful for our neighbors that care for each other. Thank you to Kathleen and Brian with the United Lutheran Church of Bella Vista who donated from their church tithes. This will provide approximately 2,554 meals to households experiencing food insecurity in Northwest Arkansas.

THERMO KING’S WE MOVE FOOD DONATES $10K TO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FOOD BANK

July 6, 2022, Bloomington, Minn. – Thermo King, a worldwide leader in transport refrigeration, and its dealer network has been raising money for food banks since the company launched its We Move Food program in 2017. We Move Food is a philanthropic program designed to increase access to fresh, healthy food by reducing waste and supporting nutrition education for families and communities that struggle with hunger and food instability.

As a part of Thermo King’s fundraising effort the group hosts an annual golf tournament with a top prize of a $10,000 grant awarded to a food bank of the winning golfer’s choice. Bill Dawson of Transport Refrigeration of Northwest Arkansas was the tournament winner with a score of 71.

“We have worked with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank for several years supporting their refrigerated fleet operations, and we know firsthand the important work they do in our community, said Bill Dawson, Thermo King dealer and General Manager at Transport Refrigeration of Northwest AR. “Competing for the chance to award them with a $10,000 grant gave me extra motivation.”

Thermo King’s We Move Food program distributes funds throughout the year in the form of grants to support food banks and pantries’ hunger relief missions such as mobile pantries, food rescue and recovery, food distribution and education.

“Congratulations to Bill for his victory. This is another example of creative ways that our supporters find to help us. Thermo King has been a valuable partner in our distribution of refrigerated product to our 110 plus partner agencies and the more than 70,000 food insecure neighbors that they serve.” Kent Eikenberry, President CEO Northwest Arkansas Food Bank said.

Because of the affiliation with Feeding America and buying power the affiliation brings, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank can provide up to 8 meals for every $1.00 donation. That means this donation will provide up to 80,000 meals for our neighbors in need.

Thermo King – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator – is a worldwide leader in sustainable transport temperature control solutions. Thermo King has been providing transport temperature control solutions for a variety of applications, including trailers, truck bodies, buses, air, shipboard containers, and railway cars since 1938. For more information, visit www.thermoking.com

About Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (a 501c3 organization) was established in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the need for hunger assistance in Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll counties. In 2021 the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed more than 14 million pounds of food and provided 11.3 million meals in the four-county area. Together with more than 110 partner agencies, 20 mobile pantries, and 19 school pantries, we are able to reach out to those in need; providing nutritious food to children, the working poor and senior citizens. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and a founding member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

We Love Our Volunteers!

For the month of July, we welcomed 273 volunteers who served a total of 1,273 hours! These volunteers worked in our warehouse packing food boxes, worked in our garden, helped out at one of our mobile pantries or volunteered at our Feed Rogers location. We couldn’t do what we do each and every day without our volunteers.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

If you are interested in volunteering with us, please visit: www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer to find a day and time that fits your schedule. We would love to have you!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT | JULY 2022

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 14:35:33 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – July 8, 2022

Please take time to look at all the photos in this newsletter of our groundbreaking celebration which took place on June 30. I estimated that between 150 and 200 supporters were able to join us. In the event that you were not one of those, I would like to share with you an edited version of my remarks. I have taken out the introductions of our other speakers, Patrick Shanks, Chairman of the Board, Casey Marsh, Vice President of Development for Feeding America and Chris Moore, Mayor of Lowell

“Good Morning. I’m Kent Eikenberry, the president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and I am excited to welcome each of you and to thank you for joining us on this significant milestone for the Food Bank.

While our actual construction will not begin for a couple of months, I want to explain why we chose today for our Ceremonial groundbreaking. In a word, June. June Self was our founding president and the Food Bank was incorporated in June, 1988, so today, June 30 is very appropriate.

Several years ago, Diana and I had the opportunity to have dinner with a friend. During the course of dinner, he asked how old I was. I replied that I was 51. He said it was time for me to be rich. We chuckled and I asked what he had in mind.

Now, 16 years later, I think back on that evening and look around at the people here supporting our mission, all I can say is JB, it may not be the same kind of rich as we were thinking that night, but I’m richer than we ever imagined I would be. Johnelle, Jane, Bryan: Thank you so very much for making that conversation become reality through the donation of the land we are standing on.

Hardly a day goes by without someone asking me, are there really people in Northwest Arkansas that don’t have enough to eat. Sadly, food insecurity is a reality here just as it is everywhere else. Right now, it is estimated that over 70,000 of our friends and neighbors don’t know where their next meal is coming from. That equates to approximately ONE in SEVEN. Even more unfortunate, is the number of food insecure children. Between ONE in FOUR and ONE in FIVE children under the age of 18 go to bed hungry. That is unacceptable.

We all know the past couple of years have been rough on us all. But the pandemic taught us many things, not the least of which is that we have inadequate space to meet today’s needs let alone tomorrows. The Northwest Arkansas Council estimates that in just 20 short years, the population of northwest Arkansas will exceed 1 Million people. Even with our best efforts, this increase in population will result in an increase in food insecure individuals. That’s why today I am so pleased and excited to announce the public phase of the Food for Today/ Hope for Tomorrow capital campaign—a $25 Million initiative to increase our capacity to better serve our neighbors in need.

A large portion of that campaign will be used to establish a new campus right here where we stand. A new 82,000 square foot facility will be the hub of all the Food Bank operations. This new facility will help us significantly increase dry and cold storage capacity, it will significantly increase our volunteer capacity, and will provide space for educational programs. Included in it will be technological advances as well as a USDA certified clean repack room where bulk protein can be put into usable size packages. But this new building is just a tool in the fight against hunger. There is much more to it. That’s why as a part of the campaign, several million dollars are earmarked to increase and improve our programming.

Additional dollars will be invested into our partner agencies in order to help them expand their capacity to serve. Our strategic plan calls for us to provide reasonable access to nutritious food for every food insecure individual in our four-county service area by the year 2025. That means our annual distribution will grow to over 14 million meals by 2025 and over 20 million by the year 2045 just to keep up with the population growth.

As of today, our plans are no longer Northwest Arkansas’ worst kept secret. We have been planning this project for several years and have been raising money towards our $25 million goal for the past year. Today, I am proud to announce that nearly 80 percent of that money has already been raised. I’m also excited to announce that included in that 80 percent is a $3 million -dollar matching grant from the Alice L. Walton Foundation which will go a long way to helping get us over the top.

I encourage you to take a moment and look at the donor board listing those who have contributed so far. If you are one of those donors, please accept my deepest appreciation and my personal commitment that we will be good stewards of your investment. We could not do what we do without your support.

As we wrap up our ceremony this morning, I would like to once again thank each of you for being here today. Thank you for working with us in our fight against hunger. Thank you for believing in our mission that one hungry person is one too many. Thank you for your efforts to make northwest Arkansas a better place to live. Thank you for helping us catch our dreams. I hope you will all come back when we open our doors in late 2023 or early 2024 and help us celebrate YOUR Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Because of you, someone will eat today….and tomorrow.

We’re ready to officially break ground. The theme of today has been past, present and future. So please allow me to introduce representing the past: Jeff Necessary, the founding chair of the board and Tracy Bowman, June Self’s son. Representing the present are Patrick Shanks, our current board chair and Dan Schroder our longest tenured staff member at 20 years. Representing the future are Claire Schmill and Alex Cardarelli, both young people who have been supporters of the Food Bank in their short lives.”

The ceremonial groundbreaking was a day of excitement for all of Northwest Arkansas. It was a step in a process that has been going on for several years. But it is not the climax. In fact, even the day we move into the new facility will not be the pinnacle of our journey. Our journey cannot be fully celebrated until the day all food insecure neighbors have the food they need. That celebration can only come with your help.

Thank you for all your past support and for making us better and thank you for your help in making us better tomorrow.

Because of you someone will eat today.

IT'S NOT A SECRET ANYMORE!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 30, 2022

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Breaks Ground on New Campus

SPRINGDALE, Arkansas (June 30, 2022) – The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (NWAFB) held a ceremonial groundbreaking this morning to announce its $25 million Food For Today. Hope For Tomorrow. capital campaign. Through this investment, the Food Bank will establish a new campus in Lowell that will house a new distribution facility and launch new programs to increase annual distribution and improve access to fresh, healthy foods across its four-county service area. When complete, NWAFB will be in a position to increase food distribution by 60 percent, with a goal to distribute more than 14 million meals by 2025.

The Food Bank responded to overwhelming needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to see these long-term impacts being felt by individuals on the brink of poverty. Loss wages and increased cost of basic goods continue to push many households into food insecurity for the first time.

“Projections indicate that the population of Northwest Arkansas will double by 2045, meaning that the need for access to healthy food will also increase,” Kent Eikenberry, President/CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank said. “We estimate that 20 million meals will be needed by 2045 and today, we are providing 11.3 million meals. This campaign is a major component in our strategic plan to meet the needs of our hungry neighbors by establishing a new distribution warehouse and launching new programs.”

The capital campaign centers around three areas of improvement to support the goals outlined in the Food Bank’s strategic plan to nourish, feed and lead:

A New Campus: NWAFB has acquired 15 acres of property located at the intersection of Pleasant Grove Road and Honeysuckle Street in Lowell, AR. A new 82,425 square-foot Center for Hunger Relief will be built to serve as the central distribution facility supporting all Food Bank operations and a hub for community engagement. Features of the new building will include expanded warehouse and freezer/cooler capacity, a Volunteer Center, a Teaching Garden, a Community Room and Teaching Kitchen and staff offices.
Network Capacity and Program Growth: NWAFB has focused significant attention and planning into improving access to fresh, healthy foods and wrap around services through investments in partners and new programs. The Community Resource Center-Feed Rogers, which is the first of these planned improvements and NWAFB’s first Food Bank-run pantry, was launched in March 2022.
An Operational Fund: NWAFB’s capital campaign includes a portion of funding to be directed towards future operations. A $3.5 million operational fund will be established to ensure that the increase in operating and program expenses is secured through at lest the first five years after expansion.

The campaign kicked off with a generous contribution of land from the Hunt Family, which has established the 15-acre campus and will provide room for future expansion. Since then, several corporations, foundations, individuals and organizations have joined the campaign with more than $19 million raised to date.

Joining Kent Eikenberry for the ceremonial groundbreaking were representatives of the Food Bank’s past, present and future: Tracy Bowman, Alex Cardarelli, Jeff Necessary, Dan Schroeder, Claire Schmill and Patrick Shanks.

To learn more about the Food For Today. Hope For Tomorrow. capital campaign, visit hope.nwafoodbank.org .

About Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (a 501c3 organization) was established in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the need for hunger assistance in Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll counties. In 2021 the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed more than 14 million pounds of food and provided 11.3 million meals in the NWA region. Together with more than 110 partner agencies, 20 mobile pantries, and 19 school pantries, we are able to reach out to those in need; providing nutritious food to children, the working poor and senior citizens. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and a founding member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

Thank you to WESLEY HITT PHOTOGRAPHY for capturing these special moments.

Food Bank Receives Grant from the Walmart Foundation to Address Food Insecurity: Walmart Foundation gives $3.8 million to capital campaign

One of the longest-standing partners of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank in the fight against hunger in Northwest Arkansas has stepped up in a historic way. Over the years, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have supported the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank in almost every way imaginable: through food donations, volunteer leadership roles, operational mentorship and strategic funding to feed more of our hungry neighbors and respond to crises or emergencies.

The Walmart Foundation has, once again, stepped up for our community and has given $3.8 million to the Food For Today. Hope For Tomorrow. capital campaign. Their contribution will support the creation of our new facility and launch new programs.

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are dedicated friends to Feeding America and our food bank friends across the country; this gift is a true testament to the company’s commitment to addressing the injustice of food insecurity.

WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS!

For the month of June, we had 247 volunteers serve a total of 1,265 hours! These volunteers worked in our warehouse packing food boxes, worked in our garden, helped out at one of our mobile pantries or volunteered at our Feed Rogers location. We couldn’t do what we do each and every day without our volunteers.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

If you are interested in volunteering with us, please visit nwafoodbank.org/volunteer to find a day and time that fits your schedule. We would love to have you!

FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENT HUGE SUCCESS!

On June 18th Tyson, the Urban League of Arkansas and the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank were able to partner to host a Juneteenth Feed the Community Event. Over 500 household were served, each receiving a 20 pound box of protein and a box filled with shelf stable food.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATION!

We are proud to partner with the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks to support veterans. Each month, the Food Bank delivers boxes to the VA, and they put them into the hands of veterans facing food insecurity. This gift of $1500.00 from the U.S. Submarine Veterans USS Snook Base group will help us and the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks ensure veterans have reliable access to food. Thank you for your service and your generosity!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT JUNE 2022

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 20:18:25 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – June 10, 2022

I like to think that I am a glass half full kind of guy. For the most part I am able to keep a positive attitude in spite of the negative vibes caused by the news. Now, I want to state this is not a political piece, but the current economic conditions make it difficult to maintain that positive attitude. Inflation and supply chain issues are hitting our neighbors in need in a disproportionate way. Their already stretched to the max budget is being stretched even further. Grocery staples, if found, cost more today than they did yesterday. Gas prices continue to escalate, making it harder and harder to get to work. Utility costs are higher. The list goes on and on. This is where the glass half full guy kicks in. I am so thankful that the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is there with a hand up for our neighbors who are suffering from food insecurity. Whether it be through one of our 110 partner agencies, at one of our mobile pantries or at Feed Rogers, nutritious food is just a stop away. We are there for those who need us. Every day! We can only provide this assistance through your generosity. Each dollar you give allows us to provide up to 8 meals, so even the smallest gift helps. So, on behalf of the thousands of neighbors who literally would not eat without the Food Bank, thank you for allowing me to maintain a positive attitude through these challenging times.

Speaking of being glass half full kind of guy…Diana and I just celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary and as I look back on our life together, our glass isn’t half full, it is overflowing.

Never in my wildest imagination way back in 1976 would I have ever imagined a family with three outstanding sons, two fabulous daughters- in- law and the six best Eikenbabies anyone could want. But in addition to our great family, Diana and I have a cup overflowing with blessings, both personal and professional. I know I have stated before that when we moved to Rogers in 1986 it was to be a short stint then we were to move on. Thirty-six years later, I wake up every day and get to come to the Food Bank to help food insecure neighbors feed their family. It doesn’t get any better. So, thank you, Diana for saying “yes” all those many years ago, and thank you Northwest Arkansas for working with the board and staff of the Food Bank to help make our corner of the world a better place to live.

If spring is any indication, this summer is going to be hot! Please make sure to check on your neighbors to make sure they are okay.

In closing, please accept my deepest thanks for all you do to support our mission. Food insecurity is too large of a problem for one organization to tackle. We have to work together. Whether you donate your time through volunteering or your treasure through donating, please remember we work hard to be good stewards of what you give us and that, because of you, someone will eat today. Have a great June.

FOOD PANTRY SPOTLIGHT! BETHEL AGAPE FOOD PANTRY

Seeing the impact of food insecurity right in their hometown of Green Forest, two best friends, Catherine Miranda and Barbara Lynch, set out to try and feed those who didn’t have access to nutritious foods. The only thing stopping them, was a location. Being members of the Bethel Baptist Church, they knew there was a tiny house next to the church that would be the perfect spot to open up a food pantry. That was back in 1995, and neither of those women would have thought now, 27 years later, their dream of feeding their neighbors would have blossomed to feeding hundreds in a larger space.

With word spreading of the kindness of Miranda and Lynch, that small house on the church’s property wasn’t going to be enough space to accommodate the new amount of clientele. “They had all the food in there and they served so many people out of that small house so they had to build a building. It was way too small to serve as many people as they were serving,” says Deborah Spate, the director of Bethel Agape Food Pantry. So, in 2005, that dream also became a reality with a new warehouse being built. Miranda even helped with the majority of the financing.

From 1995-2017, Catherine Miranda was co-director of Bethel Agape. She worked to end food insecurity in her community right up until her passing. This role didn’t go to someone who was unfamiliar with Bethel Agape. Miranda’s co-director in the food pantry, Barbara Lynch, recommended her daughter, Deborah Spate, fill the position. Since 2017 Spate’s role as director has always been aimed at continuing the dream of her mother and Miranda, by trying to feed as many neighbors as possible in Carroll County, while having her faith close at heart. “I’m a Christian and I feel like we need to help those people, we offer Bibles to people and we have never really talked salvation with people but I feel it’s God calling me to do this. I feel it’s a big need in the community,” says Spate.

Fast forward to 2022, each Wednesday from 1-3pm Bethel Agape has its doors open ready to aid neighbors in their community. There are 12 volunteers that help out at the food pantry by passing out food, health products for adults, such as soap, shampoo, adult diapers if those are needed and even toilet paper. For families with infants, Bethel Agape staff and volunteers make sure they have diapers, wipes and children’s books on hand. “We always get good results, good positive comments, they’re very thankful,” says Spate. The weekly Wednesday distribution has brought upwards of 250 families each month, meeting 40-60 families per week.

When I asked Deborah Spate, what’s next for Bethel Agape, she replied with, “We are trying right now to build onto our building. We are waiting for grant monies or a donation to do that and we hope to be able to help as many people as we can.”

Bethel Agape is one of only two partner agencies serving our neighbors in Green Forest.

HOKA HEY TO BENEFIT THE NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FOOD BANK

The McLeod Brothers' BIG Hoka Hey Adventure 

Rogers Riders Support Northwest Arkansas Food Bank during National Motorcycle Challenge

Article courtesy of the Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce

Rogers’ business owners, Rick McLeod, Farmers Insurance agent and his brother, Mike McLeod of Mike's Auto Works, are participating in the 2022 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge™, a 10,000 mile, multi-state motorcycle ride created to provide participants with an opportunity to test their endurance, patience and skill while facing and overcoming obstacles along the way. While the average number of miles ridden each day is about 750, the event is not a race. Rather it is a challenge where riders must abide by the speed limit and can’t finish in fewer than 240 hours, or 10 days.

This is Rick’s 3rd time to participate in the event that takes place every other year and Mike’s 2nd time. This year they are raising funds for the NWA Food Bank and have a goal to raise $10,000. “The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is heavily dependent on our community partners," shared Kent Eikenberry, President/CEO at Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. "With every dollar donated, we can provide up to 8 meals," he continued. "Given Rick and Mike’s goal of $10,000, we have the potential of distributing 80,000 meals to our neighbors in need. In addition to the money raised, the exposure of our mission that comes through something like Hoka Hey, is equally important.”

While the Hoka Hey Challenge organization strongly encourages each rider to raise money, it is not required for entry to the event. Even so, most riders do participate in some way. In 2020, the riders raised over $500,000 for charities across the country. Patrons may support the McLeod's ride by 1) making a donation to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank in the name of the McLeod Brothers Hoka Hey Ride. 2) following them on the Hoka Hey tracker, and liking and following their Facebook Page McLeod Brothers' Hoka Hey Adventure.

When asked about the support provided to make the ride possible, Rick responded, "Pigtrail Harley Davidson is indeed sponsoring us again this year, and we’re proud to partner with them! They work with us to defray costs associated with preparing the bikes for the event, and provide swag and other items we can use to raise money for the NWA Food Bank," he continued.

In 2020, the Hoka Hey riders came through Northwest Arkansas with a check point at Pig Trail Harley Davidson in Rogers. Both McLeods had welcome parties for their arrivals. Rick had a little more attention from the local dealer than anticipated when his bike, “Betty,” broke down in Van Horn, Texas and his wife, Naomi, was tasked with purchasing a new bike and the Pig Trail team delivered "Goose" to him allowing him to finish the ride a bit behind his goal, in 13 days. The 2022 event will begin and end in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

The 2022 Hoka Hey Challenge kick-off date is June 26 from Rapid City South Dakota, Additional checkpoints include: Olathe, Kansas; Boise Idaho and Washington, Utah, but the riders don't know the order of each stop. The ride will end in Hot Springs, South Dakota. Finishers are considered an "elite Rider if they finish in 14 days. Among several additional rules to qualify as a "finisher," motorcycles will be limited to 6.2-gallon fuel tanks and may not use any sort of electronic navigation systems, or incur any type of moving violation, including: speeding, failure to signal, improper lane change, etc.

Organized by the Medicine Show LLC, the Hoka Hey was founded on the Lakota Sioux principal of WOLAKOTA and the event celebrates all that is pure and powerful in the warrior spirit. The theme of this year's ride is "Remember." The Lakota word is “KIKSUYA” which suggests we all have an inherent and ancient memory of community and compassion, respect, harmony, peace and friendship.

CLICK HERE to make a donation. https://www.facebook.com/McLeodBrothersHokaHeyChallenge/

Tyson Foods Donates More than One Million Meals to Northwest Arkansas Community through Mobile Pantry Sponsorship

$500,000 Investment Funded Mobile Pantry for One Year

Springdale, Ark., June 8, 2022 – As part of Tyson Foods’ continued commitment to support the communities it serves, the company donated 273,500 pounds of protein, the equivalent of more one million meals, through its mobile pantry sponsorship with Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

In May 2021, Tyson Foods awarded the food bank a $500,000 grant to support local hunger relief efforts. As of April 2022, thousands of residents in four Northwest Arkansas communities received pre-packed boxes available for pick up at designated sites.

The mobile pantries distributed essential food each month for 12 months to residents across Springdale, Rogers, Fayetteville and Green Forest. As a result, Tyson Foods and the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank helped support 18,893 households and 78,924 individuals throughout 46 total food distributions.

"We are so grateful for the support to our Mobile Pantry program from Tyson Foods. Because of their generosity, we've been able to increase our distributions in Green Forest, Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville,” said Sabrina Thiede, Director of Programs, Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “Over the past year we've been able to provide nutritious food to over 18,000 households and nearly 79,000 individuals. It truly is a community effort to serve our neighbors and we're honored to have Tyson be a part of ours.”

“We’re proud to partner with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, and we look forward to continuing our support of the food bank’s dedication to helping our local community through greater food access,” said Tim Grailer, senior director of corporate social responsibility for Tyson Foods.

During a recent mobile pantry in Green Forest, a community member who received a donation said, "I'm blessed today. What you all are doing is such a blessing to me."

Another recipient said, "I just drove by and saw the sign and pulled in. I just took in a family member's child, and this will really help me feed them."

Tyson Foods is committed to raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. As part of that commitment, we believe that a resilient charitable food system is a critical part of building strong communities where our consumers and team members can live and thrive. We are collaborating with leaders in the charitable food system to identify areas of investment to increase the amount of high-quality and nutrition dense protein that reach the most vulnerable populations and provide equitable access.

About Tyson Foods, Inc.

Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under four generations of family leadership, the Company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp® and State Fair®. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the Company had approximately 137,000 team members on October 2, 2021. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit www.tysonfoods.com .

About Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (a 501c3 organization) was established in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the need for hunger assistance in Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll counties. In 2021 the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed more than 14 million meals. Together with more than 110 partner agencies, 20 mobile pantries, and 17 school pantries, we are able to reach out to those in need; providing nutritious food to children, the working poor and senior citizens. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and a founding member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

Media Contact: Derek Burleson, 479-290-6466, derek.burleson@tyson.com

Please note we have made some adjustments to our Mobile Pantry schedule for the summer.

All changes went into effect June 1, 2022.

We Love Our Volunteers!

For the month of May, we had 210 volunteers serve a total of 977 hours.

We have added some additional volunteer opportunities and times, so please make sure you visit our website www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer to sign up for a time that fits your schedule.

We appreciate you!

COME JOIN OUR TEAM!

Are you looking for a rewarding career in the NWA region? We are hiring and would love to have you be a part of our growing team! To view the complete list of jobs available now, please visit our website www.nwafoodbank.org .

FOOD FOR THOUGHT | MAY 2022

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 17:46:12 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – May 10, 2022

Feed Rogers has been open a month. I thought I would take this opportunity to share some numbers with you.

We have served 1,947 unique individuals from 577 households.
Including some neighbors who have come more than once, we have served 3,807 people through a total of 1,134 total shopping experiences.
25 Members of the St. Vincent de Paul parish have volunteered. That equates to between 25% and 33% of the total number of volunteers.

I would like to invite you to consider volunteering at Feed Rogers. I did my first shift Saturday. The gratitude shown by the neighbors served reassured me that we made the right decision to open a client choice food pantry.

The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks Chefs in the Garden is coming up in a couple of weeks. Tuesday, May 24, area chefs will gather at the Botanical Garden for an evening of mingling and tasting. Like last year, the evening will help fight food insecurity as they will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Food Bank. Tickets are available now by going to their website https://www.bgozarks.org/ . I hope to see you there.

Everyone has a talent of some kind that they can put to use for the Food Bank. I’ve told you in the past about the Eikenbabies Lemonade stand. I’ve told you about young people who celebrate their birthday with a canned food drive rather than gifts. Today, let me tell you about a retired veterinarian who likes to tinker with wood. Sam makes crosses and gives them away after accepting a donation to the Food Bank. I made my donation earlier today and have my cross displayed in my office. Sam picked one out especially for me. Thanks Sam for being just one example of ways someone can help. If you have a unique talent, please let me know so I can share your story.

Everyone can do something to help. If you think your donation is too small to make a difference, think again. Every dollar helps to provide up to 8 meals, so everything helps. In addition to the benefit of the income, just having you be aware of the food insecurity problem in our part of the world helps us help those in need. Thank you all for your continued support over the past 6 ½ years. Wow, that time has flown by.

Because of you, someone will eat today

CALLING ALL FORMER BOARD MEMBERS!

We are in the process of trying to create a master list of board members going all the way back to our beginning in 1988. If you served, or know of someone who served, please send their name and contact information to Kent Eikenberry. kent@nwafoodbank.org .

Thanks and remember…Because of you someone ate yesterday, today and will eat tomorrow.

In the first quarter of 2022 we held 46 mobile pantries at 18 unique locations, hosted 34 school pantries at 13 unique locations, and held 9 Tyson sponsored mobile pantries at 4 unique locations. Through the hard work of our staff, partner agencies, volunteers, and community partners, together we fed 121,362 households and 290,438 individuals.

From a total of 246,226 responses from our clients served, 36.44% were children under the age of 18, 42.73% were adults between the ages of 18 to 60, and 20.82% were seniors 61 years or older.

The responses from a total of 219,819 clients also told us that 47.42% live in Washington County, 39.64% live in Benton County, 7.44% live in Carroll County, and 2.56% live in Madison County.

Every dollar donated provides up to 8 meals for those in need. Please consider donating today.

www.nwafoodbank.org/donate

FOOD PANTRY SPOTLIGHT! COOPERATIVE EMERGENCY OUTREACH

For 32 years, the Cooperative Emergency Outreach (CEO) in Fayetteville has helped neighbors in all walks of life get back on their feet. Whether it be help with rent, utilities, or food, staff at CEO is here to help in Washington County.

Not only has CEO been in the community for decades, but it’s also ran by local churches. Twenty-two churches to be exact, all in Washington County. During services, pastors at the various churches were all hearing of similar issues from their congregations that there were people needing help, whether they had just lost a job, their house was lost in a fire, or any other hardship they might be struggling with. The pastors didn’t want to be passive and acted immediately to help their neighbors. They joined forces to make CEO a reality. “It represents the power of a number of small organizations pooling their resources to have a broader impact than what we could do on our own,” says Joe Dushan, the President of Cooperative Emergency Outreach.

Over the years, there’s been many people walking through the doors of CEO. Some years, they were able to help out upwards of 14,000 neighbors! COVID, however, has forced this dedicated team to change the way they help our neighbors. Staff has limited the days they’re open to three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Eventually they want to reopen daily this year, as long as they can do it safely. Despite these changes, CEO still managed to serve over 6,000 neighbors in 2021. The pandemic hasn’t been entirely bad for CEO. With less days open, CEO has been able to increase the amount of assistance they give to individuals in need. Last year, they were able to provide $200,000 in direct assistance to neighbors! For Joe, helping his community is sincerely rewarding. “People are people and it’s hard for people to ask for help. I’ve been in their shoes, I know. I try and tell them that everybody needs help at one point in their life, and it happens to be your turn,” says Dushan.

So how does CEO work? Neighbors seeking assistance do have to live in Washington County, south of the Northwest Arkansas Mall and need to bring a picture ID. CEO staff can serve up to 15 neighbors a day on a first come first serve basis. When neighbors arrive, they grab a number from a hook placed next to the main door, and wait in their car until their number is called. Once inside CEO, neighbors are able to sit down and chat with a staff member about what their needs are… “occasionally people just need to talk and it’s not the bag of groceries, its not help with water bill, or help with gas to get to work, if they can just take a few minutes to explain to another human being what their situation is, that lifts a burden and I don’t know how you put a price on that,” says Dushan. After their conversation, staff then pack a 3-day supply of food for the neighbors to take home to their families.

They also assist families who are facing homelessness with help from a shelter fund that was granted to CEO. “This grant helps provide temporary shelter for up to a week in a hotel. After a week, this gives them time to access other support in the community and to get a little more on their feet,” says Dushan. “We don’t typically help out with rent or hotel stays with clients because our goal is to help people facing emergency situations regain self-reliance. If you don’t work and you don’t have a place to live and we buy you a hotel stay for two nights, what will they do on the third night? They still would need help. We want to provide a jumpstart to self-reliance,” says Dushan.

If you would like to find ways to get involved with the Cooperative Emergency Outreach, or you are needing some assistance, you can give their office a call at 479.444.7500.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FOOD BANK “Nourishing Northwest Arkansas Communities by Feeding Hungry People” Phone (479) 872-8774 | Fax (479) 872-87771378 June Self Drive Springdale, AR 72764 | nwafoodbank.org

For Immediate Release

April 7, 2022

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Announces New Board Members

Springdale, AR - Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is pleased to announce the appointment of five new Board members.

Emi Cardarelli with Unilever is the Head of Wholesale Club. She holds a B.S. in International Business at the Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City and completed her MBA at the University of Arkansas’ Walton College of Business. She is passionate about supporting the community she lives in.

Samantha Daugherty is the Director of Tech Strategy with Microsoft. She is a native of Northwest Arkansas and enjoys all that the area has to offer. She is a graduate of John Brown University and holds an MBA with a focus on Leadership and Ethics.

Jason Howard is the FSQR manager with Cargill Protein in Springdale. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science and a Masters of Natural and Applied Sciences from Missouri State University. He enjoys giving back to the community and says he is looking forward to this new opportunity to give back.

Dr. Pearl McElfish oversees the Office of Community Health and Research at the NW Regional Campus of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, serves as Director of the Center for Pacific Islander Health, is the Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement with the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, and holds faculty positions in the UAMS Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health. She is the founder of the Office of Community Health and Research at the UAMS NW Regional Campus and of the Center for Pacific Islander Health at UAMS.

Whitney Sawney is the Communications Manager for the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) and is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. She received her Bachelor degree from the University of Arkansas. She is also an alumni of the Native American Political Leadership Program at George Washington University.

“Our Board of Directors is comprised of a dedicated team of community leaders committed to providing support for our organization,” said Kent Eikenberry, President/CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “We are excited to welcome them aboard.”

About Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (a 501c3 organization) was established in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the need for hunger assistance in Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll counties. In 2021 the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed more than 14 million meals. Together with more than 110 partner agencies, 20 mobile pantries, and 19 school pantries, we are able to reach out to those in need; providing nutritious food to children, the working poor and senior citizens. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and a founding member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

FEED ROGERS IS NOW OPEN!

Feed Rogers, our first client choice, Northwest Arkansas Food Bank owned pantry is now open! We held an open house on March 29 th and opened the door for business on March 30 th . During our first week in operation we were able to provide 257 households a typical shopping experience. Feed Rogers is the first of its kind program in Northwest Arkansas that provides neighbors the opportunity to choose the groceries their families will use in a respectful and empowering manner, all at no cost to them!

We want to thank our friends at Miller Zell for providing the amazing signs for Feed Rogers.

They look awesome!! Thank you for being such a great community partner to us!

STAND UP FOR HUNGER EVENT FILLED WITH LAUGHS!

A big thank you to all who came out to the Stand Up for Hunger event held at The Grove on Thursday, April 21 st . We had a great night filled with laughs, provided by comedian Alec Parent and headliner Dusty Slay. We would like to again thank our wonderful sponsors who made this night possible. We were able to raise over $10,000 to help feed our food insecure neighbors in Northwest Arkansas from this event!

We Love Our Volunteers!

During the month of April, we had 106 individuals serve a total of 509.55 hours volunteering with us in our warehouse, at our Mobile Pantries, and in the garden.

We love and appreciate our volunteers and their commitment to our organization and those we serve. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website www.nwafoodbank.org to find a day and shift that will fit your schedule. Thank you!

It is estimated there are 82,000 neighbors in Northwest Arkansas who struggle with food insecurity. Meaning, they don’t know where their next meal is going to come from. Since opening their doors nearly 30 years ago, volunteers at Bread of Life have made it their mission to take that burden off the shoulders of thousands of neighbors. “Our mission statement still reflects that our goal is to provide families regardless of size with at least three days of food,” says Joshua Bland the Director of Mission and Outreach for First Church Springdale.

Along with providing food to neighbors, Bread of Life also helps with household items, diapers, financial assistance for Springdale neighbors and a weekly hot community meal served through the Daily Bread program. Joshua says COVID hasn’t slowed them down, but made them appreciate life a little more. “If the last two years have reminded us of anything, none of us are meant to do this alone. None of us can handle this alone. Our goal as much as it is to provide what resources we can, is to provide a place where we can be community, where people can be heard and they can be loved and they can share that experience with one another,” says Joshua.

For one volunteer, Wright, he joined the fight against hunger 20 years ago when his mom passed away. He tells us it’s a passion of his he never wants to give up. “We’re helping people and the people here are wonderful to work with and I love it.” We asked if he plans on volunteering for another 20 years, and he says if he’s still kicking, he’ll show up and volunteer.

Although COVID has posed new challenges for staff, they never want to stop learning and want to grow from every situation. “What that has allowed us to do for the families that do come here is we’re able to spend more time with each one to learn their stories and to learn how we can encourage and come alongside with them,” says Joshua.

Bread of Life is open every Wednesday and Thursday from 9am-11:30pm along with His Helping Hands clothing closet and they see upwards of 400 neighbors a week. For Josh, who is the only staff member at Bread of Life, their mission wouldn’t be possible without the support of volunteers. “It’s really incredible to see how their creativity and their awareness as they listen to the requests and really the heart cries of our neighbors. As they hear those things, the way that shapes everything else that happens back here,” says Joshua. If staff hear of food items neighbors are wanting or any other needs, volunteers want to make that a reality.

The only thing stopping them is space. As staff look toward the future, they want to have all missions under one roof with more space to fulfill the needs of the community and hopefully that will soon be a reality. “In this space we’ve done incredible things and God has blessed our work in this space and our community in this space in the years that we’ve been here but it was never designed for this,” says Joshua.

Until then, staff will be hard at work aiding our neighbors. “It’s just a great experience and I would suggest that anybody try it at least for a while. It’s been wonderful, it still is,” says Joshua. If you would like to get involved with Bread of Life or would like to get more information please reach out to them directly at (479) 751.4610.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT | APRIL 2022

Mon, 09 May 2022 16:40:09 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – April 10, 2022

Feed Rogers is open. And no, this is NOT an April Fool’s joke. After nearly 5 years of wishing, 3 or 4 years of planning, and 8 months of renovation, the full-service Food Bank operated pantry is open. The client choice pantry idea is not necessarily new, but designing the pantry to resemble a store, and the experience to resemble actually shopping at a store is. I want to express my deepest appreciation to the board of directors, the staff, the volunteers and donors who have made this dream of mine become a reality. Sometimes, you just feel it. And I just felt this was the right direction to go. After two short days of being open, that feeling has been confirmed. Just listen to these three anecdotal stories as collected by Sabrina Thiede, our director of programs.

“A little boy (probably 8 or 9) was shopping with his mom, and when she said he got to pick two breakfast items, he said "Really?!? I get to pick whatever I want?". He was so excited to get to choose what foods he was going to eat for breakfast.”

“Another lady came in, and she shared with us that she was diabetic. She said that being able to look at all the nutrition labels from the food on the shelves was a real game changer. She was able to find foods that she could safely eat, and there were enough options to really help!”

“We just had another lady come in and as we explained the process she said "what's the catch" we assured here there was no catch, and she burst into tears and told us how thankful she was for this opportunity.”

These are just three of the reactions that our neighbors in need have had. Equally exciting is the reaction from the volunteers. Being able to interact with our neighbors in a healthy dignified manner helps the psyche of all.

Don’t get me wrong. I love cold weather. But I don’t like snow, sleet or ice. This past month I had to make the decision to close the food bank two times because of inclement weather. Hopefully all that is behind us for 2022.

I have been blessed to have met some really neat people in my lifetime. None more so than Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, the CEO of Feeding America. Claire has recently spent a week in northwest Arkansas, splitting her time between Feeding America duties and helping to share the message of working together with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. As I said in my introduction recently to a group of business leaders, Claire is responsible for a cultural transformation that is taking place across the Feeding America network. This transformation is also taking place here at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. I’m proud to say that we are continually looking at new and innovative ways to help our neighbors in need. This is where you come in!! Please share any ideas you might have with me. Quoting Claire, “We are better together.”

I don’t want to jinx us, but it appears COVID numbers continue to go down. Thank you all for doing your part to control this pandemic for it is not just the disease, but the economic fallout that has caused thousands of your neighbors to get into a food line for the first time. Because of you we have been able to meet that increased demand, but our job is far from over. Just as one crisis is behind us, the need for additional food because of summer break is upon us. Thank you again for helping us meet the need.

Because of you, someone will eat today.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS! We would like to welcome these new members to our Board of Directors. We appreciate your willingness to join our Board and be a part of our organization!

Jason Howard – Food Safety, Quality, Regulatory Manager - Cargill

Whitney Sawney – Communications Manager – Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF)

Samantha Daugherty – Microsoft

Pearl McElfish - Ph.D., M.B.A.- Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement, – UAMS

Emi Cardarelli – Head of Wholesale Club – Unilever

FEED ROGERS IS NOW OPEN!

We did it! During our first week in operation we were able to provide 257 households the typical shopping experience through Feed Rogers. Feed Rogers is the first of its kind program in Northwest Arkansas that provides neighbors the opportunity to choose the groceries their family will use, in a respectful and empowering manner, all at no cost to them!

A special thanks to our friends at Miller Zell for so graciously providing us with the signage in Feed Rogers. We truly appreciate you and your generosity!

2022 Annual Agency Meeting a Huge Success

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank hosted its Annual Agency Meeting for the first time since the start of the pandemic at the Jones Center for Families in Springdale this March. Representatives from over 50 Partner Agencies began the day by reconnecting, putting faces to names, and building key connections over breakfast. Guest speakers, Dr. Emily English and Dr. Chris Long, from UAMS, began the conference by reflecting on the challenges that our whole network has faced while working on the frontlines in our national response to the rise in food insecurity due to COVID-19. Our keynote speaker, Dr. Katie Martin, author and CEO of the Institute for Hunger Research & Solutions, shared valuable insights on how our network can transition away from a focus on pounds distributed to a new emphasis on addressing the root causes of hunger. We then broke for lunch catered by our friends at Marketplace Grill.

Our afternoon program was an opportunity for partner agencies to hear from a variety of experts, community organizations, and food bank staff. We were pleased to welcome representatives from the Marshallese Educational Initiative, Arkansas Dept. of Human Services, M. Palmer Consulting, United Way of Northwest Arkansas, and the Office of Community Health and Research at UAMS. In each meeting, leaders in our network committed to “Reinventing” their approach to charitable food. In conversation with other pantries, our team saw new partnerships created as organizations agreed to meet at the county and city level to make action plans to implement new policies. The general feeling from everyone in attendance was that it was good to see faces and even better to plan for a day in which everyone has reasonable access to quality, healthy food.

We Love Our Volunteers!

During the month of March, we had 158 individuals serve a total of 720 hours volunteering with us in our warehouse, at our Mobile Pantries, and in the garden.

We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers.

THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!

All volunteers must pre-register. To access the calendar and register, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer .

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FOOD BANK “Nourishing Northwest Arkansas Communities by Feeding Hungry People” Phone (479) 872-8774 | Fax (479) 872-87771378 June Self Drive Springdale, AR 72764 | nwafoodbank.org

For Immediate Release

April 4, 2022

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is partnering with the Veterans Health Care Systems of the Ozarks (VHSO) to start a new program to help area Veterans that are food insecure.

The program is open to any Veteran that is enrolled at the VA Medical Center and CBOC’s. We will provide boxes of food to the VHSO, and they will distribute to eligible Veterans. The first delivery will be on Wednesday, April 13 th at 10am at the Veterans Health Care Systems of the Ozarks Campus, Lot L.

“As we all know, the need of food and nourishment is generally not a one time need, it is an ongoing need and the VHSO can greatly serve our Veterans year round by partnering with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank to ensure that no matter the time of year, that our Veterans have access or a way to obtain food for themselves and their families,” said Mrs. Kimberly Lane, Interim Medical Center Director of the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks. “To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise: “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s Veterans. What a GREAT way for VHSO to continue fulfilling this promise in Northwest Arkansas!”

Veterans who are recognized as food insecure will be contacted to participate in this inaugural event. Following distributions will be given to Veterans that are in for appointments and express interest in receiving a food box.

“Our Veterans have sacrificed so much for us so we are proud to have the opportunity to step up and help those Veterans in need,” said Kent Eikenberry, President and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “Nutritious food is a critical component of a healthy lifestyle. We are grateful to provide it. Our thanks go out to every service man or woman and to the Veterans Health Care Systems of the Ozarks for helping us address food insecurity in Northwest Arkansas.

Veterans who have questions about the program should contact Amy Cash, HUD/VASH Supervisor at 479-443-4301 ext. 65631 or the CDCE staff at 479-444-5060.

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Media Contact

Julie Damer

Director of Marketing & Communications

julie.damer@nwafoodbank.org

479-361-8167

About Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (a 501c3 organization) was established in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the need for hunger assistance in Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll counties. In 2021 the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed more than 14 million meals. Together with more than 110 partner agencies, 20 mobile pantries, and 19 school pantries, we are able to reach out to those in need; providing nutritious food to children, the working poor and senior citizens. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and a founding member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

FOOD PANTRY SPOTLIGHT! BREAD OF LIFE PANTRY

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || MARCH 2022

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 18:54:46 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – March 10, 2022

I keep too much stuff! Diana and I recently did some minor renovations on the house we have lived in for over 25 years. Doing so has been the motivation to go through stuff. Yesterday I found a plaque given to me in recognition for the six years I served on the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank board of directors. Little did I know, when I did my two terms, that serving on the board would open my heart to the career change which took place. In spite of the challenges we have faced in the past two years, my time serving our neighbors in northwest Arkansas could not have been more fulfilling. Knowing I am helping to feed my neighbors makes it really easy to get up and come to work each day.

Spring break is just around the corner. While for some, it is a time of excitement, but for over 20,000 kiddos in Benton, Carroll, Madison or Washington County it just means a week without school lunches. I want to give a shout out to all of our partner agencies who are ramping up their inventory in order to help distribute more food to the families of these young people.

I’m excited about spring break, but not for the reasons you might think. I am way past the time when I got out of school for a week. In fact, when I was in school, spring break hadn’t been invented. No, I’m excited for spring break because spring break means we are closer to warmer weather.

These past two years we have seen an increase of thousands of people who are food insecure. We have seen hundreds of people in a food line for the first time in their life. People who never could have imagined that something would happen and cause them to be “one of those people.” People who realized and people who were thankful that the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and our partner agencies were there with much needed groceries, a smile and the gratitude of being able to share the HOPE necessary to get up off the mat and carry on. Because of your support we are there 7 days a week, 365 days a year, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. If that doesn’t give you HOPE, I don’t know what does.

I want to call your attention to our second “Stand Up for Hunger” comedy night. It will be held Thursday, April 21 at the Grove in Lowell. More details can be found elsewhere in this newsletter, but I hope you can join us for an evening of comic relief. We all need a laugh, perhaps now more than ever.

Last March I wrote that I was cautiously optimistic that COVID 19 would soon be a memory. Boy was I wrong. Even though all the trend lines are headed in the right direction, I will not be making any predictions this year as to not jinx us like last year. Stay safe out there.

Thank you all for helping us get through the past two years. Saying we could not have done it without your help would be an understatement. Whether you volunteered, donated, or shared the story of food insecurity in our region, you were responsible for our success.

Because of you someone was able to eat today,

Kent

STAND UP FOR HUNGER! COMING APRIL 21ST

Join us for a night of laughs and fun on April 21st at our Stand Up for Hunger comedy event to benefit the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

We're so excited to have Dusty Slay as the headliner this year. A little about Dusty; he has performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, at the legendary Grand Ole Opry, Jimmy Kimmel Live and so much more!

To purchase tickets to our Stand Up for Hunger event, visit https://one.bidpal.net/standupforhunger/ticketing .

To catch up with Dusty and to see some of his work, visit https://www.dustyslay.com/ .

We are so thankful to these sponsors for their support of this event.

Tickets are limited. We hope to see you there!

Harps, Healthy Family Project and The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Celebrate 2021 Donation

Associated Wholesale Grocers Springfield Division’s Produce for Kids Campaign Back for 2022

Harps Food Stores kicked off their 2022 Produce for Kids cause marketing campaign with a donation check celebrating the success of the 2021 campaign, which provided 80,000 *meals to four Feeding America® food banks in the Harps market area. The Harps campaign is part of the larger Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) Springfield Division campaign; including Pyramid Foods, Town & Country Inc, Woods Supermarkets, and G&W Foods Inc.; which has benefitted Feeding America® food banks in Arkansas and Missouri with 890,000 meals since 2017.

The 2022 campaign will see the return of the award-winning Produce for Kids Friday’s program. In addition to in-store signage featuring healthy, easy meal inspiration for families, the produce teams will be serving as campaign ambassadors wearing Fruits & Veggies & Giving Back T-shirts every Friday while giving out $1 produce bucks coupons to families so they can try new fruits and vegetables.

“We are moving into our fifth year of the Produce for Kids campaign. I’m impressed with the ways we’ve continued to reinvent the program year over year as our goals and shopper evolves,” said Mike Roberts, vice president of produce operations at Harps. “Giving back is a core value for us and making an impact in the fight against hunger in our communities is paramount.”

“The Produce for Kids” program makes this particular donation even more special,” said Jeff Thacker, director of development for the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “We can’t thank Harp’s enough for partnering with us to create more healthy families which mean more healthy kids!

Produce partners supporting the AWG Springfield Produce for Kids cause marketing campaign include Chelan Fresh®, Crispy Green, DOLE®, Eat Smart®, Greenridge Fruit, Halos, Litehouse®, Michigan Apple Committee, organicgirl, PEELZ, POM, Shuman Farms RealSweet®, Red Sun Farms, River Fresh Farms, RPE, Sage®, SamSonS grapes, Sunkist®, Tasteful Selections®, West Pak Avocado, Wonderful® Pistachios, and ¡Yo Quiero! Brands.

About Healthy Family Project Produce for Kids
Healthy Family Project believes in creating a healthier generation. As a cause marketing organization, Healthy Family Project creates programs, like Produce for Kids, that provide easy, fun, and inspiring recipes and healthy ideas. Since its creation in 2002 by Shuman Farms, Healthy Family Project has raised more than $7 million to benefit children and families and provided 12 million meals through Feeding America. To learn more about Healthy Family Project and healthy eating, visit healthyfamilyproject.com .

We believe we have the absolute BEST employees at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

We would like to take this time to publicly thank each and every one of them for being a vital part of our organization.

WE APPRECIATE YOU!!!

Employee Spotlight || Meet two valued members of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

Welcome Our Newest Supply Partner - Dr. Praeger’s!

The Northwest Arkansas Food Back is so excited to announce a new vendor that just joined our team and they’re a 100% plant-based company - Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods.

In March, the first donation of veggie burgers and “littles” will hit the warehouse floors, ready to be distributed to our food insecure neighbors. There are two different veggie burger options; the California Veggie Burger which includes carrots, peas, zucchini, onion and spinach. This veggie burger packs a bunch with 5 grams of protein, 10 types of veggies and only 130 calories! The other veggie burger option we will have is the Black Bean Quinoa burger that is loaded with a hearty blend of black beans and tri-color quinoa with a little smoky chipotle kick. With 5 grams of protein, five types of veggies and 150 calories! Their “Littles”, which are small snack-sized bites, are super easy to feed to kids. We will be receiving broccoli, spinach and sweet-potato Littles, which come in dinosaur and star shapes. Each of the Littles have one full serving of veggies and are soy free.

When we visited with Matt King, who is the Senior Director of Sales for Dr. Praeger’s, we asked him why they wanted to partner with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. He told us it’s an issue he is passionate about and wants to help in any capacity. One of those ways, providing a healthy and delicious frozen food option to everyone.

“If you’re going to add one or two healthy options in your weekly routine for your family, we think we’re a perfect option to add into your weekly rotation,” says Matt. It also is a great way for us at the Food Bank to give more options to our neighbors facing hunger. Whether it be a dietary restriction, wanting to stick to a plant-based diet, we’re exciting for this partnership.

“One of the pillars of our strategic plan is to enhance the nutritional value of the food we distribute. The donation of plant-based protein from Dr. Praeger’s will help us achieve the goal that 75% of the food we distribute not only helps to fill the stomach, but also helps to fill our neighbor’s nutritional needs,” says Kent Eikenberry, President and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

We’re looking forward for our neighbors to be able to get their hands on these plant-based products in March!

YOUR DONATION MATTERS HOW WE ARE PUTTING YOUR DOLLARS TO WORK https://www.nwafoodbank.org/donate

Joselin and her husband, a Prairie Grove couple, load up their two small children; a two-year-old son and 4-month-old daughter, and head to Springdale to Feed the 479 for some help with feeding their family. With two small children, the income only goes so far. With having an infant, there’s a lot of monetary things to purchase on a regular basis that can be a challenge.

Joselin tells us, “food gets so expensive, groceries for our family of four is $200 a week, including baby food so having some of that stress taken off of us helps, especially for a young couple with two babies.”

Joselin’s husband works full time and she is a stay at home mom with their two kids. They tell us they do not qualify for SNAP benefits, which puts a strain on their monthly finances. They choose to not focus on what they can’t change in one day, and enjoy their time at Feed the 479, coming for the first time as a family.

“It’s a bigger operation than we thought but it’s awesome to know they can feed as many of us as there are,” says Joselin. The couple tells us they also appreciate having the opportunity to have a prayer in the back room and focus on all the good in their lives, not just worry about their challenges.

We Love Our Volunteers!

We couldn’t do what we do without the help of our wonderful volunteers.

During the month of February, we had 113 individuals volunteer a total of 513.87 hours!

We have many volunteers shifts available and would love to have you!

All volunteers must pre-register. To access the calendar and register, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer .

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || FEBRUARY 2022

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:38:17 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – February 11, 2022

Today I am working from home in a guest bedroom/office watching the snow to continue to fall. It looks like we have 4 to 6 inches on the ground, but it is so light it blows around and drifts, so it is hard to tell. Those of us who have the ability are working from home today and tomorrow. The Food Bank is closed. Deciding to be open or closed is one of the more difficult choices I have to make. On one hand, I don’t want to put any of my team, or partner agencies in danger by asking them to come to work on snow-packed roads. On the other hand, our food insecure neighbors need us now more than ever. Fortunately, as Tom and I discussed yesterday afternoon, we will only have to make this decision a couple times more before spring.

While I may be ready for spring, our food insecure neighbors, especially those with school age children might not be excited about spring break. With the schools closed, their kiddos don’t have access to the school lunch program that sustains them. Sabrina Thiede and our programs team have planned for spring break by distributing extra large boxes the week before spring break.

For those of you who are associated with one of our partner agencies, please mark Monday, March 7 on your calendar. That is the day of our annual agency meeting.

This year’s meeting will feature a video presentation from Dr. Katie Martin, author of REINVENTING FOOD BANKS AND FOOD PANTRIES. Dr. Martin’s book has been required reading for most of the Food Bank staff since I came across the book last fall. I know you will enjoy her presentation while also learning a lot about how to better serve our neighbors in need. In addition, there will be a day full of breakout sessions which will help you learn ways to not only make you more efficient, but also ways to make your volunteer jobs easier. I look forward to seeing you at the Jones Center.

I wrote this section in December for our February direct mail newsletter focused on our senior neighbors. In case you don’t get our direct mail pieces, I wanted you to see it.

“I would argue with just about anyone that my parents were better than theirs. Mom and Dad shared all that they had and taught my sisters and me that it truly is more blessed to give than receive. They instilled in each of us a giving heart. Their influence is one of the reasons I do what I do and one of the reasons my sister volunteers at her church food pantry in Texas. They also had a deep sense of independence. I wonder how many other parents, like mine, are out there. Parents who have outlived their savings. Parents who have to choose between medicine and groceries. Parents who believe there is someone who needs assistance more than they do? I would assume lots. While I couldn’t get my parents to listen to me and accept assistance, I’m begging our mature readers to accept our help if they need it. That’s why the Food Bank exists. We want to support our neighbors of all ages without question, without judgement and with dignity and respect. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank was founded with the philosophy that one hungry person was one too many. We still hold true to that value today. If you are that one hungry person, let us help you. Go to www.nwafoodbank.org and click on the find food tab. We’ll take care of you.”

In closing, please let me express my deepest appreciation for your support over the past couple of years. The stress caused by COVID 19 on our region’s fiscal infrastructure has been devastating to a lot of families. I’ve said it before and will continue to say it. It is for reasons such as this that the Food Bank was founded back in 1988 with the mindset that one hungry person is one too many. It is only with your continued help that we can be there to serve our neighbors in need. So, as I almost always close……….

Because of you, someone will eat today.

Have a great February.

WELCOME! Help us welcome the newest staff of The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

Kim is a native of central Arkansas and a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas. Excluding a few years living in Sydney, AU, Little Rock, AR and Birmingham, AL, she has lived in NWA since 1990. Married to her husband Dale for 32 years, they operate a small family business, Daniels Farm, Breeders of Fine Tennessee Walking Horses in Highfill, AR. They have 1 daughter and 1 grandson. Kim is also a licensed auctioneer and enjoys helping non-profit organizations increase proceeds from their fundraising events. In her free time, she enjoys attending estate auctions and sales, watching old movies and visiting thrift stores looking for treasures.

Jeff is a native of Norman, Oklahoma and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. He moved to the NWA region in 1993. He most recently worked as State Rep. Steve Womack’s Field Representative and Law Enforcement Coordinator. He and his wife, Jennifer, enjoy volunteering across the region, with a personal service emphasis on the Saint Vincent DePaul Church Food Pantry in Rogers, one of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s partner agencies.

Haley is a native of Memphis, TN. She and her husband, along with their two dogs, moved to the Northwest Arkansas region almost two years ago. She is a graduate of the University of the Ozarks with a degree in Environmental Studies. She previously worked at Apple Seeds, where she was able to teach children about gardening, cooking and nutrition. She is looking forward to continuing to educate people on these topics and help fight food insecurity in the community.

YOUR DONATION MATTERS! HOW WE ARE PUTTING YOUR DOLLARS TO WORK: https://www.nwafoodbank.org/donate

Tucked in the back of a building on Sunset Avenue in Springdale is Feed the 479, one of our partner agencies that offers a client choice style food pantry. The term client choice means our neighbors facing hunger can choose what food items would serve their family best.

This is where we met Yessenia, a Springdale neighbor who lives with her husband and their four kids. Since COVID, money has been a little tight and they do not qualify for federal nutrition programs for help, which led them to visit Feed the 479. Despite monetary setbacks, they are so grateful to have these types of organizations in our communities.

“It means a lot because it helps us out practically throughout the whole month with groceries. It means a lot to be able to come in and pick what items our family would eat. We thank God that there are people that you can reach out to and get food products,” says Yessenia.

They heard about the food pantry from relatives who had visited Feed the 479 and how helpful the staff is. For Yessenia and her family, not having to worry about the staggering prices of food, they are able to focus their money on bills and other items for the family.

In 2021 we distributed over 1.9 million pounds of food in the four counties we serve in NWA. Of that 1.9 million pounds, 49% of that food was donated to us. We love our community and the support it gives us in helping to feed our food insecure neighbors.
THANK YOU!!!

“If it had not been for you folks we would not be doing what we are doing in Goshen and the surrounding area. Thanks for everything and Happy New Year.” - Neil Carey, General Manager, Goshen UMC Food Pantry – a partner agency of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

“My husband lost his job. Now we’re having to focus the unemployment money on our house and truck payment and everything. This really helps a lot.” - Christina, Springdale neighbor.

SCHOOL PANTRY SPOTLIGHT! BAYYARI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PANTRY

Placed right in the middle of a residential subdivision in Springdale sits Bayyari Elementary School. Along with kids learning and the loud noises of school letting out, once a month, you’ll see boxes stacked up right at the entrance. In those boxes, produce, canned foods, and pasta noodles, which are headed home with some of their students. One out of every four children in Northwest Arkansas are food insecure, meaning they don’t know where their next meal is coming from, which is why we created our School Pantry program.

One of the moms in line to pick up food for the first time is Danielle. She told us this is such a huge help for her and her family. “We’re barely trying to figure things out, and this really does help. I’m in the middle class and I don’t qualify for food stamps or anything like that,” but she doesn’t only help out her own family. She also takes food for her daughter’s best friends’ mom. They recently faced hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she wants to help as much as she’s able. “It is a help for them right now. I was able to pick up a box for my friend. They’ve dealt with the COVID situation and lost a job, so I’m happy to help.”

We believe all children have the right to arrive at school happy, healthy and ready to learn. If you are interested in getting your school involved, please email Sabrina Thiede at sabrina.Thiede@nwafoodbank.org for more information.

Employee Spotlight | Meet two valued members of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

We Love Our Volunteers!

During the month of January, we had 107 volunteers for a total of 483 hours. We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers!

To find a date and time that would work for you and your schedule, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer .

Thank you!

Make plans to join us at this fun event!

DATE: Thursday, April 21, 2022

LOCATION: The Grove Comedy Club – Lowell

TIME: 6PM

To purchase tickets: bidpal.net/standupforhunger

Proceeds benefit the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || JANUARY 2022

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 18:37:19 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – January 11, 2022

It is hard to believe that it is January 2022. It seems like last week when I sat down to write my January 2021 column. Last year I stated with the following statement. “We have heard the word “unprecedented” bantered about on a variety of topics for the year 2020.” No one, certainly not me could have ever imagined that 2021 was going to be a mirror image.

As I did last year this time, please allow me the opportunity to share some year-end numbers with you.

We had over 15,000 donations to the Food Bank.

Those donations came from over 6,400 individual donors.

These two totals were down slightly from last year but if you compare them to pre-pandemic 2019 both were double that year’s totals. While those numbers were not record shattering, they were critical when you look at the following set of operational numbers. For the year (pending final reporting) we:

Spent over $2.3 million dollars buying food
Distributed an estimated 14 million pounds of food to our four- county service area.

As we look at this number it is important to note that USDA (food provided by the US Government) was 4.3 million pounds less than 2020.

We served over 30,000 families totaling over 100,000 neighbors in need at our mobile pantry locations.

Our 13 school pantries fed over 7,600 families/ 35,550 individuals.

We invested over $100,000 in our partner agencies. Our agency capacity grant program purchased refrigerators, freezer, installed a water line for neighbors to get fresh water, and bought shelving just to name a few of the ways we worked to help our partner agencies increase the amount of people they could help.

To paraphrase what a friend and former board member told me a couple of years ago, December 31 is just a date on the calendar. The world did not stop turning on January 1. The need for our services did not go away. If anything, we anticipate the need will continue to grow in 2022 and beyond as inflation continues to make the dollar buy less than it did before. COVID 19 will continue to force individuals to miss work and in many cases miss that paycheck that keeps them afloat. Long story short, we will continue to need your support in the upcoming year as we battle against food insecurity.

Tomorrow is a mystery. Who knows what it will bring. However, two things you can count on is that your donations to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank will make a difference in the lives of thousands of your neighbors. And secondly, we will get through this together. I cannot thank you enough.

Have a blessed 2022 and remember that because of you someone will eat today.

YOUR DONATION MATTERS: HOW WE ARE PUTTING YOUR DOLLARS TO WORK https://www.nwafoodbank.org/donate

The definition of a caregiver is a paid helper who regularly looks after a child, a sick elderly, or disabled person. For one Fayetteville resident, Marzetta, that is her career path, to help and take care of people. With her work hours recently cut in half, Marzetta found herself in the position to need help with a basic necessity- food. “This works for me because I’m able to come get food. Food is so high now and I appreciate that we have somewhere to come to be able to get this food, it’s hard. It means a lot to me, I moved here from Pine Bluff and they don’t have many things like this, Northwest Arkansas has helped us out a lot,” says Marzetta. The caregiver heard about one of our partner agencies, Feed the 479, that passes out food weekly, from her neighbor. The set up at Feed the 479 is a client choice style food pantry which gives our neighbors the ability to choose what food items would work best in their households. “This is like a grocery store to choose what works for my family. I appreciate the help,” says Marzetta. But she’s also thankful for any type of aid with food products. She lives in a complex with 6 other residents and tells us if there’s anything she doesn’t use, she donates the remaining food to them.

photo does not represent actual client

THOSE WE SERVED IN 2021

During 2021 we saw record numbers at our Mobile Pantries and School Pantries. We could not provide the food to those who visit these pantries without YOUR help. Every dollar donated provides up to eight meals for those in need.

Here are our 2021 numbers at a glance.

Mobile Pantries - We hosted 17 mobile pantries each month at various locations across Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties. Four of these pantries were possible because of a partnership with Tyson. At these pantries we served 31,527 households and 104,957 individuals.

School Pantries - We have partnered with 13 different schools to provide food to their students and their families. At these pantries, we served 7,610 households and 35,550 individuals.

To make a one-time donation today, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/donate .
All donations stay right here in Northwest Arkansas to help your neighbors in need.

WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Thank you to all of our wonderful community partners for your support of our organization! Pictured here are just a few of the companies that so graciously donate funds to us to help us feed our food insecure neighbors. Pictured are representatives of City Title & Closing, First Convenience Bank and Pig Trail Harley Davidson.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT GAZETTE COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CARD PROGRAM DELIVERS BIG AGAIN THIS YEAR

An open letter to the readers of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette:

On behalf of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank board of directors, staff and most importantly the neighbors we serve, please allow me to express our deepest appreciation for the $22,097.10 you contributed to the Food Bank through the Community Christmas Card.

Combining other donations, the buying power of being a Feeding America Food Bank and a lean operational budget, your monetary support will result in over 175,000 meals that can be distributed to our neighbors in need over our four-county service area. Equally as important is the fact that the Community Christmas Card not only raised money, but raised awareness of the growing number of hard-working neighbors who simply cannot stretch their budget far enough to put a nutritious meal on the table.

The holidays are especially tough for those families we serve. In many cases their children, who have received daily nutrition through school meals, are out of school putting additional pressure on their food budget. Your generous support allows us to stock and distribute much needed food through our 135 partner agencies and our own mobile pantry division.

Because of you, someone will eat today.

Kent

President/CEO Northwest Arkansas Food Ba nk

Employee Spotlight | Meet two valued members of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

We Love Our Volunteers!

Our volunteers are such a valuable part of our organization. We couldn’t do what we do without each and every volunteer who gives of their time and talent. For the month of December, we welcomed 97 volunteers who gave 345 hours of their time to help us feed our neighbors who are food insecure.

THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!!

If you would like to volunteer, please visit our website www.nwafoodbank.org and click the “volunteer” button at the top of the screen. We would love to have you!

PARTNER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT! OPEN ARMS PREGNANCY CENTER AND FOOD PANTRY

Nancy Dignan has always had a passion to serve expectant mothers and families preparing for the joy of welcoming a new baby. Trained as a midwife and nurse, Nancy and her husband, Richard Dignan, saw an opportunity to walk alongside growing families in Madison County by opening a center where families could receive baby items, counseling, and support. This vision became a reality in 2001 when Open Arms Pregnancy Center opened its doors.

At its core, Open Arms’ work aims to lessen the monetary stressors that can come along with supporting a newborn child. “One day this family came in and their daughter came to visit them and they didn’t know she had a baby and the next morning they got up and the mother was gone and the baby was left with them and they had nothing. They didn’t know where to turn and they had heard about us through their church and we had all the stuff they would need so we just loaded them up,” says Dignan. Nearly 20 years later, the Dignan’s have had the pleasure of watching that child grow up and flourish, which brings such a feeling of accomplishment. At the center, families can expect to receive: diapers, formula, Boppy pillows, car seats, cribs, and other forms of support. They even have breast feeding consultants to help mothers who breast feed!

One thing Nancy tells us is that all of the staff at Open Arms Pregnancy Center want to find joy in every situation. “A lot of moms come through that they feel really down or upset that they found out that they were pregnant and we just would celebrate with them and let them know that they’re going to get through this and it’s a real blessing, you may not feel like that right now but you’re going to be so blessed,” says Dignan. Some of those mothers will tell Nancy years later that, while preparing for their child’s birth may have been a bump in the road, they realize now that they are blessed and were thankful for the support and help.

While loading up families with baby items, families began to ask if Open Arms could also help out with food. To meet that need, Open Arms expanded their operation to open a food pantry with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “We knew seniors, single moms and disabled people… they really needed something monthly to help make ends meet,” says Dignan. At first, Nancy wasn’t too sure about the food pantry, but now, especially during COVID, being able to interact with her neighbors directly about what this food does for their families, made staff want to do more. They even partnered with UAMS and Arvest bank to add a drive thru extension on the front of their location to make distribution of food during COVID a bit safer for staff, seeing up to 60 neighbors per week. “It’s really been so much better, we can see more people and get them in and out faster,” says Dignan.

Open Arms Pregnancy Center and Food Pantry staff also help out with drug and alcohol rehabilitation, hosting classes through Teen Challenge and the court system for those needing it. “We help them… they’re struggling,” says Dignan.

As the Dignan’s look toward the future of Open Arms Pregnancy Center and Food Pantry, they plan on getting their aquaponics system up and running to grow fish and vegetables that they can give out to families that visit the center. They also are making an enclosed play area for the children to have a safe space to be a kid. If you want to get involved with Open Arms Pregnancy Center, they are needing toiletries, any new or lightly used baby furniture, and toys. Monetary donations are always welcome.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || DECEMBER 2021

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 17:14:06 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – December 10, 2021

It appears that someone forgot to tell mother nature that it is December. It is challenging to get into the holiday spirit when it is in the 70’s. It’s also challenging to get into the holiday spirit if you don’t know where your next meal is coming from, or the more stressful “I don’t know how I will feed my kids” dilemma. I admit I cannot do anything about the weather but want to be quick to point out that our 135 partner agencies are there to help our neighbors in need feed their families. I would love to thank each and every one of those agencies personally, and that certainly will be one of my 2022 goals. Until that time, please allow me to publicly express my appreciation to the hundreds of volunteers at those partner agencies for all they do.

Speaking of thanking people individually, we have sent letters to every person who donates to the Food Bank. I don’t know the exact number but I know there have been in the thousands because I personally sign, well technically K-slash, each and every one of those letters. While it may sound mundane, it is the highlight of the day for me to say thanks to a donor. I love to read the notes those donors include and the stories they tell. So, once again thank you for supporting our mission.

I cannot tell you how many people in the last couple of weeks have mentioned to me that this must be a really busy time of the year for us. From a development side, it certainly is as more people donate during the fourth quarter. More companies have food drives. More individuals bring in donations of food and money. More people volunteer. So yes, this is a busy time of the year for us. But like a squirrel heading into winter, we store up these food drive riches in order to serve our partner agencies in the future. If you walked through our warehouse today you would think, “There is no way they will ever distribute all this food.” The fact of the matter is we only have between three and four WEEKS worth of supply of food on hand at any given time. We estimate we will distribute over 16 MILLION pounds of food this year. Based on that number of pounds moved in the course of the year, we turn our inventory between 12 and 13 times per year. From a client service side, we are busy year-round. A child’s hungry tummy doesn’t know if it is November or May so while there may be an uptick of need during the holidays and winter, food insecurity is present all year long.

In a few days it will be Christmas morning. As you hustle around making last minute preparations, buying last minute gifts and stressing over “dressing or stuffing” be mindful of those less fortunate. You can make a huge difference in someone’s life by sharing your time, your talent or your treasure. They are literally hundreds of great causes out there. Trying to decide who to support might be overwhelming. I encourage you to not let that decision add to your stress. Pick an agency whose mission you support and help them out. No matter which one you choose you will be helping make northwest Arkansas just a little better place to live. Isn’t that what we are all called to do?

This year we did a lot, but we could not have done any of it without your help. Whether you have donated cash, food, volunteered or simply talked about the need, you have played an integral role in our work this year. So, in closing, let me please say thank you and remind you that because of you someone will eat today.

Merry Christmas. May you and your family have blessed holiday season.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HOSTED A FOOD DRIVE DURING NOVEMBER!

We were overwhelmed with the generosity of our community partners and supporters who hosted food drives for us during the month of November. We had corporations, organizations, families and individuals step up and help us feed those in need in our community. A special thanks to our friends at 40/29 TV for hosting their annual Turkey Drive on November 19th. What a great community we live in!

WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES FOR COMPETING IN OUR ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE CHALLENGE 2021. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE. YOU ALL ARE THE BEST!

Dole Sunshine

Spectrum Brands

Clarios

Abbott

Unilever

General Mills

Keeco

Mondelez

Grifols

KraftHeinz

Newell Brands

Post Consumer Brands

CESCO

Shiloh

Kiljaro/Denovo

ConAgra

Ocean Spray

Nielsen

Danone

Transplace

HomeTeam Walmart

BKD

Central States

The Stable

KPMG

Clorox

Garver

PARTNER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT! THE MANNA CENTER OF SILOAM SPRINGS

With a population of just under 17 thousand people, staff of various Siloam Springs churches saw that food insecurity wasn’t something you just heard about happening in other places. It was a crisis happening in their own backyard. So, they acted on it and created a nonprofit organization called the Manna Center to help feed their hungry neighbors. The center opened its doors in 1993, and started on a smaller scale, handing out food a couple days a week, that has now blossomed into 5 days, feeding 15-20 families per day. “We feel like it’s what we’re supposed to do. It’s what God’s put on my heart is take the food to the people, and we’ve been doing it,” says Marla Sappington the director of the Manna Center.

Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought more people in the door at the Manna Center needing access to nutritious foods; some days seeing up to 150 families that come to them for help. “We can’t be judgmental, we don’t know what that person has been through or that family is going through so we just offer grace and help them with what all that we can,” says Sappington. With an influx in the number of clients, more hands-on deck are needed. Manna Center now has between 65-80 volunteers per month with 800+ hours put into the facility. “I can leave happily and I look forward to coming to work and my volunteers look forward to being here,” says Sappington. She also states the volunteers have become more than just coworkers, they’re family.

In the month of August, the center gave out 111,000 pounds of food throughout Northwest Arkansas and the cities they serve in Oklahoma. Sappington says what drives herself along with staff is knowing there is a need. Knowing people right next door don’t have access to nutritious foods, and they don’t plan on stopping here. They just established a partnership with Tyson that will provide them with frozen protein to pass out during their food pantries. “There’s a need out there and its hard for people to ask for food so we do these little special pops up give always where its open to everybody and they all get the same thing,” says Sappington.

The Manna Center has grown into more than just a place to find food. Staff has implemented a Thrift Store where anyone is welcome to shop. Whether it be clothing, toys, gas, school supplies, or even assisting with prescription drugs, they want to help. “Everybody has a part to play everyone is needed and we’ve all found a reason to do what we’re doing by the feeling we leave here with,” says Sappington.

Sappington says it’s become more than just a job. It’s what herself along with the staff have come to love, “We’ve always said we want them to leave better than they came. That includes our volunteers and our clients that we’re assisting,” says Sappington.

As staff at the Manna Center look to the future, they want to continue to grow, reaching out to as many people possible, that need a helping hand.

We Love Our Volunteers!

During the month of November, we were thrilled to have 155 individuals volunteer with us for a total of 701 hours. We love and appreciate each and every person that comes out and helps us in our warehouse, in our garden, or at one of our Mobile Pantries. We couldn’t do what we do without you! If you are interested in getting involved in our volunteer program, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer . We have a variety of days and times available to fit your schedule.

Thank you for helping us feed those who are food insecure in our region.

Employee Spotlight | Meet two valued members of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!

Thank you to our friends at Great Southern Bank for dropping by with a donation to our organization! We appreciate you and will put this money to good use.

Thank you to our friends at City Title for this wonderful donation! This donation will provide up to 20,000 meals for our neighbors in need.

WHAT'S COOKING??

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || NOVEMBER 2021

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 16:04:40 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – November 10, 2021

The holidays are just around the corner. It is regularly documented about increased stress around the holidays. There are many reasons for this: cooler weather, higher utilities; seasonal jobs such as landscaping slow down; even the fact that we leave for work in the dark and go home in the dark have an impact on each of us. For too many of our neighbors, food insecurity is at the top of their stress list. Our role is to help reduce that stress by putting food in local pantries who in turn distribute it to those in need. The fourth quarter is critical for our continued success. We need your help. Year-end giving helps support us through the lean first quarter of the year. Additional volunteers are needed to work through the food drive items and prepare these items for distribution. For your support, as always, I thank you.

Another event that is just around the corner is my birthday. Now I have had enough of these annual occurrences to view it as just another day so I try not to get overly excited. But this year is a little bit different. It’s not on my actual birthday, but later this month we are having a special volunteer opportunity for children under the age of 13 (our normal cutoff for volunteers). The three older Eikenbabies will be coming to volunteer that evening to work with Pops. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate.

It’s been a while since I excitedly announced the plans of Feed Rogers, a full- service, client choice pantry operated by the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank in partnership with the St. Vincent de Paul Society. I’d like to share a quick update. We are moving forward with the renovations necessary to the building, recruiting an on-site manager, establishing policies and procedures and are on track to open Q1 of 2022. I will share more details as they become available.

As 2021 is drawing to a close, I think now is as good a time as any to give a shout out to five individuals who are rolling off our Board of Directors at the end of the year. Leach Acoach, Shane Acosta, Spencer Tirey, Michele Tyler and Mary Zettle have been instrumental in the growth the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has experienced. Since joining the board in 2015 or 2016, each of these five gave of their time, talent and treasure to make us better. Each of them possess an area of expertise that has been invaluable to me as I transitioned from my 40+ year in the newspaper industry to running a food bank. Because of you, someone will eat today.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

PARTNER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT! SONORA BAPTIST CHURCH

The food pantry at Sonora Baptist Church has one main goal: feed the children that come to their services.

The children in the area are bussed to the church every week for a hot dinner, and some take food home from the pantry when the

parents request it.

“We've had kids actually tell us, this is the best meal that we get all week,” Pastor of Sonora Baptist Church Danny Williams said.

Pastor Williams said that the food pantry was something that the church community was interested in doing in order to help families in the area. Today about 80 kids, and some adults as well, come to the church on Sunday and Wednesday nights for a hot meal.

Although the main source of food for clients of the food pantry are the Wednesday and Sunday meals, Pastor Williams said they also do

their best to send kids home with food to supplement those meals when possible. They use the food that they get from the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and from donations to supplement the meals and ensure that the children in their community and their families have enough to eat. They also try to supplement with household necessities like shampoo and other things that families need.

“We've been doing this for, you know, a good long time,” Pastor Williams said. “So, it's truly been a blessing for us to be able to just see

smiles on kids’ faces that they're getting some food.”

Volunteers for the pantry cook the meals and do a few other jobs. One woman also keeps the pantry stocked and updated to ensure that the food is rotated and that none of it is outdated. Some volunteers deliver meals and supplemental foods to families who are unable to leave the house due to COVID-19.

The pantry is also accepting donations, and those interesting in donating can call the pantry to ask what they are in need of the most. That way, they can be sure to use all of the donations in a timely manner.

Though Sonora has never had to close their doors since COVID-19 hit, things are being done differently right now. They are ordering things online instead of going into stores to see what they need, and they are only serving the hot meals on Wednesday nights for the time being.

Pastor Williams said that the church community has suffered many difficult losses due to COVID-19. Several families have lost members, in some cases the breadwinners, and need help getting back on their feet.

“And I think that's what the food pantry is, to me and my thoughts,” Pastor Williams said, “the food pantry is to help families who are going through a hard time.”

The Sonora Baptist Church Food Pantry hosts their weekly meal for children at 6:30 PM on Wednesdays. They also have several church services and activities on Sundays. Details can be found on their website. They are located at 17330 E. Highway 412 in Springdale, Arkansas.

*ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF PASTOR DANNY WILLIAMS*

HOW WE ARE PUTTING YOUR DOLLARS TO WORK https://www.nwafoodbank.org/donate

In the third quarter of 2021 we had a total of 318 agency reports (118 unique agencies), 39 mobile pantries (13 unique locations), 15 school pantries (12 unique locations) and 12 Tyson mobile pantries (4 unique locations).

Through the hard work of our staff, agencies and community partners together we fed 111,603 households & 305,407 individuals! (11.82% increase in households and 12.27% increase in individuals served compared to Q2 2021!)

From a total of 248,256 responses to the age group questions:

33.03% were children under the age of 18
10.75% were children 6 years or younger
22.28% were children 7 to 17 years old
22.68% were seniors 61 years or older

From a total of 223,955 responses to the county questions:

47.66% live in Washington County
40.29% live in Benton County
8.17% live in Carroll County
2.24% live in Madison County
1.65% live outside of our service area

The Arvest Foundation has awarded our organization with a $6,164.00 grant.

“Each year, the Foundation ask Arvest Bank Benton County to advise the Foundation of outstanding charities doing great work”, according to Naccaman G. Williams, Ed.D., Arvest Foundation. This grant will be used to purchase fresh produce and holiday meal items to be distributed through our Mobile Pantry Program in Benton County.

This grant comes at a time of year when items like this are so important to families that are needing a little extra help to help them enjoy the holidays a little more. Our organization is so thankful for our community partners and the support they give us each and every year.

Thank you, Arvest Foundation for being such a great community partner!

We Love Our Volunteers!

During the month of October, we were thrilled to have 90 individuals volunteer with us for a total of 451 hours. We love and appreciate each and every person that comes out and helps us in our warehouse, in our garden, or at one of our Mobile Pantries. We couldn’t do what we do without you! If you are interested in getting involved in our volunteer program, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer . We have a variety of days and times available to fit your schedule.

Thank you for helping us feed those who are food insecure in our region.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS RAZORBACK TEAMS TACKLE HUNGER BY VOLUNTEERING!

FOOTBALL
Some of the Arkansas Razorback football team members joined our mission and helped tackle hunger in Northwest Arkansas. A group of seven gave over an hour of their time building and packing food boxes that we will be distributing to our neighbors in need at upcoming Mobile Pantries. The guys took on the challenge and packed 66 boxes! We appreciate the hard work they do on and off the field and our neighbors who face food insecurity will be equally as grateful.

More team members are scheduled to come in and volunteer last this month.

SOFTBALL

Looking to knock it out of the park, the Arkansas Razorback softball team joined in on the fun and volunteered with us, too this past month. We had a huge shipment of canned food donations come in without labels, and the ladies worked on getting those labeled for us. All the women were excited to give back to the community and help provide food to our food insecure neighbors! These ladies are class acts on and off the field, and we are so lucky they came in to help us help our neighbors in need.

GO HOGS!

Employee Spotlight | Meet two valued members of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

Buy Wine and Help Others This Holiday Season!

Joel Gott Wines Donates to Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, Through ‘Gott For Good’ Initiative

California-based winemaker will help provide meals to people in need in honor of this holiday season.

In Northwest Arkansas, more than 80,000 people face hunger. Through its “Gott for Good” initiative, Joel Gott Wines will donate to help Northwest Arkansas Food Bank serve our neighbors in need.

Joel Gott introduced the Gott for Good program in 2019 based on his belief that every family deserves to have food on the table. Joel was able to donate to 26 Feeding America member food banks across the country within the first year of the Gott For Good program. Now, as Gott For Good continues its commitment for the third year, the program has been able to increase its reach to make an even greater impact throughout food banks nationwide.

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is one of 131 food banks benefiting from the ‘Gott for Good’ initiative. This holiday season, Joel Gott Wines has made a commitment of a minimum of $250K to be donated.

The program runs until December 31, 2021.

About Joel Gott Wines

Since its founding by Joel and Sarah Gott in 1996 in St. Helena, California, Joel Gott Wines has selected the best fruit from growing regions in California, Oregon and Washington – each blended to create more balanced, clean, complex and elegant wines. More than twenty years later, Joel Gott Wines has maintained a legacy of giving customers expressive and food-friendly wines at great prices by partnering with vintners and vineyards with whom the Gott family has built relationships for generations. The Joel Gott Wines portfolio features five core California wines: 815 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and the Palisades Red Wine Blend. In addition to these core wines, Joel Gott Wines produces a wide range of varietals that are produced from fruit from California and the Pacific Northwest. For more information visit www.gottwines.com .

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || OCTOBER 2021

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 16:05:21 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – October 8, 2021

Imagine a world in which every person in Rogers is food insecure. Every man, woman and child is struggling to put a nutritious meal on the table. Hard to imagine isn’t it? But we live in that world every day. Yes, it’s true. In our service area, the equivalent of the entire population of Rogers is food insecure. But because these 67,000 +/- people are spread over the four counties of Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington, they may go unnoticed. It’s only by giving the number life in a visual manner such as this, do we realize the severity of the problem. Between one in seven and one in eight of our neighbors struggle daily to put food on the table. It’s important to note that these are not always the same people from month to month. Just as some families cycle out of food insecurity, something happens to another family and they take the place of the one who just got out. However, I’ve said it before. Because of your generous support of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank we are able to provide our 135 plus partner agencies with the food necessary to ease the burden of these neighbors. Because of you, someone will eat today.

Last month was Hunger Action Month, sometimes also referred to as Hunger Awareness Month. I am so thankful to all the businesses who held an event, hosted a food drive or volunteered to support our cause. Without your support we could not do what we do. I rarely do this- every supportive action is important to our success and I don’t want to minimize any action- but I do want to give a special shout out to two specific organizations who worked tirelessly to bring the message of food insecurity to Northwest Arkansas.

First, I want to express my deepest appreciation to my co-workers here at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Julie Damer, Director of Marketing for the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, went above and beyond to encourage the staff here at the Food Bank. Julie created and implemented a Bingo game and other contests to engage the team members helping to remind each of us the mission behind our coming to work. It was a fun filled way to show our appreciation to team members who work diligently without regard to their own well being to make sure our neighbors have enough to eat.

All of our media partners are critical to our success and each month one of them steps up and helps us through production of commercials, news stories or by raising money from their readers. This past month, KNWA, an affiliate of NEXSTAR communications, joined the other NEXSTAR stations across the nation to promote Feeding America’s celebration of Hunger Awareness Month in their local markets. General Manager Lisa Kelsey and her team set the standard for other NEXSTAR affiliates to emulate, telling our story nearly every day; so much so that some of my friends accused me of moonlighting as a TV reporter. These are just two examples of the many acts of kindness we encountered during September.

I have one more special shout out. This time to a group of young people who gave up their Saturday morning to come pack boxes which will be distributed through our school pantry program. Last Saturday, while I was in Manhattan, Kansas watching the Oklahoma Sooners beat my K-State Wildcats (which is another story for another time) the Razorback Women’s Basketball team attacked packing boxes with the same intensity that they attack the basketball court. Coach Mike Neighbors is a great supporter of the Food Bank and really works hard to instill a sense of community in his team. Thank you, my friend, for all you do to make Northwest Arkansas a better place to live.

I invite each of you to take the time to attend a game or two. You will certainly be impressed by the effort and performance the team shows.

Woo Pig Sooie!

It’s hard to believe but 2021- Q4 is here. This year has been one of those unique years where one day it seems like the year is dragging and the next the days are flying by. Regardless, year end is just around the corner. Last year many people used the term unprecedented. I would say the same describes this year. I want to express my deepest appreciation to each of you who have supported us over this past year. Without your sharing of your time, talent and treasure we would not have been able to collect or purchase, then distribute almost exactly the same amount of food as last year, which was a record year by far. That tells me the need has not gone down, so as much as I hate to ask, as the year comes to a close, please consider helping us help those in need.

In closing, I would like to once more say that the battle against food insecurity is too large for one group to take on alone. We have to have your help. For that I am eternally grateful and proud to say “Because of you someone will eat today.”

WE APPRECIATE OUR COMMUNITY SUPPORT!

Kent Eikenberry, President/CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank accepts a check representing a $5000.00 donation from the Chase Foundation Representing the Chase Foundation are Susan Chase and John Bakker.

The Chase Foundation supports food insecurity in older adults.

PARTNER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT! JANE B. GEARHART FULL CIRCLE FOOD PANTRY

The Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry was founded in 2011, making their 10-year anniversary this year.

It began when a student at the University of Arkansas named Julia noticed that students at dining halls were stuffing food into their backpacks later in the week because they weren't going to have enough meal swipes to feed them over the weekend.

She brought this to the attention of people on campus and the Center for Community Engagement at the University of Arkansas decided to start the Full Circle Food Pantry on campus. The first month they were open, they served about 12 clients. And now, ten years later, they are serving upwards of 100 each month.

Today, the Full Circle Food Pantry operates under a Registered Student Organization called the Volunteer Action Center (VAC) at the University of Arkansas. The VAC falls under the Center for Community Engagement.

Briana Roden, now a senior at the U of A, has been involved with the pantry since her freshman year. It began with her applying to be a volunteer, and now she is serving as the chair of the pantry.

“We are completely student-driven and student-run,” Briana said. “We have, I believe, three staff members that are in the Center for Community Engagement that technically advise all the students, but one of my advisors likes to joke that she gets paid to not tell her students how to run a food pantry.”

Briana said there are nine student board members, and seven of those are completely volunteer. Each board member overseas a different department of the pantry. One focuses on food drives. One deals with social media, and another deals with the Mobile Express, to name some examples.

Outside of the board members, there is a volunteer base of about 50 students each semester. It can fluctuate, based on applications and availability. Volunteers of the pantry take care of the garden when the weather permits, restock shelves, fill orders for clients, and other behind-the-scenes jobs. Those interested in volunteering fill out an application on the pantry's website listing their availability and explaining why they want to volunteer for the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry.

The pantry serves affiliates of the University of Arkansas or UAMS. Affiliates range from students and workers of the University and even to external cleaning organizations hired by fraternity and sorority houses, for example.

The pantry has allotted times during the week that clients can come pick up food, but they have recently also implemented locker rooms outside of the pantry that allow people to come outside of designated hours.

“There's a stigma around food insecurity and food pantries,” Briana said. “And so sometimes, you know, people may not want to be seen visiting a food pantry and our lockers provide that kind of just kind of privacy that they can come at any time to pick up that order.”

The February before COVID-19 hit, Brianna said the pantry was feeding about 700 to 800 household members per month. Between the March and August after COVID-19 hit, they were feeding between 1400 and 1500 household members per month, almost a 100% increase. Currently, they are serving about 500 household members per month, but Briana said when students return for the school year she thinks that number will get closer to about 800.

While originally the pantry offered client choice via a form the clients filled out, because of COVID-19 the pantry switched to making fast bags that have a little bit of everything. Now, however, they're trying to bring back some of the client choice by setting up outdoors and providing a whiteboard with extras such as fresh produce that clients can ask for. On slower days, clients are also welcome to come inside to wait for their order.

People interested in making donations can leave them in the white bin outside of the pantry building. Briana said they receive individual donations, but often get group donations from clubs and organizations on campus, local churches and organizations, or fraternities and sororities on campus. The pantry just asks that larger donations are not made on Wednesdays, because that is the day fresh produce is delivered and they often have long lines of people waiting to pick up food before they even open.

They deliver their mobile deliveries on Tuesdays and Fridays and fill locker orders on whatever day they're placed for. They ask that clients come no more than twice a week since with every order they provide a three-day supply of food. If a non-affiliate of the University of Arkansas or UAMS comes to the pantry, Briana said they will give them food that time, but direct them to a food pantry or organization that can serve their needs.

The pantry is open on Mondays from 11am to 3pm, Wednesdays from 3pm to 6pm, and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm during the school year, starting on August 23rd. They are located at 324 Stadium Drive (WAHR C204).

*ALL PHOTOS TAKEN FROM THE FULL CIRCLE FOOD PANTRY FACEBOOK PAGE*

We Love Our Volunteers!

During the month of September, we were thrilled to have 78 individuals volunteer with us for a total of 353 hours. We love and appreciate each and every person that comes out and helps us in our warehouse, in our garden, or at one of our Mobile Pantries. We couldn’t do what we do without you! If you are interested in getting involved in our volunteer program, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer . We have a variety of days and times available to fit your schedule.

Thank you for helping us feed those who are food insecure in our region.

GO HOGS!

The Razorback Women’s Basketball team traded in their jerseys for a volunteer name tag on a recent Saturday and donated their time to help those who are food insecure in Northwest Arkansas by packing food boxes. In true Razorback style, they beat the record for most food boxes created during a volunteer shift, nearly doubling the former record, by packing 720 boxes that will provide more than 4,900 meals to neighbors in our communities. The team ended the volunteer shift with a quick huddle, chanting family on me, family on 3. One, two, three and in unison they all said family. You could feel their excitement to help out their community. We are so appreciative for their support and when they want to beat that 720 box record, we’ll be ready!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

These two super volunteers are such a blessing to our organization and those we serve. To honor their commitment to helping others, they were recently recognized as our 2021 Hunger Hero Award winners. This honor and award is normally presented at our annual Jewels of Giving Gala, which has to be cancelled this year. We did, however, throw a small surprise party in their honor to present them with their awards and celebrate them.

We are so thankful for their service and for choosing the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank to donate their time and smiles to.

PLEASE VISIT ONE OF THESE PARTICIPATING LOCATIONS TO DONATE

Gentry, AR 300 S. Gentry Blvd.

Siloam Springs, AR 201 Hwy 412

Elkins, AR 1951 N. Center St.

Rogers, AR 715 N. 2nd Street

Springdale, AR 2894 West Sunset

Springdale, AR 1308 N. Thompson

Springdale, AR 1945 Butterfield Coach Road

Centerton, AR 710 W. Centerton Blvd

Springdale, AR 1007 Jones Road

Fayetteville, AR 1189 N. Garland

Fayetteville, AR 1780 N. Crossover Road

Fayetteville, AR 3055 N. College

Fayetteville, AR 1274 Colorado Drive

Prairie Grove, AR 319 E. Buchanan St.

West Fork, AR 266 Three Dog Lane

Bentonville, AR 1209 N. Walton Blvd

Huntsville, AR 115 Lee St.

Bella Vista, AR 404 Town Center NE

Lincoln, AR 310 W. Pridemore

Gravette, AR 800 1st Ave SE

Lowell, AR 916 W. Monroe Ave.

Employee Spotlight | Meet two valued members of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

IN THE GARDEN

We have some exciting things happening in our garden this Fall that will help extend our growing season. A new caterpillar tunnel has been installed at the Teaching Garden at our Springdale location. It traps heat, like a greenhouse, allowing us to grow on the "shoulders" of the normal growing season. With it, we will be able to grow things like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard all winter long. And, we will be able to start summer crops, like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers earlier in the spring.

The staff of Cobblestone Farm in Fayetteville (Kelton - Executive Director, Josh - Produce Manager, and Ellen - Assistant Produce Manager) donated their time to help build it.

The tunnel itself was paid for by an anonymous donor.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || SEPTEMBER 2021

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 14:53:23 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – September 9, 2021

September is Hunger Action Month. It is a time when food banks across the Feeding America network work together to tell the story of food insecurity. I also think it is an appropriate time to share that our staff is dedicated to making Northwest Arkansas a better place to live by their involvement in activities outside of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Here is a partial list of things we are involved in:

*Leadership roles in our respective churches, including serving as an usher, on the church council, youth leaders, small group leaders

*Mentor to young ladies and young men

*Active in Alumni Associations from a variety of colleges and universities

*Active in the National Charity League

*Active in our homeowner associations

*Provide a dog to the VA as a support animal

*Sign up voters

*Leadership roles in several other 501c3 organizations; Ozark Literacy Council, Salvation Army, Network of Executive Women, Rotary International, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Special Olympics, Miss Amazing

*Volunteer with SOAR

*Volunteer youth sports coaches

*Washington County Master Gardeners

*Blood donors

*Swim coaches

*Language coaches

*CASA volunteers

*Adopt a trail

*Horses for Healing

*Miracle League

*Arkansas Children’s Hospital volunteer

*Support staff of other not for profit organizations

*Active in all area chambers of commerce

*Circle of Life

*Local Humane Societies

*After school programs

*Komen Ozark

I’m sure there are more, but this list gives you an idea of the depth that our staff is involved in everyday life.

There are several activities going on locally for Hunger Action Month. Please be sure to check out our website or follow us on social media to learn more details of how you can support us through third party events.

In case you have forgotten, I have, since 2018, established my “orange challenge.” To restate, orange is the color representing food insecurity. Our logo, No Kids Hungry, The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and Feeding America all have orange as an integral color. Any opportunity I get to bring attention to the need is a success. Monetary donations help pay the bills. Money helps put food on the tables of those in need. Advocacy is equally as important. Too many people are hungry and too few people realize the need is a great as it is. I have been proud to wear orange every September and encourage you to do likewise. You might also keep an eye out when you watch the local news stations. You will see some orange pop up.

Thank you all for your continued support of the Food Bank and our mission. We could not and can not serve our neighbors without your help.

Because of you, someone will eat today.

K

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank “Nourishing Northwest Arkansas Communities by Feeding Hungry People” Phone: (479) 872-8774 Fax: (479) 872-8777 1378 June Self Drive Springdale, AR 72764 www.nwafoodbank.org

August 16, 2021

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank announces plans to open FEED ROGERS, a full service, client choice food pantry at 212 South 13th. Following renovations, the pantry will open in late 2021 or early 2022. FEED ROGERS will emulate the normal shopping experience allowing the food insecure individual to choose with dignity the food his or her family will use.

“When we allow our neighbors to choose their own food, we're giving them the power to write their own story. We're encouraging a dignified experience where neighbors feel respected by staff and volunteers, and hopefully breaking down the barrier of giver and receiver,” Sabrina Thiede, director of programs for the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank said.

FEED ROGERS will be open extended days and hours to accommodate those neighbors who are working but still need some help putting food on the table, eventually operating 5 days per week. The location was chosen specifically due to it’s proximity to the Center for Non-profits and the Community Clinic, both existing partners of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank who offer services to enhance the entire life of the neighbors who will use the pantry.

“The main idea behind Feed Rogers is to change the food pantry model from transitional to transformational. People who are living in poverty and that are food insecure often feel isolated and full of stress and anxiety. By working with other community partners, we can work closely with our neighbors to create a safe environment where help and healing coexist and our neighbors are on a path to self-empowerment,” Thiede added.

The pantry will open with a combination of paid staff and volunteers. The St. Vincent de Paul Society of the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church is a founding partner in this venture and will provide many of the volunteers, but volunteering is open to anyone interested.

“We are really excited about this joint venture between the food bank and St. Vincent de Paul. They are a strong partner agency, and are enthusiastic about the potential FEED ROGERS has.” Kent Eikenberry, President and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank said.

According to Thiede, “Opening this pantry will give us an opportunity to test out ways to make the pantry experience better for the neighbor which can be implemented in our other 135 partner food pantries.”

“Having a food bank operated pantry has been part of our strategic plan since we saw what our sister food banks in Oklahoma City and Dallas were doing with their “teaching pantries.” I do want to assure our other partner agencies in Rogers that we will continue to work together and support them as they continue their mission to help feed our neighbors. Unfortunately, as Northwest Arkansas continues to grow, more and more individuals are food insecure. FEED ROGERS will be a great way to test ways to better serve our community.” Eikenberry added.

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (a 501c3 organization) was estab lished in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the need for hunger assistance in Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll counties. In 2020 the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed more than 13.25 million meals. Together with more than 130partner agencies, we are able to reach out to those in need; providing nutritious food to children, the working poor and senior citizens. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and a founding member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

Hunger Action Day is September 17th. Plan how YOU can make a difference in the life of someone in the Northwest Arkansas region on this date. Be sure to tag us in your social media posts!

PARTNER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT! SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL

The Saint Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Rogers was started about 12 years ago by a man named Tony. The pantry is a chapter of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Mother Teresa Conference, an international conference.

Pete Metzger operates the food pantry, and he said the chapter has the responsibility for helping people that come to them if they can’t pay a utility bill, for example. After a prayer and a home visit they most likely will pay that bill.

“It’s a wonderful conference,” Pete said, “and we are proud to be a part of them.”

Over the years, the pantry has grown from a shed on a property to a full house. This growth has allowed the Saint Vincent de Paul Food Pantry to serve about 40 to 60 people per day before COVID-19, and around 20 per day now according to Pete.

When COVID-19 hit, the pantry moved from allowing clients inside the building, to a pre-bagging and drive-through/pick-up system. With the surge in cases and the Delta variant making a comeback in Arkansas, Pete said they have decided to stick to that system for now.

Although the number of neighbors coming to the pantry dwindled amidst COVID-19, Pete says people are starting to come back.

With the drive-through system, Pete said those picking up the food come by in their cars and form a line to check-in. If they are not registered with the pantry, a volunteer will collect their information and, if applicable, get them registered for USDA food as well as registered with the pantry itself. Then the pre-bagged food is brought out to the waiting cars.

The USDA food is given out once a month, and the St. Vincent de Paul pantry allows less fortunate neighbors to come twice a month.

Pete said there is a bank of about 109 volunteers for the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. They do a range of jobs on the different days and times the pantry is open. Some of these jobs include restocking, packing food bags, driving to collect donations and purchases, and making food purchases.

“You know, it's a wonderful job as far as I'm concerned,” Pete said. “It's feeding the poor. And that's what we are here to do. And all the people, all my volunteers are very dedicated to that.”

Anyone interested in volunteering fills out a form for the pantry with their name, address, telephone number, email, and the days of the week on which they would like to volunteer. There are several volunteer shifts throughout the week that interested individuals can sign up for.

Pete said bout 85-90% of the food the pantry passes out is from the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. The rest of the food comes from donations made by stores and vendors in the area as well as the St. Vincent de Paul School donates once a month.

Individuals are also welcome to make donations to the pantry. Pete said if they call ahead, they can schedule a time to drop off the donations.

Pete said the pantry also has Sharing and Caring weekend on the last weekend of the month. The week before, the church bulletin posts a list of needs and wants for the food pantry, and the Saturday of Sharing and Caring weekend the donations are brought to the church. And on Sunday, the pantry brings a van and collects the donations.

The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry gives out food on Monday from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, Tuesday from 10am to 12pm, Thursday from 9am to 11am, and Saturday from 9am to 11am. They are located at 1413 W Poplar Street, across from the main entrance to the church.

*ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF PETE METZGER*

We Love Our Volunteers!

During the month of August, we were thrilled to have 87 individuals volunteer with us for a total of 424 hours. We love and appreciate each and every person that comes out and helps us in our warehouse, in our garden, or at one of our Mobile Pantries. We couldn’t do what we do without you! If you are interested in getting involved in our volunteer program, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer . We have a variety of days and times available to fit your schedule.

Thank you for helping us feed those who are food insecure in our region.

IN THE GARDEN

- We will be hosting our Harvest of the Month event on Saturday, September 11 from 8:30-10am at our Teaching Garden. This event is open to the public, and the focus of this month’s workshop will be composting.

- Starting this month, we will be constructing a caterpillar tunnel in the Teaching Garden. This structure is like a greenhouse and will allow us to grow crops later into the fall/winter and start crops earlier in the spring.

- We have garden volunteer shifts available every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8-10am. Individuals and groups can register; all volunteers must be vaccinated.

For any questions regarding our garden programs or to register for an event, please contact nena.evans@nwafoodbank.org. You can also register online via our Facebook page under Events.

We have made the difficult decision to cancel our Jewels of Giving Gala that was scheduled for September 18, 2021. We decided to take this action to do our part to help keep everyone safe during this pandemic. Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

We have continued to see an increase in the amount of food we are needing to purchase. To date, we have spent $1,249,850 compared to $888,960 this date last year. We are dedicated to feeding our neighbors and have added four Mobile Pantry distributions for a total of sixteen and have also added nine new School Pantries for a total of fifteen. We are still dedicated as ever to combatting hunger in our community.

We look forward to seeing you at the Jewels of Giving Gala in 2022!

We would like to thank the following businesses for their sponsorship of our Gala.

We are thankful for each and every one of you and your commitment to us and our to helping those we serve.

2021 JOG SPONSORS

Presenting Sponsor- Unilever

Platter Sponsor- Campbell’s, KraftHeinz

Dinner Plate Sponsor- The Bottle Crew

Lunch Plate Sponsor- Cargill and Sam’s Furniture

Salad Plate Sponsor- Juanita’s Foods

Dessert Plate Sponsor-

Amfund

AT&T

Bailey & Oliver

Celebrate Arkansas

Central States Manufacturing

Crystal Farms Dairy

Devereux Real Estate Investments

First Security Bank

Great Southern Bank

Harps

HFA

Nabholz

Nestle Nutrition

NWA Democrat Gazette

Pepper Source

Reynolds Consumer Products

Shirley’s Flower Studio

Spectrum Brands

Whataburger

Employee Spotlight | Meet two valued members of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || AUGUST 2021

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 19:41:59 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – AUGUST 9, 2021

So it has been a while since I bragged on any of the Eikenbabies. The Eikengirls, Stella and Hattie never cease to make me a proud Pops. The most recent moment came when the family gathered to spend the evening with out of town relatives when Hattie greeted me with “Poppy, we have a surprise for you.” Being somewhat cautious, I said “really what is it?” She proceeded to give me a baggie full of coins and crumpled up bills which was the money they made from a lemonade stand for the Food Bank. Their project resulted in providing about 500 meals and, as I said earlier, made for one proud Pops.

I typically try to share positive antidotes in my monthly column. For the most part I try to live my life looking at the glass half full. However, it is hard for me to put a positive spin on this. After much consideration and in order to provide the safest work environment for our staff and volunteers, we have instituted some new guidelines for volunteers. Our complete volunteer policy is available on our website, but here are the highlights:

• All volunteers must confirm they are fully vaccinated, and must wear a mask at all times they are in the warehouse. We will continue to limit the number of volunteers to 10. No volunteers under the age of 13 will be accepted.

We also have had to adjust the way we process neighbors at mobile pantry.

• Effective July 26, 2021, we will only be able to load product in the car trunk or truck bed due to COVID restrictions. If there is not enough room in the trunk or truck bed, we will kindly place the items on a table for the client to load themselves.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

+ Add Section

It is important to remember that these precautions are taken to protect you, your families, and the thousands of people we serve every day and are not intended to be punitive. Thank you for your understanding.

Man is it hot outside or what? I want to give a shout out to our staff and volunteers who are working hard in trying conditions every time we have a mobile pantry. Each month, our team and volunteers make 16 stops handing out food boxes, frozen protein and fresh produce to our neighbors who, for one reason or another, need to drive through and receive our help. If you are interested in volunteering to help at the truck or aiding in collecting data, please check out the volunteer tab on our website. In the meantime, if you happen to stop by one of the mobile pantries, let the folks know how much you appreciate their efforts.

Speaking of hot. Please be careful out there. Stay hydrated and take care of yourself. Have a great month…Remember September is Hunger Action Month. We have lots planned so stay tuned.

I can never thank you all enough but will always appreciate what you do.

Because of you, someone will eat today.

Kent

Employee Spotlight Meet two valued members of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

IN THE GARDEN

HOW WE ARE PUTTING YOUR DOLLARS TO WORK https://www.nwafoodbank.org/donate

In the second quarter of 2021, we had a total of 333 partner agency reports (119 unique agencies), 40 mobile pantries (13 unique locations), 28 school pantries (12 unique locations) and 9 Tyson sponsored mobile pantries (4 unique locations).

Through the hard work of our staff, volunteers, partner agencies and community partners, together we fed 99,805 households & 272,034 individuals! (3.68% decrease in households and .008% decrease in individuals served compared to Q1 2021)

From a total of 201,255 responses to the race/ethnicity questions:

• 56.85% identified as White

• 29.90% identified as Hispanic

• 5.28% identified as Marshallese

• 3.54% identified as Black/African American

• 1.31% identified as Native American

• 1.11% identified as Multiracial

• 2.01% identified as "Other"

From a total of 218,115 responses to the age group questions:

• 33.38% were children under the age of 18

• 11.38% were children 6 years or younger

• 22% were children 7 to 17 years old

• 21.87% were seniors 61 years or older

From a total of 196,439 responses to the county questions:

• 47.74% live in Washington County

• 42.03% live in Benton County

• 6.89% live in Carroll County

• 2.02% live in Madison County

• 1.29% live outside of our service area

Every dollar you donate helps provide up to 8 meals to those in need right here in our region. To make a secure donation, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/donate . We appreciate you helping us feed your neighbors in need!

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDINGMOBILE PANTRIES!

Effective July 26, 2021, we will only be able to load product in the car trunk or truck bed due to COVID restrictions. If there is not room in the car trunk or truck bed, we will kindly place the items on a table for the client to load in their vehicle. We are doing this to help keep everyone as safe as possible.

PARTNER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT! WINSLOW COMMUNITY MEALS, INC.

The Winslow Community Meals, Inc. is known today by many Arkansas citizens, but had very humble and honorable beginnings. In the early 1980’s, a group of women realized that there were no restaurants nearby in which to cook a hot meal. They decided to put together a lunch kitchen.

Over time, the operation continued to grow and serve more people in more ways. They connected with the AR Choice Program and started delivering the hot meals to homebound seniors, people with disabilities, and others who for one reason or another could not get out of the house to pick up the meals themselves.

“And we've been serving meals continuously here ever since then,” said Facility Manager Sandra Burton.

Sandra has worked with Winslow Community Meals, Inc. for over 15 years. She said she is proud that there are some individuals who have not ever needed to leave their home to receive food.

“It’s just so important to some of these people to be able to stay home,” Sandra said. “And, you know, to not have to go into assisted living and those types of situations. It’s just been so gratifying knowing that we helped make that happen.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic was ramping up, the pantry turned to a completely take-out procedure, Sandra said. They pre-packaged the meals using bags and Tupperware and passed it out to those waiting in their cars or outside. The pantry continued to encourage as much choice as possible, allowing the clients to pick their salad dressing and other parts of the meals if possible.

Now, however, Winslow Community Meals is continuing their take-out option, but also once again allowing in-person dining. The capacity for the indoor dining is 12 people, and it is done using the first come, first served basis.

Although the official serving time in 11:30am to 12:30pm on Monday through Friday, Sandra said if diners arrive early or late they will serve them if they can.

Sandra said all of the staff at Winslow has been vaccinated, and they alert the diners of this when they come in. They ask that unvaccinated individuals keep their masks on, but the diners who have been vaccinated may remove them.

In return for the meals, the Winslow pantry asks for a $5 donation if the client is able.

“Maybe three fourths of the people give us something each day,” Sandra said. “But we do have some people that just can't afford it. We just give them their meals for free.”

All of the cooking, serving, and delivery driving done at the Winslow Community Meals building is done by volunteers. In fact, there is only one paid position – the cook, Tina.

Those interested in volunteering can serve in a few different positions. There are the drivers who deliver the meals to those who cannot leave their homes, volunteers to help chop vegetables, dishwashers, and other kitchen-related tasks.

While during COVID-19 Winslow Community Meals stopped allowing outside volunteers to come in, they are now welcomed to come back and serve. Sandra said they ask that the volunteers be vaccinated, and when they come in ensure that they are showing no signs of illness.

“Right now, our most critical need is people to come in and actually take the meals from the kitchen to the diners and then clean up the dining room afterwards,” Sandra said.

Winslow also helps out at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Mobile Pantry every third Saturday of the month. Those picking up boxes from the pantry simply drive through and pick up the food.

Winslow Community Meals, Inc. is located at 1057 Ella Road in Winslow. They are open on Monday through Friday from 9am to 2pm, and serve their take-out or dine-in meals from 11:30am to 12:30pm on those days.

We Love Our Volunteers!

During the month of July, we had 130 volunteers serve a total of 589 hours. We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers! If you would like to sign up to help feed your neighbors in need, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer to find a day and time that will work with your schedule.

We appreciate you!

COVID UPDATE TO OUR VOLUNTEER POLICY:

In order to keep everyone in our warehouse as safe as possible, the following is effective as of July 26, 2021.

*All volunteers must be fully vaccinated to volunteer with us

*Minimum age to volunteer with an adult is 13 years old

*Minimum age to volunteer alone is 16 years old

*All volunteers will be required to wear a mask while they are volunteering with us

*We will maintain a 6 -foot distance requirement for all volunteers while working in the warehouse

*The maximum number of volunteers at one time is limited to 10

*Special dates and times will be available for those with younger children who want to volunteer

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation! We appreciate you!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || JUNE 2021

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 13:49:23 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – JUNE 10, 2021

Even the best suffers writer’s block sometimes. This month it has hit me hard. Every time I sit down to write my newsletter column I find something more pressing. So, if you will indulge me, I would like to reprint a column I wrote back in 2017 which in my opinion does a deep dive into the long-term impact of food insecurity. I’ll be back with a new column next month. I promise…

Do you recall how many times as a child you were asked to use your imagination? I can remember playing baseball by myself. I was the pitcher, the batter and the fielders in an imaginary baseball game in my yard. I remember how the stock rack for our truck magically transformed to become a jailhouse for an imaginary game of cowboys and bandits. I’m sure that more than once, I made the winning free throw with no time remaining on the clock.

At least in my imagination I did.

As an adult I imagine slightly different things. I remember a song written and performed by John Lennon called “Imagine.” The best-selling single of his solo career, its lyrics encourage the listener to imagine a world at peace without the barriers of borders or the divisions of religion and nationality, and to consider the possibility that the whole of humanity would live unattached to material possessions. While I agree with the lofty goal put forth by this song, I invite you to take a little less global, but more local look into the word, Imagine.

Let’s look at the life cycle of two food insecure neighbors. Jimmy and Sally get up in the morning and head off to school hungry. It is a proven fact that a child suffering from food insecurity is less attentive in the classroom. They struggle to stay focused. They struggle to learn. They struggle to keep up with the other students and to advance with the rest of their class.

Let’s fast forward a few years. Jimmy, Sally and their classmates are 17 or 18 years old. Their classmates are all on track to graduate high school, have made their selections for college, technical school, the military or whatever and are ready to move on with their life.

Meanwhile, Jimmy and Sally still lag behind without the background to pursue higher education. They are destined to go straight into the work force and in many cases continue to live day-to-day, struggling to put food on the table.

A few more years down the road, Jimmy and Sally have married and have children. They continue to work at, or close to a minimum wage job. They go to bed at night not knowing which of the bills they can afford to pay that month. They wake the next morning wondering if they have the food to keep their children from heading off to school hungry as they did.

Just as Jimmy and Sally struggled through school, they struggle as employees. Food insecure individuals lead a less healthy life style and miss more work than their co-workers. Just as they were less attentive in school they are less productive at work. The cycle continues.

A few more years down the road, Jimmy and Sally are now senior citizens. Sally has been sick. Now Jimmy and Sally have to decide if they can buy the medicine to make Sally better. If they do, there may not be enough money left to buy groceries. They are still hungry. To make matters worse, their grandchildren are coming to visit, so Jimmy and Sally wonder what they will feed them. The cycle continues.

Now, I encourage you to imagine how you can help break this cycle. You have heard me say, or have read, that through our membership in Feeding America, and by partnering with other Food Banks, we are able to buy in quantity. By purchasing in quantity and using donated food, we are able to provide up to 10 meals for every dollar donated to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

Last year we distributed nearly 16 million pounds of food. Food that comes in one door of our warehouse, and out another door to one of more than 130 partner agencies who in turn give it to the food insecure of Northwest Arkansas. Food that will end up in the tummy of Jimmy, Sally and thousands of other children suffering without enough to eat.

As we begin to see recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic, I ask you to join the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank in our mission to nourish Northwest Arkansas communities by feeding hungry people. If one dollar can provide up to 10 meals, imagine what your most generous donation will do. Thank you for your continued support and thank you in advance for your future generosity.

Because of you, someone will eat today.

Kent

PARTNER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT! BREAD OF LIFE

The Bread of Life food pantry has been around for almost 30 years. In fact, next year will be its 30th anniversary. It began with a small group led by the pastor at the time of the First United Methodist Church in Springdale. According to Joshua Bland, the Director of Missions and Outreach at First Church Springdale, the goal of Bread of Life has always been the same. And that goal is to answer the question:

“What can we do to better love our neighbors that we aren’t already doing?” Joshua said.

Joshua said that he has watched the pantry grow and adapt a lot over time, because while Springdale and the surrounding area has changed tremendously over the last 30 years…

“The need for food and the battle against food insecurity…” he said, “this is not a new problem.”

The pantry started in the basement of the chapel of First Church Springdale when it was opened, but since has been moved to its own independent building. The chapel has even been recently renovated.

“This ministry is going to continue to adapt and to respond,” Joshua said.

And that mindset of adaptation is exactly what allowed Bread of Life to continue serving the community even amid COVID-19. The church has rallied together in prayer, support, and generosity since the pantry opened almost 30 years ago, but Joshua said it has done so even more since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When asked how COVID-19 has affected the food pantry and how it runs, Joshua said: “A better question might be ‘how hasn’t it?’”

From March to October of 2020, Bread of Life operated on a drive-through only basis. From March to September of 2020 the only people entering the building were the small teams that prepared the pre-packaged food that was brought out to clients waiting in their cars. Joshua said that despite the greater need in the community, Bread of Life saw their numbers lessen as more and more places popped up to help the community. This spread the workload and allowed Bread of Life to keep their doors open and continue serving those in need.

During the drive-through phase, everyone would get the same pre-packaged food. However, now Bread of Life has reopened their doors and, following COVID-19 regulations, allows client choice once again. They have also reopened limited financial assistance in their building, which Joshua said is great because that is not something that can be done via a drive-through. The hardest part, though, has been losing parts of the conversation and relations side of the pantry. “One of the greatest needs of our community has just been, and continues to be,” Joshua said, “having someone to talk to about what’s going on.”

Bread of Life reopened their building in November, allowing for more conversation between clients and volunteers, but it is not the same. They want to help people not only physically by giving them food, but also mentally and emotionally.

Bread of Life does this by doing the best they can to tailor help to each person individually. Volunteers are available in the lobby to talk so they can get a better idea of how to best help each client. Bread of Life never stopped utilizing volunteers, but the numbers have dropped. Before the pandemic they had 25-30 volunteers, now they have about 13-18 tops.

Volunteers check the guests in, visit with them, work in the office, walk food out to cars, and work in the warehouse or storage areas stocking, packing, and storing food items. “There are a lot of moving parts, truly,” Joshua said, “but it’s incredible to see.”

Donations have also continued to come in throughout the pandemic. Joshua said the community, both in the church and in Springdale as a whole, has been so generous throughout the pandemic. Even if they could not donate the usual food items, Joshua said people were creative with their donations. Some people even sent items like toilet paper directly to the church from online sites like Amazon Prime.

“Even when families couldn’t come and give,” Joshua said, “they were being creative in how they were able to connect and engage.”

Businesses that have been partnered with the food pantry for years also showed their generosity during these times. They continued to do food drives and give monetarily to the pantry despite all the uncertainty. “The generosity of our community has been astounding in many ways,” Joshua said.

Joshua said Bread of Life wants to do their best to feed the community and build a sense of community. They want to be a place where neighbors know they are loved and welcome. “That,” Joshua said, “is the heartbeat of this ministry.”

Bread of Life is located at 208 W Emma Ave in Springdale.

HOW WE ARE PUTTING YOUR DOLLARS TO WORK https://www.nwafoodbank.org/donate

Employee Spotlight || Meet two valued members of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

DID YOU KNOW?

We Love Our Volunteers!

We love our volunteers and wanted to show them a little extra love in May with a Volunteer Appreciation Cookout. The weather didn’t cooperate for our planned outdoor event, so it turned into an indoor luncheon, but that didn’t hamper the excitement we had getting to celebrate with some of our volunteers. Good food, good people, some door prizes and a lot of thankfulness filled the warehouse that day.

For the month of May, we had 123 volunteers serve a total of 486 hours. We have added some additional volunteer opportunities and times, so please make sure you visit our website.

www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer

to sign up for a time that fits your schedule. We appreciate you!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || MAY 2021

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 20:22:13 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – MAY 10, 2021

Recently I played in the Mercy Foundation Golf Tournament. While that does not equate to earth shattering news, it does indicate to me that we are taking steps to return to a normal life, whatever that is. Everyone has heard the old saying, “a bad day on the golf course is better than a good day in the office.” I’m not sure I believe that, but Monday was truly a great day. I had a day. I enjoyed spending time with my playing partners in absolutely perfect golf weather. It was like the golf gods were rewarding us all for 15 months of being sequestered in our houses. However, at the risk of being a downer, the situation we have all experienced is far from being over. Yes, cases are decreasing. The number of our vaccinated neighbors is increasing. Treatments for those infected with COVID are improving. But the lingering impact of the economic downturn will be with us for the foreseeable future.

A recent article in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette stated that there are still thousands of hospitality workers without jobs and that many of them who have returned to work are working less hours thus bringing home less money in their paycheck. Couple that with the rising cost of living, the gap appears to be widening. I remember my mom and dad had a sign hanging in their kitchen, “Why is there always so much of the month left at the end of the money?” For thousands in Northwest Arkansas and beyond, there is even more month left than before.

Fortunately for those persons, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and our 135 partner agencies are there to help when the need arises. We can only help those folks with your help, so thank you for supporting our mission.

Speaking of events, I’m excited about the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks Chefs in the Garden event coming up in a couple of weeks. Tuesday, May 25, area chefs will gather at the Botanical Garden for an evening of mingling and tasting. I’m excited for two reasons. One, for the first time since they began the event, my calendar is free and will allow Diana and me to attend. Secondly, the evening will help fight food insecurity as they will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Food Bank. Tickets are available now by going to their website https://www.bgozarks.org/ . I hope to see you there.

Have you been to the Rogers Historical Museum at 313 South Second in Rogers? You may be wondering where I am going with this. The museum holds a special place in my heart. You see, when I moved to Rogers in 1986 to become the Advertising Director of the Northwest Arkansas Morning News it was located at 313 South Second in Rogers. My introduction to Northwest Arkansas was in that building. I was blessed to have a boss who encouraged me to get involved in the community. I cannot thank him enough as that involvement led me to the Food Bank nearly 30 years later, but I digress. Rogers is celebrating its 140 th birthday this year. One part of the celebration is the creation of a time vault to be opened in 2081 during the city’s bicentennial celebration. I don’t intend to be around for the opening of the vault, but I will be part of the celebration as I have been asked to write a little bit about the role the Food Bank has played in serving the community of Rogers and beyond. Thank you Serena for giving me this opportunity.

Kent's contribution for the time capsule

I hope that in 60 years, those of you reading this will have to look in a history book to see what a Food Bank was. However, I fear that will not be the case. Founded in 1988, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank believes that one hungry person is one too many. Today that thought rings true in whatever we do. Food insecurity is a silent problem in Northwest Arkansas, multiplied because of the COVID 19 pandemic. The economic fallout caused thousands of persons to visit a food pantry for the first time ever this past year. But true to Rogers spirit, 2021 proved to me that as a community, no matter what problem was thrown at us, collectively we will work together to solve it. Through generous donations of time, talent and treasure, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed enough food for every food insecure resident to have reasonable access to the nutritious food they needed to survive. In closing, I want to thank the future supports of the food bank and state, “Because of You, someone will eat today.”

This was taken from my May 2017 column. Four years later, this still rings true, perhaps even more so as the community works to recover from the devastation caused by the pandemic. “This is the first May since 1960 since at least one of the Eikenberry household was not looking forward to the end of school. After all those years of school then all those years of Diana teaching, “schools out for summer” was a common battle cry. Today, I look at summer vacation differently. I think about the thousands of children who are food insecure and don’t have the safety net of the school lunch program for nourishment. There are several groups with whom we are working to address this need but we need your help. Your donation to the food bank during the summer helps us put food in the hands of those who need it the most. One hungry child is one too many”

I want to close by thanking everyone for their continued support. I wish I had time to thank each of you personally. I cannot put into words the gratitude I feel every time we receive a note of encouragement, a phone call or a monetary donation, no matter the size. I know you have given of yourself to help make life a little better for those who need our help. My pledge to you is that we will continue to be a good steward of the treasures you have shared with us and that we will work hard to be better tomorrow than we are today.

Have a great day.

Because of you someone will eat today………………….and tomorrow.

HOW WE ARE PUTTING YOUR DOLLARS TO WORK https://www.nwafoodbank.org/donate

Employee Spotlight Meet two valued members of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

PARTNER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT! RETURNING HOME

What used to be an office building only five years ago is now Returning Home: a non-profit organization that works with men and women released from incarceration.

“Our goal is to increase access to foundational services to make sure these men and women’s transitions back into the community is successful,” Executive Director Nick Robbins said, “and that they are able to live a life without crime.”

Opened in 2017, Nick wanted Returning Home to be a “one-stop shop” for men and women who needed access to multiple helpful services. This would remove the challenging aspect of transportation for many of those in need. Returning Home is the umbrella organization for several partners, each of which offer their own services.

Goodwill oversees job preparation and placement, TCIY Behavioral Health offers mental health services, Phoenix Recovery does the residential aspect, Arkansas Community Corrections has a parole officer at the site five days a week, and Returning Home makes sure everything runs smoothly.

Returning Home offers residents classes in finance, decision-making, crisis management, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and multiple types of support groups. They also keep the food pantry stocked, oversee volunteers, stock hygiene kits and a clothing closet, and cook two hot meals a day for residents. “We are cooking and providing over 6000 meals a month to our residential clients,” Nick said. Unsurprisingly, Returning Home was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic like so many individuals and organizations around the country. Nick said Returning Home was affected: “Significantly,” he said with a chuckle. “Everything is more challenging.”

Before COVID-19, Returning Home served almost completely walk-in clients and was doing about 33 hours of classes and programming per week. After COVID started, they had to close their doors for a few months to get everything on track. Now, they are serving clients by appointment only and handing out packets in lieu of formal sit-down classes to accommodate COVID-19 protocols. They went from 30-35 people per class to maybe eight people in the room at a time.

Nick said many of the clients at Returning Home struggle with trauma, mental health issues, and addiction in some form. They are doing everything they can to be there for those who need them, but COVID-19 had made that harder. “The need for us to be here is greater,” Nick said, “but our ability to meet that need is reduced." With that being said, Nick said that he is proud to say that Returning Home has served more clients and received more funding last year than the year before. About 300 clients went through Returning Home’s 90-day residential program in 2020.

“If we get caught up in what we don’t have or what we can’t do, we won’t get anything accomplished,” Nick said. “So instead, we just see the need, meet the need, and keep moving forward." Returning Home is funded by generous individuals, grants, and the support of local churches. Nick said all of their partnerships, including their partnership with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, are the reason they can collaborate with so many people. Nick said many clients come to Returning Home for basic needs like hygiene and food to be fulfilled, but stay for the several other services offered. The staff at Returning Home try to peel back layers to find out what else they can do to help the client.

Nick wants to thank the Northwest Arkansas community and the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank for supporting the organization. “Even though many were impacted, and still are, by what’s going on, we couldn’t have done as well as we have done in any other area,” he said. “That’s why I feel blessed to be here.” Returning Home is located at 703 N Thompson St. in Springdale. They have staff members at the center from 9am-4pm Monday through Friday but are accepting clients by appointment only. Their phone number to schedule an appointment is (479) 287-5870 .

Tyson Foods Awards $500,000 Grant to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank for 12-Month Mobile Food Pantry Initiative

Investment to Support 12-Month Mobile Pantry Initiative in Northwest Arkansas

Springdale, Ark. – May 7, 2021 – Tyson Foods has given a grant of $500,000 to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank that will provide monthly mobile food pantries to the community for 12 months. Through the mobile pantry model, food will be distributed to residents in pre-packed boxes available for pick up at designated sites. The first event was held today in Springdale.

“Speaking for the thousands we have served through our mobile services, I cannot thank Tyson enough for their support. With their help we will be able to expand efforts, working more hours, feeding more people and helping to make lives better,” said Kent Eikenberry, President and CEO, Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

Through Tyson’s support, 2,000 pre-packed boxes of food will be distributed via mobile pantries throughout Berryville, Fayetteville, Green Forest, Rogers and Springdale each month. The food boxes will be filled with nutritious food including protein, produce, and shelf-stable healthy foods. The mobile pantries will serve 6,000 individuals every month.

“We’re proud to support the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and its commitment to hunger relief,” said Debra Vernon, senior director, corporate social responsibility, Tyson Foods. “We hope that during the next year we can help individuals and families gain greater access to food and continue to be part of the solution to fighting hunger in Northwest Arkansas.”

Distribution events will be held every Friday of each month. Through April 30, 2022, Tyson’s support will provide 24,000 boxes of food in total in these four communities following a rotating schedule:

· First Friday of the month from noon to 4 p.m. at Parsons Stadium, 1423 E Emma Ave., Springdale, Ark.

· Second Friday of the month from noon to 4 p.m. at Veterans Park, 500 E Veterans Parkway, Rogers, Ark.

· Third Friday of the month from noon to 4 p.m. at Old Marvin’s IGA, 1620 S School Ave., Fayetteville, Ark.

· Fourth Friday of the month from noon to 4 p.m. at North Arkansas Sale Barn, 304 W Main St., Green Forest, Ark.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is a member of Feeding America and aims to serve Northwest Arkansas counties by providing an affordable and credible food source to its partner agencies serving people facing hunger. To learn more about the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and how you can help, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org .

About Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (a 501c3 organization) was established in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the need for hunger assistance in Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll counties. In 2020 the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed more than 13.25 million meals. Together with more than 135 partner agencies, 15 mobile pantries, and 12 school pantries, we are able to reach out to those in need; providing nutritious food to children, the working poor and senior citizens. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and a founding member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

About Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods, Inc., (NYSE: TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp®, and State Fair® . Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, United States, the company has 139,000 team members. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit www.TysonFoods.com

Media Contact:

Chattin Cato

Media Relations & Internal Communications

Tyson Foods

Chattin.Cato2@tyson.com

479-644-7208

Julie Damer

Marketing & Communications

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

julie.damer@nwafoodbank.org

479-361-8167

WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS!

For the month of April, we had 86 volunteers serve a total of 370 hours in our warehouse, in our garden, and at our Mobile Pantries. We love and appreciate everyone who takes time out of their busy schedules to come and volunteer with us. We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers! If you are interested in making a difference in someone’s life today, visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer to pick your volunteer shift. Thank you for helping us feed NWA!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || APRIL 2021

Mon, 03 May 2021 20:04:22 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – APRIL 9, 2021

Later this month, we will celebrate Volunteer Appreciation week. I want to start by talking about one particular volunteer who stepped up and will prove the theory, “The Power of One.” My friend Bob stopped by the Food Bank earlier today. He has taken it upon himself to present our message to those persons in Northwest Arkansas affiliated with the real estate business. Real estate growth has been good the past few years in our market so Bob is inviting real estate professionals to give back. Bob estimates there are 6,500 persons and 300 companies tied to real estate. Bob calculates that if each individual gave just $10 (typical daily lunch) and each company $50, collectively these professionals would raise approximately $80,000. One man with a passion, one man with a plan, one man who through the “Power of One” is making a difference.

John F. Kennedy said, “One person can make a difference and everyone should try.” Let me take this opportunity to tell you about another friend of the Food Bank who is making a difference. Sharon Etchison and Mike Bradbury opened Chicken Salad Chick in Fayetteville with the following thoughts in mind: “Spread Joy, Enrich Lives and Serve Others.” In addition to hosting multiple fundraisers for the Food Bank, both Mike and Sharon have volunteered and encourage their staff to volunteer. During the past year, COVID 19 has taken its toll. Reduced capacity has impacted area restaurants, but Sharon and Mike have not let that deter them from supporting the food insecure of Northwest Arkansas. They are making a difference.

Our mobile services division operates 14 regularly scheduled Mobile Pantries a month, plus pop-ups. Two friends of the Food Bank, Paula and Marty are there from the time the back gate goes up on the delivery truck until the time everything is packed up to haul away.

Paula has been volunteering at Mobile Pantries since the very beginning. By my calculations, the two of them have served nearly ¼ of a million food insecure clients. They have recruited other volunteers, they have given of themselves literally as well as figuratively and do it with a smile on their face. I really look forward to the limited number of times I get to work a Mobile Pantry, not just because seeing the clients renews my enthusiasm for what we do, but getting to work with volunteers like Paula and Marty make the day so enjoyable, even when they are calling me out for doing something wrong.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to my favorite volunteer of all- my wife Diana. I have often maintained she was a big part of the reason I got this job, a twofer if you will. Diana has worked many hours with our client services team training other volunteers on the Oasis Plus software which allows us to learn more about the clients we serve. She volunteers at our Mobile Pantries helping to register clients as they check in. In addition to these duties, she is always ready and willing to listen to me as I share an idea about improving service or reaching more people in need. I like to think that she represents the hundreds of other unsung heroes who simply step up and do what is needed when we ask.

I want to extend my deepest appreciation to not only these people, but the thousands who have stepped up over the past year to do their part in addressing food insecurity. COVID 19 forced us to significantly decrease the amount of volunteer opportunities. As we begin to open back up, with safety protocols in place, I invite you to check out our volunteer tab on our new website. I’m sure you will find something you will enjoy. I wish I could thank each of you individually. I pledge to do a better job getting out and saying hello to you when you are in the warehouse or at a mobile pantry.

Because of you, someone will eat today.

Employee Spotlight

How We Are Putting Your Dollars to Work - Egypt's Story

Egypt lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with her two children, ages 13 and 11, and her 11-year-old niece. She moved there about three years ago from Flint, Michigan, and considers herself new to the area.When Egypt took in her niece, it became much harder for her to make ends meet. She was not receiving any support or government assistance for any of the three children, so she started looking for local resources. “It was hard to keep food in the house,” Egypt said.

A woman Egypt calls “Ms. Carla” lives in Rogers and works with the same clientele Egypt works with at her job as a Probation Parole Officer in drug court. Ms. Carla knew Egypt was struggling and pointed her in the direction of The Historic St. James Missionary Baptist Church. The church was not far from her job, so Egypt started going there twice a month in October of 2020.

“Just being able to go get food has really relieved the burden,” Egypt said.

Knowing she has the St. James food pantry to go to for help with groceries, Egypt said she can now use the money she has on other essential items like rent, utilities, and gas. The pantry gives out fresh produce and other fresh products in addition to pre-packaged goods. Egypt said that she likes this because it gives her fresh products to work with, but also gets her kids excited about the snacks and other types of items that they like to eat. “It makes me feel like I’m doing my job,” Egypt said. “It makes me feel good, like I don’t have to let my kids go hungry. There is an option out there.”

Egypt said she is very appreciative of St. James church and their food pantry. She also said that Monique Jones, the Director of Evangelism & Outreach at The Historic St. James Missionary Baptist Church, has been very helpful to her in the past. Egypt said there have been times when it was hard for her to make coming to collect food from the pantry during the week work, but Jones always made sure Egypt got what she needed. One weekend she even went to St. James on a Saturday to accommodate Egypt. “I didn’t know if I was going to have food to make it through the weekend,” Egypt said. “She really helped me. I really appreciated that… she didn’t have to do that.”

Egypt said she is very grateful to St. James and to everyone who donates to food banks and pantries and makes them possible. Food is one of the biggest bills in her household and in many other households, so without the help received from these banks and pantries, people like Egypt would not be able to get the help she needs. “What they are doing is really making a difference, and I really appreciate that,” she said. “I would just tell them I am really grateful for them doing that.”

March 2021 Mobile Pantry Totals

For the month of March, we were able to serve

1,525 Households & 3,756 Individuals

through our 14 Mobile Pantry locations.

TO MAKE A ONE-TIME SECURE DONATION, PLEASE VISIT: www.nwafoodbank.org/donate

PARTNER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT! ENRÃ FOOD PANTRY

The ENRÃ Food Pantry, part of the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese, had a very unique beginning. It was started in August of 2020, meaning it began right in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese received grants from organizations such as University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Walmart. They decided the best way to utilize these funds and help the community would be to start a food pantry. Faith Laukon, the Coordinator at ENRÃ, was approached by the Director of the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese, Melissa, and asked to help get the pantry started.

The goal of the pantry when it was first started was to help families and individuals in the community who were suffering the effects of COVID-19 and quarantine. In most cases, these people were not receiving a paycheck for their two weeks of quarantining and needed help. Although started to help people in the Marshallese community, Faith said they did not want to stop there. “We’re open to helping the entire community,” Faith said.

“We don’t just help the Marshallese folks” When they first opened, ENRÃ was open three days a week and allowed clients to set appointments and come into the building to choose their food. However, due to a significant rise in requests and COVID-19 regulations, they have now decided to open one day a week and pre-package food. Clients can come on the day and pop their trunks, and ENRÃ volunteers put the food inside. Faith said they have gone from 40 requests to pick-up per week to around 100 per day.

In fact, as the interview was being conducted, Faith received a text message with a request. “‘Can we come now?’” she read. At the food pantry’s beginning, Faith said they would personally deliver food once a week, sometimes more, to people who were quarantining and could not leave the house. However, this was a lot of work for the ENRÃ volunteers. “Sometimes we wouldn’t get done until 2 in the morning,” Faith said, “and we had started at 6 in the morning.” To solve this problem, Faith said they started using Walmart’s Door Dash services to deliver to quarantined families. Faith puts in the order to Walmart, then a Door Dash worker delivers it from Walmart directly to the home of the quarantined client.

ENRÃ also has giveaways of food baskets on special occasions such as Halloween or back-to-school. Faith said thousands of families have been helped through these giveaways alone. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is also available through ENRÃ.

Faith purchases things like face masks and bleach herself, but also receives items through donations from UAMS, Crystal Bridges, and other organizations. Faith estimates that the ratio of donations and items and food purchased for distribution is about 50/50. “We do get a lot of donations,” she said. She orders food from the NWA Food Bank at least once a week and gets several donations throughout the week as well. “I am never going to say no. It just doesn’t happen,” she said. “But it’s been great!” Faith said volunteers are needed for things such as stocking shelves after orders and donations come in. They are also encouraged to help out with giveaways as well. ENRÃ is located at 4024 Wagon Wheel Rd in Springdale, Arkansas.

DID YOU KNOW?

We Love Our Volunteers!

IN 2020 WE HAD 1,067 VOLUNTEERS SERVE 4,580 HOURS!

TO VOLUNTEER - WWW.NWAFOODBANK.ORG/VOLUNTEER
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION WEEK IS APRIL 22-26

For the month of March, we were blessed to have 86 volunteers serve a total of 370 hours with us. We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers!

If you or your family, friends, or co-workers are interested in volunteering, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer to pick your shift.

We are taking extra precautions to help keep everyone safe and are still following the recommended CDC Covid-19 safety guidelines.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR ORGANIZATION!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || MARCH 2021

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 18:52:38 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – Mar. 9, 2021

Usually when I sit down to begin writing this column, I refer back to previous years.

Today, when I looked at March 2020 all I can say is “Holy cow, what a ride this past year has been.” My March 2020 edition started off with “My Why.” If you will indulge me, I would like to share my WHY one more time, while expanding on how my WHY is even more important in March 2021 than March 2020.

“I was recently asked what my WHY is. In order to share the WHAT, one must first be able to articulate the WHY. WHY do you do WHAT you do? In a word, my WHY is “HOPE.” You see, on the surface, the job of the food bank is pretty straightforward. We collect food and give it to those in need. But there is so much more to it. Diana and I were early volunteers at the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. In fact, those Saturdays 20 plus years ago formed the basis of my WHY. I promise you, no one wants to go to a food pantry to get food. They go out of necessity. Whether they have had an unexpected expense and were a one-time visitor to a pantry, or they are members of the working poor that simply do not have money after paying the bills, they walk into a food pantry with a look of despair, a look of shame asking for a hand up, not a hand out. I’ve seen that look many times. In fact, I’ve seen it more times than I will ever forget. That look is engrained into my memory. Fortunately, also engrained into my memory is the look of hope, the look of relief that a client has after receiving food to feed his or her family for a few days. For just a moment, all is better in their world. They will still have to struggle to get by but they know they don’t have to struggle alone; there are people there to help. They sense the HOPE that comes from having at least one of their issues resolved for a time.”

This past year we have seen an increase of thousands of people who are food insecure. We have seen hundreds of people in a food line for the first time in their life. People who never could have imagined that something would happen and cause them to be “one of those people.” People who realized and people who were thankful that the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and our partner agencies were there with much needed groceries, a smile and the gratitude of being able to share the HOPE necessary to get up off the mat and carry on. If you haven’t seen our newest television commercial, let me give you a little tease. You will see me say the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is there for those who need help, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. If that doesn’t give you HOPE, I don’t know what does.

COVID-19 has been at the front of the news cycle for the past year. That, perhaps, is the biggest understatement I have ever written. Certainly there is cause for excitement with three vaccines being distributed, the numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths all-decreasing. But as all the experts say, we cannot let our guard down now. Please be careful out there. The pandemic is far from over, and the economic fallout could go on for years. Thank you all for helping put us in a position to deal with whatever the future holds for us all.

Because of you someone will eat today… and tomorrow.

Kent

PARTNER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT! GOD'S PANTRY

In 2009, three women named Leslie, Pattie, and Kaci decided they wanted to do some mission work and saw that many children in their area were going home hungry. They raised some money and started a small pantry in the area to help provide these children with food to eat. That small act of kindness grew into what today is known as God’s Pantry.

Sharleen Rathmell, the secretary and a volunteer for God’s Pantry, said today, the pantry has moved into a new, bigger building and now also includes a thrift store that sells anything from household items to clothing to school supplies at very reasonable price.

“I don’t think these three women thought this would ever grow as much as it has grown,” she said.

The thrift store occasionally receives grants from various agencies, but otherwise is funded fully by donations from the community.

“It’s a very small community out here,” she said, “but they’ve all been so generous that it’s just been amazing what we can provide our clients.”

Clients interested in coming to God’s pantry for food must use the drive-through because of COVID-19 regulations. They check-in with a volunteer and are able to choose some fresh vegetables from their car. Then they are given a “shopping list” of food items to choose from. Though the bags are food are mostly pre-bagged, each client is given a few choices such as type of cereal or meat. After making their choices they pull forward while volunteers pack the orders and bring them to the car. Clients can come to the pantry every week, and those who qualify for USDA commodities will receive those once a month.

COVID-19 has had more effects on God’s Pantry than just the drive-through method. Sharleen said the pantry had to close for a few weeks near the start of the pandemic because the pantry was worried for their volunteers, most of which are older adults. There are no paid employees at God’s pantry, they are all volunteers. Sharleen said the pantry could not do what they do without the help of these volunteers.

“We have some wonderful volunteers that have just stepped up during COVID,” Sharleen said, “and have been able to come.”

God’s Pantry serves people from the Pea Ridge, Garfield, and Gateway areas, but Sharleen said they are always willing to lend a helping hand to others.

“We never turn anybody down,” she said. “If they come in from a different area, we always give them food and then we recommend that they go to their pantry that’s closer to them.”

“It’s always a blessing to me when I see that we are helping so many people,” Sharleen said, “that they’re not going to go hungry tonight.”

God’s Pantry is located at 17938 Dennis Mitchell Road in Garfield. Food pick-up is available on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the thrift store is open on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donations are still being accepted for the thrift store.

Employee Spotlight | Meet two valued members of the NWA Food Bank!

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Announces Two New Board Members

Springdale, AR - Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is pleased to announce the appointment of two new board members, Jerome Drolet with Kraft Heinz, and Ronnie Webb with Visit Rogers.

“Our Board of Directors is compromised of a dedicated team of community leaders committed to providing support for our organization,” said Kent Eikenberry, President/CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “We are excited to welcome them aboard.”

Jerome is the Head of Sales, Walmart & Sam’s Club for Kraft Heinz Company. In this role, he is responsible for driving customer growth and generating shared value while leveraging the power of the Kraft Heinz portfolio.

He joined Kraft Heinz in 2020 with over 15-years of extensive commercial experience in General Management, Sales, Category Management, Commercialization and Marketing with large Consumer Goods (CPG) companies, including Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company, and Nature’s Bounty Co. Most recently, he served as Vice-President for Keurig Dr Pepper. Jerome is involved in several community initiatives including serving on the Executive Committee of Latin XNA.

Jerome holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and an MBA from Laval University, in Quebec City, Canada.

Ronnie is the Destination Sales Manager, for Visit Rogers a division of the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce. Webb helps market and sell Rogers, Arkansas as a destination to the religious, sports, and group tour markets.

He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Health and Human Performance from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 2011. After graduation, Webb was awarded an internship by Verizon Wireless’s corporate office to work in Little Rock, AR. Post-internship, he went on to work in various industries such as health and wellness, the medical field, and now in the hospitality industry. Ronnie also owns and operates Door 2 Door Fitness, a mobile personal training business in NWA and also serves as an advisor for EPIC Health Wellness, a health and wellness networking group. Weekly he leads a group of young men at Life.Church Rogers as well as is a mentor to young black professionals.

About Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (a 501c3 organization) was established in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the need for hunger assistance in Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll counties. In 2020 the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed more than 13.25 million meals. Together with more than 135 partner agencies, 15 mobile pantries, and 12 school pantries, we are able to reach out to those in need; providing nutritious food to children, the working poor and senior citizens. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and a founding member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

We Love Our Volunteers!

During the month of February, we welcomed 66 volunteers who gave 262 hours of time to helping us feed those who are food insecure in the Northwest Arkansas region. We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers! If you would like to volunteer, please visit www.nwafoodbank.org/volunteer to find a day and time that works best for you. Please be assured we are taking extra precautions to make sure we follow all CDC guidelines to keep everyone as safe as possible.

DID YOU KNOW?

YOUR DONATION MATTERS!

Angelica is married with seven children ranging from eight months old to sixteen years old. Six of the seven children are in school. Her husband works as a painter, but only gets paid when they have work. She learned about our School Pantry program from a flyer the children received at their school.

The children receive free meals at the school and are involved with the school’s SackPack program, too, which helps the family during the week.

“This is a huge blessing for our family,” said Angelica. “Without this help we would do without and not eat as much. This is a big help. Thanks from our heart.”

THANK YOU TYSON!

A special "thank you" goes out to our wonderful volunteers from Tyson Foods for coming out to the warehouse to help us prepare food boxes that will be distributed to those who are food insecure in our region. Tyson Foods is such a great supporter of our organization in so many ways. We really appreciate them and all that they do to help us feed our neighbors in Northwest Arkansas. Thank you, Tyson Foods!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || FEBRUARY 2021

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 21:30:43 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – Feb. 9, 2021

It’s been said many times that age is simply a number.

That’s true, but when that number surpasses a certain level, life becomes a series of more and more difficult choices. Buy medicine or buy food. Turn the heat up in the house or buy food. Go to the doctor or buy food. I hope you see a pattern here.

Too many of our older neighbors struggle to make ends meet on a fixed income. They are especially vulnerable during the cold winter months. I recall an encounter with a man and his wife recently at the food bank. They were expecting a visit from their grandchildren and simply did not have enough food in the house to feed them. Fortunately for them, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank was there to fill the gap between what they had and what they needed.

As we put 2020 in our rear view mirror, hoping to never see another year like it ever again, I want to extend my deepest appreciation to each of you for the support you gave us. Many of you stepped up for the first time to help your neighbors in need. Your donations allowed us to purchase the nutritious food products which were distributed to an estimated 100,000 people, many of whom found themselves in a food line for the first time in their life.

I cannot tell you what 2021 will be like. Even though we have a vaccine for COVID-19, the economic fallout will remain for months, maybe even years, so your continued support is as important now as ever before. Your neighbors, young and old need our help.

In closing I would like to share a quote taken from The Rhythm of Life, written by Matthew Kelly,

“Whether you are sixteen or sixty, the rest of your life is ahead of you. You cannot change one moment of your past, but you can change your whole future. Now is your time.”

You have the power to shape not only your future, but the future of thousands with the gift of food. Thank you in advance for allowing the food bank to use your resources to feed our neighbors.

Because of you someone will eat today.

Kent

PARTNER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT! SHEPHERD'S FOOD PANTRY| By Marissa Porter |

Eleven years ago, a woman from the congregation of the Bella Vista Lutheran Church named Kay had the motivation to start a food pantry. It started off feeding about 1 to 5 people per week but has grown over the years into the Shepherd’s Food Pantry, which fed on average about 150 families a week before COVID-19.

Shepherd’s gets most of their food from the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and is funded by donations from the congregation and other local churches. With this money they can offset any food the Food Bank does not have available, and buy freezers and refrigerators allowing them to offer produce, meat, eggs, and other perishable goods.

John Peshek is the Director of Shepherd’s Food Pantry and said that since the start of COVID-19 they have seen a drastic drop in the numbers of people both in the congregation of the church and coming to the pantry. In September of 2019, John said the pantry served about 126 families. That number dropped to 59 in September of 2020 and throughout the pandemic numbers have been consistently lower.\

“So, we are down quite a bit… quite a bit,” John said. And we know it’s from the COVID. We know that there’s older folks who are afraid to get out of their house and come.”

Despite the lower number of clients coming to the food pantry, John said that the volunteers who come each week to help at the pantry are consistent and allow the operation to run smoothly.

“They show up like clockwork,” he said, “so we don’t have any problems with volunteers now.”

Volunteers do a few jobs at the pantry. They work as greeters at the front desk who welcome old clients and help new ones fill out their application. Others work as packers or loaders of food into the cars of the clients. Some also works as interviewers and speak to clients about their needs, their lives, and other resources and pantries in their area before praying with them.

“Some of our clients have been coming in for years,” John said, “so they’re just like old friends.”

New clients at the pantry only need to provide a photo ID and fill out a brief application at Shepherd’s pantry. Food is given based on poundage and family size. Typically, a family of four will receive about 65 pounds of food.

“We ask no questions,” John said. “If they say they need food, they’ll get food.”

In addition to the food, Shepherd’s food pantry also has a benevolence fund used to help clients pay for gas and utility bills. They also make their own laundry detergent, hand out diapers, and one woman personally buys cans of coffee to give to the first few clients who ask for it. John also said the woman who runs the pantry kitchen has a diabetic section, something many food pantries do not provide.

“We got regulars that will get to the food pantry at 8 o’clock,” John said, “just so they’re the first two or three in line to get the coffee.”

When COVID first hit, Shepherd’s Food Pantry handed out food in a drive-through format but has recently moved back to in-person services. However, precautions are still being taken. Only one person per car or family may enter the building, and there are hand sanitizer stations all over the room. Everyone also social distances and wears a mask.

John said he knows it can be hard to come to a food pantry, so he and the team’s priority is to make everyone feel comfortable.

“We do a really, really good job of talking to these folks and making them feel real welcome, real at home, real at ease,” John said. “We love them, and it shows”

Shepherd’s Food Pantry is open every Friday from 10 a.m. to noon and is located at 1990 Forest Hills Blvd in Bella Vista.

Employee Spotlight Meet two valued members of the NWA Food Bank!

We Love Our Volunteers!

During the month of January, we were happy to have 92 volunteers work over 303 hours in our warehouse and help us at our Mobile Pantries. Our volunteers do so much to make what we do possible. If you would like to volunteer, please visit our website to pick your date and time. Please be assured that we are taking extra precautions and following the CDC guidelines to help keep everyone safe while they are volunteering with us.

Our current volunteer schedule is as follows:

Monday: 10 AM -NOON

Tuesday: 9 AM-11 AM and 1 PM -3 PM

Wednesday: 9 AM -11 AM

Friday: 9 AM -11 AM

Tickets Now Available

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || Jan 9, 2021

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 21:18:08 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – Jan. 9, 2021

By definition, Stewardship is an ethic that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources.

By action, that is what the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has done with the financial support you provided during 2020.

We have heard the word “unprecedented” bantered about on a variety of topics for the year 2020. The year here at the Food Bank certainly was no exception. Rather than focus on the negative aspects of the unprecedented year, I want to look at the positives. Positives that you, our supporters, were responsible for. We had over 17,000 donations to the Food Bank. I know because I signed each of those letters with the famous “K slash.” Equally as impressive, we had over 8,000 unique donors.

Obviously those numbers were both record shattering, but critical when you look at the next set of unprecedented numbers. For the year (pending final reporting) we:

*spent a record $2,000,000 +/- buying food that we distributed.

*distributed an estimated 15.5 million pounds of food through our partner agencies, school pantries and our mobile services division to Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington County residents. Using the USDA formula of 1.2 pounds per meal, this equals 13 million meals.

*impacted the lives 5,600+ clients who accessed one of our mobile sites for the first time ever in 2020.

*invested restricted grant money on refrigerated box trucks for pick-up and delivery, semi-trailers for additional refrigerated storage, and additional warehouse racking, all of which will help us meet the needs of tomorrow.

To paraphrase what a friend and former board member told me a couple of years ago, December 31 is just a date on the calendar. The world did not stop turning on January 1. The need for our services did not go away. If anything, we are anticipating the need in our four county service area to be even higher in 2021 as the economic fallout of the COVID 19 pandemic reaches its peak.

Circling back to the beginning, part of stewardship is being prepared for the future. Your giving in 2020 will allow us to fight the ongoing battle of food insecurity in 2021 without losing any of the past progress we have made in solving this problem. At this point, 2021 is still a mystery. However one thing you can count on is that your donations to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank will make a difference in the lives of thousands of your neighbors. I cannot thank you enough.

Because of you, someone was able to eat yesterday…someone was able to eat today, and someone will be able to eat tomorrow.

Kent

How your dollars are put to work Shawn's Story:

Shawn has lived in Huntsville for 28 years and has been going to the food pantry at the Goshen United Methodist Church for almost a year.

He used to work in the trash industry and traveled to Goshen on his route. He saw the sign for the food pantry while in town and decided to stop by. He explained his situation to Neil Carey, a member of the Goshen UMC congregation, and the rest is history.

“Basically, every ounce of income that I have has to go towards bills,” Shawn said, “to keep the water, electric, and keep the house.”

Shawn said the food from the pantry provides for himself, his wife Shannon, and his three kids aged two, five, and seven. Shawn said because they cannot afford a babysitter, Shannon has become a stay-at-home mom.

“She loves it, but she’d also like to get out and help provide as well,” Shawn said.

Shawn currently works for a company full time, but has been looking for a secondary job to make ends meet.

Though the Goshen pantry is only open to distribute food on Tuesdays, Shawn said Neil Carey does his best to help them out whenever possible.

“He took us in like family,” Shawn said.

Shawn said he recently went to get food from the pantry but was unable to come on the scheduled Tuesday distribution day. He called Neil to explain his situation and apologized for not being able to come on the correct day. They set up a time for the next afternoon.

“I drove out there to meet him at the time that we established,” Shawn said, “and he already had absolutely everything ready to go, sitting out there in a cart outside the door. He helped me load it into my car as soon as I pulled up.”

Shawn said the thing he likes the most about the Goshen food pantry is the people. Though he said he is not ashamed to ask for help, he does feel bad that he cannot provide for his family. The people at the Goshen pantry are welcoming and friendly and make Shawn feel like he does not need to be ashamed at all to ask for help.

“The times that I am in need they’re always there,” Shawn said. “Even if they’re not open at the time, they’re really just a phone call away.”

The Goshen Food Pantry is located at 122 E. Bowen Avenue in Goshen and is open every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for those in need to pick up their food. They also have a 24-hour pantry that is open, and their medical clinic has plans to reopen after the pandemic once it is safe.

Walmart Neighborhood Markets Make Holiday Donation

Patrick Shanks, Walmart regional general manager and NWA Food Bank Vice Chairman of the Board, told his team members that his wish this Christmas was to help those in our community. His work family took that to heart and made it happen in a surprise ceremony right before Christmas. The local stores in the area raised over 5,000 meals through a local food drive that was donated to the NWA Food Bank and presented us with a check for over $11,700 from contributions from their employees! This check will provide an additional 117,000 meals for our neighbors in need in NWA.

We want to say a special thank you to our friend Patrick for his commitment to our organization and to all of the employees that made this happen. We are blessed to be a partner with Walmart.

Employee Spotlight Meet a valued member of the NWA Food Bank!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || DEC. 10, 2020

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 21:07:24 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – Dec. 10, 2020

COVID Stinks. I had told Diana that my challenge to myself was to write this entire column without using the word COVID. However, when I sat down at the keyboard, I could not get the Corona Virus and its impact on the world out of my mind. My mind continues to think of my friend Steve who passed away last week from complications of the disease, and another friend who is currently on a respirator fighting for her life. As I think about these two instances in my small life, and magnify them by the world wide cases of the illness, the impact is almost overwhelming to me. Overwhelming also is the sense that the spread is not slowing down. Each day the news reports record numbers of infected, record number of hospitalizations and record number of deaths. What the news doesn’t report on is the growing number of our friends and neighbors who become food insecure because of the economic impact of this disease. You all have been so generous to support the Food Bank for this past year. For that, I thank you. Your additional donations have put us in a position to provide the food necessary for those impacted to survive. Unfortunately this battle is far from over. So I ask you to please consider an additional or first time gift to the Food Bank this year. It will allow us to continue to purchase food for those in need.

Our annual Jewels of Giving Gala was supposed to be Friday, November 13. Not only is this our largest fundraising event of the year, but it is a chance to review the progress we have made in fighting food insecurity in Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties. It would have been a challenge to do that this year. You see it’s like the old saying “take one step forward and two steps back.” In February there were an estimated 65,000 food insecure persons in our service area. In May, we heard that number could be as high as 100,000 so if you just look at the numbers, all our efforts were in vain. But as is often the case, numbers don’t tell the whole story. By the end of September, we had served more people and distributed more food than we did the entire year of 2019. Our own direct distribution arm, Mobile Services had stops in towns where we had never been before. People lined up for hours to receive nourishing food and more importantly hope. Yes, we had much to celebrate had the event taken place.

For me, one of the highlights of the Jewels of Giving Gala is my announcement of the Northwest Arkansas Hunger Hero award. For those of you who have never attended one of our events, this award is presented by me, selected by a committee of me, using a criteria written by me, to a person who embodies the spirit of our mission. This year, it gave me great pride, via zoom, to present the award to the staff of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Collectively they have done miraculous work this year. Without regard for their personal safety, they have shown up, masked up and worked extra hours every day to make sure food got in and out of the warehouse for those clients in need. They have personally delivered food to houses of those who could not leave their homes because of quarantine. They have worked tirelessly to fundraise the financial support to meet the seemingly impossible need. To me there was no question who this year’s hunger hero should be, and since I get to make the decision, please join me in congratulating the staff of the Food Bank for this honor.

In closing, I want to remind you all of what I wrote last month…..That my Christmas list this year was for my family to donate to the Food Bank, a food pantry or another charity of choice. Well, two friends from Southeast Kansas whom I had not seen in many years took that message to heart. Bob, who just retired, had someone anonymously drop off some cash with a note in his mailbox. He sent the money to us. Theresa, Diana’s high school classmate, heard of my desire and pledged to donate to charities instead of buying gifts this year. These are just two examples of selfless people doing small things to help those less fortunate. My continued hope and prayer is that God continues to give all of us the health, strength and wisdom to make a difference in people’s lives.

Please have a blessed Christmas and remember, Because of you, someone will eat today.

- Kent

Community Christmas Card Projectfights hunger this holiday season!| By Marissa Porter |

For the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, this community is more than a place to sell newspapers. That’s why they’ve partnered with The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank to help make sure no one in our community goes hungry this holiday season.

Founded in 2000, the paper is the regional affiliate of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette—the oldest continuously-published newspaper west of the Mississippi River—which was established in 1819.

The paper started a program called the Community Christmas Card in 1977 as a way of giving back to the community. In exchange for donations for local families in need, readers would get a name, their own or another’s, in the paper on Christmas Day on a full-color, full-page Christmas card.

This year, the decision was made to focus donations on a problem widespread in our community: food insecurity.

“We had been waiting and talking about a new life for the Community Christmas Card,” said Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Advertising Operations Manager Sandy Robinson, “something a little different than what we had done in the past.”

With so much need in the community as a whole because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the paper decided to give all proceeds to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

“NWA Food Bank was right on target for all they do and what they provide for the community,” Sandy said. “This year, we wanted to make sure that families are fed.”

This year, for every three dollars donated, the donor submits a name to the paper. Donors can submit their own names, other people’s names, make a donation “in honor of” or “in memory of” someone, or any other name they choose.

On Christmas Day, a full-page, full-color Community Christmas Card will appear in the print and replica versions of the paper with all of the names listed. There is no limit to the number of names that can be submitted with a donation, one for every three dollars donated.

“I might get $100 from someone, and they can give me 30 names,” Sandy explained.

Tom Stallbaumer, Director of Administration at the Food Bank, is working hand-in-hand with the paper on the Community Christmas Card project this year. The paper will be collecting the donations and giving them to the Food Bank, who will coordinate and distribute food to the hungry in our community.

“And 100% of donations will go directly to the Food Bank,” Sandy noted, “there’s not a penny taken out of it.”

Donations will be accepted through 12/31/20; however, in order to have names listed on the Christmas Day Community Christmas Card, your donation and name submission must be received no later than 5 p.m. Friday 12/18/20. You may also choose to donate anonymously.

This year, Sandy thinks the paper will see more online donations than in years past, because the paper’s Fayetteville office is closed due to the pandemic. In previous years, donors could drop off donations at the office if they wished. Without that option this year, donations have to be made in other ways.

There will be a link for online donations at www.nwaonline.co m, or donations can be mailed to Sandy at the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette office, where she will pick them up two to three times per week:

Sandy Robinson - Community Christmas Card

C/O Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

P.O. Box 1607

Fayetteville, AR 72702

Donations can also be made to the Food Bank directly, but donors will only get their name(s) on the Community Christmas Card if they make donations through the newspaper.

“We are really excited to be partnering with the Food Bank this year,” Sandy said, “there’s never been a more important time for our generous community to come together to help each other.”

For questions about the project or help with donations, contact Sandy Robinson (479)466-8773 or srobinson@nwaonline.com .

Meet Our Volunteer of the Month!

Chrys Horsman is our Volunteer of the Month!

During the month of November, we had a total of 187 volunteers serve 613 hours with us. These volunteers make it possible for us to serve those who are food insecure by helping pack food boxes for distribution, working at our mobile pantries, and other important duties that help us tremendously.

If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website www.nwafoodbank.org to find a day and time that is open that will work for you. Please be aware that we are following strict Covid guidelines to help keep all of our employees and volunteers safe during this time.

Thank you Chrys for going above and beyond in volunteering with us. We appreciate you!

Food Sourcing During a Pandemic

COVID-19 has affected every industry imaginable in many ways, and the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is no exception. In addition to social distancing protocols and require use of masks, the warehouse has seen its own unique challenges.
“It definitely has changed how we do things.”

Austin Harms, Food Sourcing Manager for the Food Bank, said that before COVID-19, the warehouse could, relatively simply, notice something was missing or low in stock, and start the search to replace or replenish it. After COVID began, however, food donations slowed, and that task became much more difficult.

The main reason for this dip is that even big companies and retailers who donate to the Food Bank are struggling to meet demand within their own stores, Austin said. People are stocking up and buying more. Because everyone in the country is being affected, shipments are facing delays in ordering, shipping, and delivery phases. And the warehouse has seen the results of this challenge.

“We had orders that we placed in April that didn’t even come into the warehouse until September,” Austin said.

These delays were suspected by the warehouse early on, so they began to order more than what they normally would have to plan for those delays. For example, ordering an extra load of vegetables so that by the time they arrived after any delays, the warehouse would not yet have run out of their original order.

Individual donations have also taken a hit because with all the safety precautions necessary, they cannot be verified as safe to disperse. However, Austin said they have begun to look at how individual donations could work again. One of the ideas is have the donations quarantined for 10-14 days before allowing them to be dispersed.

Product donations in general are down, but not at the fault of the community. In fact, because retailers are needing their food orders to stock their own shelves, many of them are giving the Food Bank cash donations in the name of COVID to help with the purchase of food for dispersal.

“Our major retailers in this area, like Walmart and the Walton Family,” Austin said, “are stepping up and doing above and beyond what they would typically do as a response to COVID.”

How your dollars are put to work in NWA

Ebony is a single mother of three (18, 7, and 5). She has been coming to the Feed the 479 food pantry in Springdale on and off for quite some time.

“I think it’s one of the best places that I’ve ever went to receive any type of help as far as food and things like that for my children,” Ebony said of the pantry. “It’s always open to help each and every person that comes in. There’s no discrimination or anything like that.”

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Feed the 479 has kept its doors open, something Ebony greatly appreciates.

“There are some pantries and churches and things that have closed their doors to the pandemic,” she said, “but not the Feed the 479.”

She said that although there might be a line to wait in and people are not able to go into the thrift store to shop, the pantry continues to ensure everyone gets what they need as efficiently as possible even during the pandemic.

Feed the 479 is located in Springdale at 3157 W. Sunset. It is one of the NWA Food Bank's partner agencies. To find a partner agency (pantry) near you, click the "find food" tab on our website. You will find a complete list of all of our 160 + partner agencies by county.

To make a one- time donation, visit: www.nwafoodbank.org/donate .

Here are a couple ways YOU can support our organization this holiday season!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || NOV. 10, 2020

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 20:56:51 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – Nov. 10, 2020

The holiday celebrations this year will be different. But in spite of COVID-19, the pages on the calendar keep turning and the 2020 holiday season is just around the corner. One thing that will not be different this year is that the holiday season puts additional stress on food insecure families. Budgets which are already being stretched to the max are stretched even further with higher utility bills, kids out of school for holiday breaks, perhaps less hours at work, all before giving any consideration to gift giving. I hope, if you are in a position to, that you consider a gift to the Food Bank to allow us to purchase and distribute food to those hard working families who need help.

Every dollar you donate helps to provide ten meals to those in need. I also hope that you will join me in making this holiday season special for all of Northwest Arkansas. I have everything I need. Therefore I will be asking my family to donate whatever amount they would have spent on a Christmas gift for Pops to the Food Bank, or one of our partner agency pantries. This year, more than ever, the gift of helping others is the best one I could ever receive.

I pray you all have a safe, healthy holiday season and thank you for your continued generous support.

Because of you, someone will eat today!

- Kent Eikenberry

The Enterprise Holdings Foundation has donated $7500.00 to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

The money will be used to help feed the more than 65,000 food insecure in the Northwest Arkansas region.

“This gift from our friends at Enterprise Holdings Foundation comes at a critical time in our response to COVID-19,” said Mike Williams, Director of Development at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “As we see the need for our services rise, gifts like

this help ensure no one in Northwest Arkansas goes without a meal.”

The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Enterprise Holdings, which, through its integrated network of independent regional subsidiaries and franchises, operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental, and Alamo Rent A Car brands.

PARTNER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT! St. James Missionary Baptist Church Pantry| By Marissa Porter |

The St. James pantry, located at 764 W. North Street in Fayetteville, began as an internal pantry for members of the church, but soon grew into a community pantry after they realized the need in the area was bigger than just the members.

Monique Jones is the Director Evangelism & Outreach at The Historic St. James Missionary Baptist Church.

“We determined that the support needed to happen outside the walls of the church,” Monique Jones said, “and so we definitely have expanded that into the community.”

Although the pantry is funded primarily by the benevolence offering of the St. James Missionary Baptist Church and congregation, they have also received grants from UAMS and the City of Fayetteville and benefit from partnerships and donations.

Before COVID-19, St. James served around 80 to 100 people on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., but now serve closer to 110-130 only on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The pantry takes information from first-time users to put into the church’s system. They fill out a one-time form so the church has their information, but it does not affect whether or not they receive food. After that, they can pick up weekly. Walk-ups are also welcome, they simply form a line and sign in. New customers of the food pantry come to one door so they can give their information, while returning members of the food pantry stay in their cars and the St. James volunteers bring the food to the car.

Although the pandemic and the return of school led to St. James losing a lot of their volunteers, Monique said about 30% of the volunteers that work with St. James are members of the church, the remaining 70% are members of the community.

“Understanding that as a race and a community, we are more vulnerable than some of the other races and ethnicities in the community,” Monique said. “So, I can understand that a majority of our church cannot be put in that situation to be coming out and being exposed during a pandemic.”

The St. James pantry also now offers delivery services for people who cannot come get the food themselves during the pandemic. Right now, they are delivering more than 260 boxes to nine different properties in the area.

In addition to the food pantry, St. James also offers their members free counseling. Their pastor, Pastor Curtiss P. Smith, has been hosting talks on racial impact as it relates to the church and community.

“We believe that mental health is just as important as physical health during this time.” Monique said.

The St. James pantry also recently partnered with Crystal Bridges to provide art kits to families and individuals picking up food from the pantry. They also put on their Backpack Drive for the second year in a row this year. About 1,000 backpacks, donated by members of the community, were distributed by volunteers this year, all while following COVID-19 guidelines.

“I just feel a lot of people thought this pandemic would have been over now,” Monique said, “and knowing that it’s not and the numbers are so unpredictable, we could always use help and support with volunteers.”

The St. James pantry is located at 764 W. North St. in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and pass out food every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WE ARE PUTTING YOUR DONATION DOLLARS TO WORK AT THE NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FOOD BANK!

Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we were able to serve a large number of people during the month of October.

Here is a breakdown of just some of the ways we are putting your donated dollars to work:

School Pantry: We were able to serve 1,140 Households with 5,777 Individuals through this program.
Mobile Pantry: We were able to serve 1,623 Households with 3,846 Individuals at these locations.
Pop-up Pantry: We were able to serve 301 Households and 1,083 Individuals at this special pop-up that we hosted in October.

Calling All Chefs to The Cutting Board of NWA!

We need your help to add some hearty winter recipes to The Cutting Board of NWA this fall! This month’s video recipe needs are butternut squash, corn, dried beans, green beans, pumpkin, rice, sweet potatoes.

Pick your favorite recipe and show us how to make it. Videos should be step by step instructions using common foods we find in our distribution boxes. These include foods such as potatoes, apples, rice, beans, lettuce, tuna and carrots! Please keep the time of the video under 2 minutes. Videos can be sent to madison.bigelow@nwafoodbank.org.

Meet Our Volunteer of the Month!

Bruce Do is our Volunteer of the Month!

Bruce has dedicated an incredible amount of time making our young professionals’ group, The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Nourish Initiative, a success. In addition to his dedication to the Food Bank, Bruce loves to play golf and works as a

Senior Project Manager at Wachter, Inc.

If you are interested in meeting other members like Bruce through Nourish, reach out to our Nourish coordinator,

Madison Bigelow at Madison.Bigelow@nwafoodbank.org.

We would also like to make a special shout out to these volunteers this month: Katelyn Aviles, Janis Brizzolara, Michelle Holmes, Bergen Krug, Julia Monaco, Claire Terhune and Marilu Torres.

Thank you all for your volunteer service with us!

Get Involved with the 2020 Food Drive Challenge! Presented by Spectrum Brands & Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

40/29 Turkey Drive

This annual event, hosted by 40/29 TV, will be held on Friday, November 20th at the Rogers Pleasant Grove Walmart Supercenter. You can purchase a turkey to be donated to our organization that day at the store or make a purchase online thru a special link on 40/29 TV website. All donations stay right here in NWA region to feed those in need in our area.

Kendra Scott

Our local Kendra Scott store located at the Promenade Mall in Rogers will host a Give Back event on Dec. 14-15. Be sure to watch for more details on our social media channels.

Benton County Empty Bowls

This local organization will be selling their handcrafted bowls again this year, with proceeds coming to the NWA Food Bank. Because of the virus, they have canceled the event for this year, but not their enthusiasm. You can shop the 2020 collection right here. Six unique shapes, six uniquely crafted glazes to choose from. $20 per bowl which also includes an individual packet of soup mix.

Chicken Salad Chick

This awesome restaurant will be selling their benefit cards again this year with a portion of every card sold coming to the NWA Food Bank. The cards will be sold at the restaurant, which is located in Fayetteville, as well as at the NWA Boutique Show this month at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers. Be watching for more details on our social media.

Fresh Market

From Nov. 4- Dec. 1, $1 will be donated from every cream pie sold at The Fresh Market’s 159 stores during the program dates. The eligible pies include, French Chocolate Silk Cream Pie, Bananas Foster Cream Pie, and Chocolate Silk Peanut Butter Cream Pie.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || Oct. 9, 2020

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 20:46:18 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – Oct. 9, 2020

Author John Maxwell states that “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” While Maxwell was referring to personal growth, the phrase certainly applies to all of us right now. Last week, I attended a Feeding America conference, virtually. Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, the CEO of Feeding America used the term in her keynote address to Food Bankers across the nation. To say our current method of operation has changed because of COVID-19 would be an understatement. However, I am proud to state that through the efforts of our board of directors, staff and volunteers, growth has been achieved. Through the end of August, we have distributed more pounds to our food insecure friends and neighbors than we did the entire year of 2019. Obviously, we are on track to have a record year in the amount of food we distribute. But growth also comes in other ways, ways not necessarily tracked by numbers. Let’s take a look at some of these: Leilani Ocasio, Client Services Manager, launched our very first virtual training program for Oasis Insight Plus so partner agencies could safely learn how to collect client data from their homes. As COVID-19 has prevented us from visiting pantries, we were challenged to design a way in which we could keep teaching agency coordinators and volunteers how to learn who they are serving.

We held a virtual meeting of partner food pantries which compose our nutrition cohort. This group of five partner agencies have been involved in “nudges,” and are helping clients make healthier choices. While partnering with UAMS to develop this program, the Food Bank has shown growth.

We hosted a virtual cooking seminar featuring Nena Evans, our Program Coordinator, which showed our partner agencies how to prepare a tasty, healthy meal with ingredients found at a food pantry. We have found that one reason our clients are reluctant to choose and use healthier options is that they don’t know how to prepare them. By training our partner agency volunteers, much like a “train the trainer” program, we have shown growth.

These are just a couple examples of the way our staff has stepped up and attacked the way COVID 19 has impacted our daily lives. I pledge to you all that we will continue to work to find innovative ways to address food insecurity. We will continue to work to find new ways to improve the way we do business and to enhance training for our partner agencies to allow them to be more efficient, all while maintain practices to remain safe. As we head into the fourth quarter of the year, the time when our need rises to the greatest level, rest assured we will be here to help, today, tomorrow and as long as the need is here.

Thanks for joining us on this fight. Thanks for all you do to help make us better today than we were yesterday. And thanks for allowing me to say Because of you someone will eat today.

- Kent Eikenberry

Walmart and Sam’s Club’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” Campaign Raises $85,245.00 for Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

The Northwest Arkansas community helped to raise $85,245.00 for local families in need through Walmart and Sam’s Club’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign. In its seventh year, Walmart and Sam’s Club engaged their customers and members, along with 22 suppliers to fight hunger during this challenging time and support local food banks across the country.

“The fight against hunger has never been more important than now. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is committed to serving our neighbors in need every day but we’ve seen more people in our community struggle with hunger as a result of the pandemic. That is why we are incredibly grateful for Walmart, Sam’s Club, their associates, suppliers and everyone in our community who helped to support the ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’ campaign,” said Kent Eikenberry, President/CEO of the NWA Food Bank.

Each Walmart and Sam’s Club was matched with at least one of the 200 local Feeding America® member food banks.

The funds raised through this campaign help us feed the more than 65,000 food insecure individuals in Northwest Arkansas in the four counties that we serve. Every dollar raised helps provide up to 10 meals for those in need in our area.

“This year’s Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign is especially critical given the great need communities are facing,” said Maria Zazycki, senior manager, Walmart.org. “We are incredibly proud of the way our customers, members, suppliers and associates stepped up to support local Feeding America member food banks that are working so hard.”

Walmart and Sam’s Club provide donations of both food and funds to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank throughout the year in many ways. These efforts include food donations through our food recovery program, grants to our organization, as well as generous sponsorships.

Nearly $18 million was raised this year through “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” Funds will benefit 200 Feeding America® member food banks nationwide. Additionally, Walmart kickstarted the campaign with a $3 million donation to Feeding America and member food banks. The Walmart Foundation also donated $5 million to Feeding America to help support communities and individuals facing hunger during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Feed the 479 in Springdale was not always the successful food pantry it is today.

In fact, in August 2015, they were the size of a back corner of a warehouse. Brenda Prewitt, the director of Feed the 479 since its beginning, said that the director of the Compassion Center with Cross Church, Eric, came to her with the idea of a “choice pantry,” and she knew she wanted to help make it happen.

A “choice pantry” is a food pantry that does not pre-bag their food, but rather lets those in need come into the pantry and choose what they want for themselves.

“We hope people feel empowered by making their own decisions,” Brenda said, “and provide a dignified shopping experience.”

Eric’s idea for the choice pantry came about after he saw a woman picking through and taking items out of the bags that had been pre-packed for her. They were not compatible with her restrictive diet and therefore it did her no good to take the food home.

In its beginnings, Feed the 479 was open on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and offered services like rent and utility support, gasoline assistance, clothing vouchers, and food. As it evolved thanks to grants, donations, partnerships, and revenue from the Compassion NWA Thrift Store, the idea for a choice pantry was able to become a reality. Today, Brenda said they serve thousands of customers a month.

Those coming to the pantry for the first time are asked to bring any form of a photo ID and fill out a form with their name, date of birth, household members and their dates of birth, and a declaration of household income for the USDA. This information is used to apply for grants in the area, protect the customers, and keep track of who has come to the pantry. They are allowed to come once a month. Feed the 479 also takes a photo in case the customer ever forgets their ID. Although they ask for the above information, there is no qualification to receive food from the pantry.

“We err in abundance,” Brenda said, “not in neglect.”

Volunteers of all ages are welcomed at the pantry. Brenda said about 95% of their volunteers were retired members of the community, but with the pandemic that has changed drastically. Volunteers bring in, sort, bag, and distribute food, and also run conversation groups that customers can use to get to know the volunteers and other members of the community.

“We have an amazing group of volunteers,” Brenda said. “Amazing.”

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the pantry. They are currently unable to use the choice pantry format and are instead operating with pre-bagged food in a drive-through. They are also only offering their food distribution services. That being said, Brenda said the pantry has seen a 60% increase in the number of people they serve since the start of the pandemic. They follow strict COVID-19 guidelines in the drive-through and serve over 100 families a day. Each car typically leaves with 175 pounds, net, of food from the pantry and USDA items.

Brenda said she thanks the food bank, corporate partners, and supporters of the food bank for their ability to keep the doors of the pantry open during the pandemic.

“There’s just no place like this,” Brenda said.

The Feed the 479 food pantry is located at 3157 W. Sunset in Springdale and is currently operating with a drive-through format. They are open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 5-7 p.m. and Thursdays from 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Welcome to the NWAFB! Alexander Battaglia: Service Insights Specialist

Alexander Battaglia joins the NWAFB team as a Service Insights Specialist. In this role he will be onboarding our partner agencies onto Oasis Insight Plus, our Service Insights program. He returned in March from a two-year service with the United States Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. While serving in a rural border community, Alex taught Spanish literacy and sex-education courses in a local elementary school and worked to establish a scholastic library and bring specialized literacy training to the classrooms of 20 educators.

A Bentonville native, Alex is excited to return to NWA and work with the Client Services team to assist agency partners in the collection of Oasis data and compassionately meet client’s needs in both English and Spanish. He is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Political Science.

Virtual Training Launch for Agencies

Due to COVID-19 the Service Insights team has had to adapt their agency on-boarding process of Oasis Insight Plus. In response to safety guidelines, they have created Oasis Virtual Training. Agency volunteers now have the option to complete all training at their own pace without having to be in a large group. This will also allow the Service Insights team to onboard multiple agencies at one time to meet our goal.

WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS!

We could not operate the way we do without our beloved volunteers For the month of September, we had 228 volunteers with a total of 498 hours served. You can make a difference in someone’s life today by volunteering at the Food Bank. Grab a friend and sign up today!

We are limiting the volunteers per shift and are taking enhanced measures to make sure we keep everyone as safe as possible while they volunteer with us.

Meet Our Volunteer of the Month!

Marty Adcock is our Volunteer of the Month! Thank you for everything you do, Marty!

COMING THIS NOVEMBER!!!

Is your business looking to give back in a fun way? Are you looking for something that can get your whole team involved, no matter their location?

If the answer is “yes”- we would love to have your group participate in our Food Drive Challenge presented by Spectrum Brands!

Instead of doing our competitive drive, we have opted to do things a little simpler this year. We will be hosting a non-competitive drive this November. No divisions, no leaderboard, just one common goal. It will be one drive with one giving page representing the collective generosity of Northwest Arkansas workplaces. We are asking companies to forego internal activities like auctions and meal fundraisers to promote social distancing. In place of that, we are hoping individuals within your company will light up their social media channels to promote awareness and ask their network to donate. Teams can still create their own fundraisers and rally their coworkers to raise funds as a group with all totals being added together on the main fundraising page. By doing this online, you will save the Food Bank the time and resources incurred through a physical food drive and your donations will help us purchase more of our most-needed food items in bulk such as canned vegetable and meats, peanut butter, oatmeal and cereal.

For every dollar donated, we can provide up to 10 meals to our friends in need right here in NWA.

We hope you will join us in this important and fun challenge! If you wish to participate or need more details, please email Mike.Williams@nwafoodbank.org .

Calling All Chefs to The Cutting Board of NWA!

We need you! We are currently accepting videos for our virtual recipe book, The Cutting Board of NWA. Pick your favorite recipe and show us how to make it. Videos should be step by step instructions using common foods we find in our distribution boxes. These include foods such as potatoes, apples, rice, beans, lettuce, tuna and carrots! Please keep the time of the video under 2 minutes. Videos can be sent to madison.bigelow@nwafoodbank.org.

Here’s one of our videos we received and just love!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || SEPT. 2020

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 20:07:22 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – Sept. 2020

Happy Hunger Action Month. It is now September, and I will resume my annual quest of wearing orange every working day of the month. I have had several folks ask me why I established my “orange challenge.” To restate, Orange is the color representing hunger. Our logo, No Kids Hungry, The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and Feeding America all have orange as an integral color. Any opportunity I get to bring attention to the need is a success. Monetary donations help pay the bills. Money helps put food on the tables of those in need. Advocacy is equally as important. Too many people are hungry and too few people realize the need is as great as it is. I have been proud to wear orange every day in past Septembers, and I am looking forward to putting my orange on. I even have some new orange shirts to add to the rotation..

Speaking of Hunger Action Month, elsewhere in this email newsletter, Julie Damer, our marketing manager will outline just a few of the things we are doing this year as we try to engage as many people as possible to share their way of supporting us. Whether it is wearing orange, taking photos at the Standees in area Walmart stores ( you will learn more about these later on in this newsletter), forwarding this email newsletter to friends and families or simply picking up the phone to call a Food Bank staff member to say thank you, you will have played an important role in telling our story. Thank you in advance. Please try to find the article about a new T-shirt for sale from our friends at B-Unlimited. A portion of the sale price of each shirt will be donated to the Food Bank. If I do say so myself, they are pretty cool looking and I will wear mine with pride. By the way, it is orange so I can wear it to work this month.

I have made it this far without mentioning COVID. To quote a friend, “I’m ready for it to go away.” I think we all kind of feel that way. But I fear it will be with us for a while. Thank you all for your unwavering support during the past few months. Your response to help us help others in need has been unbelievable. We are so blessed and thankful for each of you.

Get your orange on. Let’s make this September make a difference in the lives of our food insecure neighbors. Because of you, someone will eat today.

- Kent Eikenberry

September is Hunger Action Month!

Hunger Action Month, which takes place each September, is a time when people all over America stand with the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks, including the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, to fight hunger.Alongside all 200 Feeding America network food banks, we commemorate Hunger Action Month by spreading the word about hunger in our communities, volunteering, advocating, donating and helping raise awareness about hunger.

We are asking our community partners here in NWA to join us during the month of September to raise awareness of this issue in our region by changing anything at their business – from their outdoor lighting to the water in their fountains – to the color orange, the color recognized by Feeding America as the color to represent hunger. We can’t wait to see how creative our community gets with this fun opportunity!

Keep an eye out for this cutout!

We have placed several of these cutouts in area Walmart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets in the region to help raise awareness that every 1 in 4 kids right here in Northwest Arkansas are food insecure. We encourage you to help us spread the word.

Simply find one of the standups, snap a selfie with it and tag us in the photo #nwafoodbank with the #HungerActionMonth. You can also email them to Julie.damer@nwafoodbank.org so we can share them with the community!

ORDER A COOL NEW SHIRT!

Help us spread the word about our mission to feed those who are in need in Northwest Arkansas and get a cool new shirt, too! The nice folks at B-Unlimited are donating a portion of every sale to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank!

These are nice, comfy shirts. Order yours today!

NWA Food Bank Receives Donation from KraftHeinz

In an effort to continue to provide food to those in need during this COVID-19 crisis, KraftHeinz recently donated a large amount of ready to eat meals to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. The donation consisted of assorted Smart Ones® meals, which will provide over 7,280 meals to those here in our region that are in need.

“We are so appreciative for the most recent donation of Smart Ones® ready to eat meals from our friends at KraftHeinz," said Kent Eikenberry, President/CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “They flew out of our freezers almost as quickly as we put them in there. Our partner agencies were excited to provide easy, nutritious and perfectly portioned meals to their clients. This is simply another example of how the team at KraftHeinz has supported the Food Bank and our mission to address food insecurity in Northwest Arkansas.

T he Second Street Pantry in Bentonville, Arkansas, was started in February of 2011 by a core group of four women. Three months later they partnered with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Today, they help upwards of 100 families a week supplement their food income using money donated by the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Bentonville.

On Tuesday, July 28, 2020, the team prepared food bags and “home goods” bags, which contain goods such as toilet paper and paper towels and are passed out once a month with the food bags.

Peggy Snyder, who works at the food pantry, said she has noticed an increase in the number of faces per week, old and new, since COVID-19 began.

“I would be surprised if we don’t get up to 100 cars,” Peggy Snyder said as bags were packed.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pantry’s process for passing out food has changed. Those picking up food drive up to a greeter who sends a photo of their ID to a data person inside. That person then looks up the name in their system to see how many people are in the family. This number determines how many bags of food and goods the car gets. Then the rest of the volunteers pack up and pass out the bags.

If the person has not been to the pantry before, they are asked to fill out an application so the church knows who they are and how many people they need to feed. However, the “application” is just a formality.

Second Street Pantry has also started doing a “home delivery service” for anyone who cannot leave their homes at this time. For example, local nursing and retirement homes have their food delivered every Tuesday by someone from the food pantry.

The homeless are also welcome to come to the pantry. They are given canned goods, and a can opener if they do not have one when they first come in.

Wanda is from Bella Vista and has been visiting the Second Street Pantry for years. She picks up food for herself and for a woman who has two children.

“Oh!” she said with a smile. “This is the best one I’ve been to.”

Barb Laubenstein, who also works in the pantry, said that this year the pantry is also being helped by the Young Men’s Service League, a group of 9-12th grade young adults and their moms who, each year, donate their time to a different local organization.

“We are blessed for them to have us as their Ultimate Gift this year,” she said.

Laubenstein said the pantry has a lot of other events and projects besides their weekly food distribution.

The Little Free Pantry is located on the outside of the building and is a 24/7 free pantry containing staples for anyone who needs them. It is fully stocked by the Children’s Ministry of the church, and families are chosen each week to collect the food and stock the pantry.

Second Street Pantry also hosted Tuesday Night Dinners and invited people to come enjoy a hot meal before taking their bags home. It has stopped for now in light of COVID-19, but Laubenstein said they plan to get that started when it is safe again.

Second Street Pantry is located at 201 NW 2nd Street in Bentonville, Arkansas, and every Tuesday pass out food bags and often other goods.

“We’re just really blessed,” Laubenstein said. “We have a great congregation that actually supports us. And the support we get from the Food Bank and from our church has just been great for us.”

What a way to kick off the LPGA!

On Monday, August 24th, we were presented with a generous donation from the Walmart NWA Championship presented by P&G and Tyson Foods. The donation included 39,000 pounds of Tyson Foods protein as well as a check for $40,000!

Representatives from the tournament, Walmart and Tyson were on hand to make the presentation. This donation will go a long way in helping us feed those in need in the NWA region. THANK YOU to these wonderful partners! We really appreciate you!

Meet Our Volunteer of the Month!

September Volunteer of the Month: Young Men's Service League

Special Shout-Out to volunteers!

Marilu Torres, Miranda Kohout, Pavan Raj Nakkala, Bryce Montezuma, Cara Salvatore, Jeongseo Han, Claire Terhune, Robert Stickney, and Crys Horsman

Current Projects that our volunteers worked on:

Distribution Warehouse, Fayetteville Food Pantry, Rogers SnackPacks for Kids, Teaching Garden, Tontitown Food Pantry

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || AUG. 10, 2020

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 19:43:08 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – Aug. 10, 2020

I know it is August because the calendar says so. However, you would not know it during my early morning walks. Temperatures the past few days have ranged from the low to upper 60’s, making my time on the trail system of Rogers much more pleasant. What does my renewed commitment to walking and the temperature have to do with food insecurity you might ask? I’m really not sure ☺ I do know that when I walk, I have 40-45 minutes of quiet time to reflect, usually much of that time is spent thinking about how blessed I am to live and work in Northwest Arkansas; how thankful I am to work at the Food Bank supporting a mission I believe wholeheartedly in; and how important each and every one of you is in the fight against hunger. I try to say it a lot, but I don’t say it enough: Thank you for all you do to allow us to help our friends and neighbors.

While we are on the topic of the calendar, when we flip over the page it will be September. September used to be important to me because college football started in September. This year who knows if it will start at all, but I digress. September is Hunger Action Month. Two hundred Food Banks all over the United States work together to spread the message of Hunger Awareness. Proudly we are part of that group. While we cannot physically bring people together this year as we have in years past, we do have ways of encouraging people to stop and think about hunger. Each of these ideas is designed to bring Hunger awareness to the front of your mind; using an old newspaper term, TOMA, Top of Mind Awareness. Here are just a couple of examples of our initiatives. I encourage you to follow these, and/or think of some on your own.

*Swing by Northwest Arkansas Florist on North College in Fayetteville. You cannot miss the Orange Horse out front. Take a selfie and post it on social media or send it to Julie Damer, our marketing and communications manager, julie.damer@nwafoodbank.org.

*Look for the stand-up displays of four young people in local retailers. Again, take a selfie and send it to us.

*If you have the ability to change the color of your outside lighting, please make it Orange in September.

*Please wear Orange to work every day. Even if you are working from home, wear some Orange and share that you are.

In case you have missed it, Orange is the color chosen by Feeding America to represent Hunger Action Month. Thank you all for helping spread the word. Recognizing there is a problem is the first step to solving it.

One final thought about Hunger Action month. Each of you have your own network of family, friends or business associates. More than likely you have an email address for each of them. Please forward this month’s newsletter to them. In doing so you will help spread the mission. Working together we will make a difference. Thanks again for all you do. I’d love to show you around the Food Bank if you are interested. Just be prepared to have your temperature taken and wear a mask. Until next month remember: Because of you someone will eat today.

- Kent Eikenberry

September is Hunger Action Month!

Introducing... The Cutting Board of NWA

The Cutting Board of NWA is the NWA Food Bank’s newest effort to keep you connected to healthy foods. On the site you will find step-by-step videos and recipes, submitted by our own employees and volunteers, that will help teach you how to turn ordinary foods and ingredients into delicious meals in simple, easy steps and learn some new techniques to use in the kitchen, too! Be sure to check all of them out on our website. New videos will continue to be posted as we receive them – so check back often!

Here’s a new twist to pancakes you just have to try!

Sweet Potato Pancakes

By Miranda K. of Springdale, Arkansas

You Will Need: baking sheet, large bowl, medium bowl, liquid measuring cup, oven, fork, skillet

Ingredients:

1 cup baking or pancake mix

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup mashed sweet potato (1 cup = 1 medium sweet potato)

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 Tbsp vinegar)

Your choice of toppings, sweet or savory!

Recipe :

Mashed Sweet Potato

1. Poke holes in the sweet potato and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 1 hour.

2. Let cool, cut in half, and peel the potato. Mash with a fork.

Pancakes

1. Combine baking mix, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Mix until fully combined.

2. Combine eggs, sweet potato, and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Mix until fully combined.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold until combined but lumpy, careful not to overmix.

4. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and pour a spoonful of batter into the pan when hot. Allow to cook until bubbles form on the top of the pancake and the sides begin to brown, approximately 2 minutes. Flip the pancake and cook on the other side for around 30 seconds to 1 minute.

5. Serve with your favorite toppings. Check out our video for inspiration!

T he Goshen United Methodist Church in Goshen, Arkansas, has one goal according to their pastor, Brother John Humphries: focus on what they are supposed to be doing as a congregation, rather than what they are not supposed to be doing. To fulfill this goal, Pastor John looked to the Bible.

“And so I said, ‘All right. What we’re supposed to do is: Feed hungry people, clothe the naked people, and heal the sick.”

Near the end of 2019, Goshen UMC decided to open a 24-hour food pantry stocked with essentials such as peanut butter, jelly, canned goods, and other staples. They also had a free medical clinic on Tuesdays but decided to stop for now amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, when it became apparent that there was more need than they originally thought, Goshen UMC reached out to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and applied to become an official partner and food pantry.

They were accepted, and on December 3, 2019 opened the Goshen United Methodist Church Food Pantry. They are funded primarily by church dollars, about $400 per week, but also receive donations from members of the congregation and community that go toward the weekly order from the food bank.

Neil Carey is a member of the Goshen UMC congregation and a huge part of the food pantry’s success. He places the weekly order to the Food Bank using the allocated budget and then, with his wife Raija, drives to the NWA Food Bank to pick it up the following Tuesday, typically as early as 6:30 a.m.

After returning to Goshen with the food, it is sorted and inventoried before being packed into boxes to pass out to those in need. Typically, Goshen UMC tries to give each car boxes of meat, canned goods, dry goods, and dairy if possible.

“Some of these families have absolutely nothing,” Raija Carey said, “so we try and give them a variety of things that could be used.”

Each car is asked to fill out an application before accepting food, but it’s primarily given so the church has a way of knowing how many cars they typically serve and who they are serving too, rather than deciding whether or not a person can receive food from the pantry.

“You’ve already passed the test,” Neil Carey said with a laugh. “You got an A.”

Neil Carey said the pantry typically gives food to around 35 to 44 families per week, and that about 25 of these families are weekly regulars. He also said not every family they give food to is a part of the United Methodist Church. Anyone in the community is welcome to come to the food pantry.

They are located at 122 E. Bowen Avenue in Goshen and are open every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for those in need to pick up their food. The 24-hour pantry is also open, and the medical clinic has plans to reopen once it is safe.

Green Forest Pop-Up PantrySecond Time Around

We hosted another pop-up mobile pantry in Green Forest on Friday, July 31st. At the event, we served 254 households with 1,000 individuals. The last time we hosted one in this area, we served 177 households with 678 individuals. Although we hate to see our numbers increase with the number of people needing assistance, we are so grateful for the continued financial support we receive from our community that allows us to be able to supply these families with the food they need.

You can make a one-time donation by visiting our Donate page, it's super easy !

All donations stay right here in Northwest Arkansas and help us feed your neighbors that need a little extra help these days.

Local Businesses Partner with NWAFB to Host Pop-Up Pantry

On Wednesday, August 5th, Goodwill and The Pack Shack partnered with us to host a pop-up pantry at Goodwill in Rogers. The event started at 8 a.m. with the first car in line by 4:45am. We were able to serve a total of 242 households and 1,038 individuals at the event.

We are able to serve so many people each week because of the generous support of our community.

Thank you for helping us feed those in need in our region .

COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on our vulnerable, food-insecure neighbors.

As the walls close in on them, there is hope. Your support will provide a timely boost to our mission to ensure no one in Northwest Arkansas goes without a meal. Your gift helps them have a future that does not include worrying about food.

Please visit our COVID-19 Response Fund Giving Portal to make a gift and help support our neighbors in need.

A Big Thank You!

We received a nice check last month from our friends at the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Cal Chambers with the organization presented the check to NWA Food Bank President/CEO Kent Eikenberry.

We so appreciate the support we receive from our community!

We Love Our Volunteers!

Volunteer of the Month: Marilu Torres (pictured)

Volunteers: Scott Blackwell, Mark Boyd, Kendall Christian, Gage Colvin, Rhiannon Colvin, Karla Cope, Miranda Kohout, Mai Mang, Mary Ochs, Glenda Patterson, Teresa Prince, Audrey Romero, Cara Salvatore, Ellie Slaba, Candi & Robert Stickney, Ever Villalobos To sign up to volunteer, please pre-register online on our Volunteers page!

The Do's & Don'ts of Donating to Food Banks During COVID-19

| By Paul Morello | You may have seen the numbers: food banks are feeding nearly 60 percent more people during the COVID-19 pandemic than they were this time last year. At the same time, many food banks are seeing decreased donations from the grocery stores and manufacturers that helped them in the past.

With so many families visiting food banks for the first time, you may be wondering what food banks need. Should you start a food drive? Should you donate cash? We’ve got some do’s and don’ts about what food banks need right now (and what’s best to avoid) as they ensure our neighbors have enough food to eat during the pandemic and beyond.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || JULY 20–25, 2020

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 21:55:50 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – July 23, 2020

I think I like the way I look in a mask. Just this morning I took a nick out of my beard when I trimmed but when I put on my mask, well... It just doesn’t matter.

Please don’t take this anecdote as a sign that I think COVID-19 isn’t serious. It most certainly is, but for the past four months it has dominated the “bad” news cycle. I refuse to be part of the movement to turn wearing a mask into a political statement. To me it is simply my way of trying to be part of the solution. But as you can see, there may be additional benefits that we might not think of.

For the past several weeks, we have been attempting to provide you with a weekly COVID-19 update as it relates to the Food Bank. I’ll admit we have missed a few weeks, but only when we get too busy to think about this. At this point, we have become relatively routine in our processes and our updates seem to be redundant. So, to that end, we have decided to suspend the weekly email, and include a section on COVID-19 in our monthly newsletter. Should something come up that we need to notify you about, we will send a special email blast, but in the meantime, please look for our newsletter to hit your email box on or about the 10th of each month.

Thank you all for your continued support of our mission. We could not do what we do without you. Please be safe out there, keep your social distance from others and when you cannot, please mask up. Then when you are out and about, and run across me, you can look me in the eye and wonder, did he successfully trim his beard this morning, or is there a chunk missing?

Because of you someone will eat today.

- Kent Eikenberry

On the Road Again!

NWAFB is hosting two Pop-Up Pantries this month to help meet the needs of our NWA neighbors finding themselves in a food line for the first time. The mobile services team will travel to West Fork on Friday, July 24 and host a pop-up pantry at the West Fork Community Center at 222 Webber St from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Mobile services will also travel to Green Forest on Friday, July 31 to host a pop-up pantry at Old Bob’s Super Market located at 309 E. Main from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. In May, the Food Bank served 245 households in West Fork and 177 households in Green Forest. The Food Bank is also planning to partner with Goodwill and Pack Shack to host a joint food distribution event sometime in August.

United Bank's COVID-19 Community Relief Efforts Reach $25,000 in Partnership with United Built Homes

SPRINGDALE, AR, July 15, 2020– United Bank announced today that United Bank and United Built Homes have partnered together and committed $25,000 to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s COVID-19 Relief Fund. The funds will provide meals to help ensure no one in Northwest Arkansas goes without a meal.

With more COVID-19 cases than any other part of the state, Northwest Arkansas continues to manage the outbreak’s impacts.

“Now, more than ever, we need to unify and help those in need during this crisis. This unprecedented situation has added strain on the area’s food banks, and it’s important that we support these critical lifelines,” says Nathan Gairhan, President & CEO of United Bank.

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is a nonprofit organization located in Bethel Heights whose mission is to nourish Northwest Arkansas communities by feeding the more than 65,000 people in the region who are in need .

We need your samples and excess food!

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has partnered with Feeding America to use MealConnect, Feeding America's food donation app, to automate the rescue and distribution of unused perishable food items in a sustainable, cost-effective way.

Feeding America developed MealConnect to provide donors a convenient, free and safe way to reduce waste and connect surplus food with people who face hunger.

The program will depend on local Food Recovery Volunteers. The volunteers will use their vehicles to pick up items and drop them off a local pantry or hot meal site from our community partners. The food bank will provide the materials needed to store and transfer the items in a safe manner as well as provide training for all volunteers in the program.

This model will help increase food recovery in our area and get the food to those in need. To learn more about how to volunteer, please contact austin.harms@nwafoodbankorg.

Calling All (Or Want-to-Be) Chefs!

The Food Bank needs your help to establish an online resource center! The Cutting Board of NWA features recipes, preparation, and gardening advice of foods often featured in our Mobile Pantry food boxes. This is an incredible opportunity to teach kids important kitchen skills by creating an instructional video together, for grandma to share her favorite family recipe, or college students to share their best cheap eat!

We are currently seeking videos describing various fruits, vegetables, protein, and grains.

Check out the videos we currently need and sign up here!

Zucchini Cornbread Casserole

INGREDIENTS

- 4 cups shredded zucchini

- 1 onion, chopped

- 2 eggs, beaten

- 1 (8.5 ounce) package dry corn muffin mix

- ½ teaspoon salt

- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

STEPS

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

2) In a large bowl, mix together zucchini, onion, eggs, muffin mix, salt and pepper. Stir in 4 ounces of the cheese. Spread evenly into the greased casserole dish and top with remaining 4 ounces of cheese.

3) Bake in a preheated oven for 60 minutes.

Source: allrecipes.com

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || JULY 2020

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 21:44:33 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – July 8, 2020

I believe God sends us messages... When we take time to listen.

Last week I received a book in the mail. It was unsolicited but came from Dynamic Catholic, an organization I do purchase books from. The book is DO SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL FOR GOD, the essential teachings of Mother Teresa. In addition to a brief biography, the book features daily thought encounters shared by the saint. Here is June 25th’s:

“I once picked up a small girl who was wandering the streets, lost. Hunger was written all over her face. Who knows how long it had been since she had eaten anything! I offered her a piece of bread. The little one started eating crumb by crumb. I told her, “Eat, eat the bread.” She looked at me and said “I am just afraid that when I run out of bread, I’ll still be hungry.”

Five years ago, I began having the nagging feeling that I was being called to leave the newspaper and come to the Food Bank. You all have heard the story so it doesn’t need repeated. Just suffice it to say I believe God had a plan for my life and that plan was to be president of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and to lead a great team in our efforts to attack food insecurity in the region head on. Since January 1, 2016, with your help, we have done that exact thing. We have taken an aggressive route with the goal of providing reasonable access to food to all Northwest Arkansans by the year 2025. Roughly 100 days ago, our world was rocked by COVID 19. Overnight, thousands of our neighbors lost their jobs, spent their savings, and were forced to go to a food pantry or a mobile pantry for the first time.

With your help, we have been able to provide the food they have needed. But this crisis is far from over. While other areas of the country are getting better, the disease is spreading rapidly in our service area. As the number of cases rise, it will have an economic impact and that economic impact will force us to have to buy and distribute more food.

I cannot begin to thank you enough for all you have done to support the Food bank in the past. Together we have made a difference in the lives of thousands. But before our work is done, we have to address this question, “How many little girls, and boys will ‘still be hungry’ when they finish their bread?” Because of you someone will eat today.

- Kent Eikenberry

We need YOUR help today!

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to adjust our volunteer shifts at our Bethel Heights location to help keep everyone safe. It is easy to sign up! Just visit the Volunteer page!

Limited spaces for each shift are available, so choose yours today!

Distribution Warehouse

Tuesday 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Friday 9-11 a.m.

Saturday 9-11 a.m.

Teaching Garden

Monday 8-10 a.m.

Wednesday 8-10 a.m.

VOLUNTEER UPDATE!

We had 108 new people register with us on our site to become NWA Food Bank volunteers! THANK YOU!

To sign up to volunteer, please pre-register online on our Volunteers page!

Meet Our Volunteer of the Month!

Paula Miller is a passionate member of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank volunteer team! We are honored to have Paula as a part of our organization. Paula assists at the Berryville, Fayetteville, Bentonville, Springdale, and Lowell mobile pantries every month, and has been serving with us for four years. We love Paula for her ability to command a pantry, her incredible work ethic, and her ability to smile through anything. Thank you, Paula!

Special Shout-Out to volunteers!

Marty Adcock, Robyn Blakeley, Mikayla Roy, Marilu Torres, Scott Blackwell, Young Men's Service League, and National Charity League for their volunteer work this past month. You all rock!

Teaching Garden Update!

During the month of June, we were able to harvest over 62 pounds of fresh produce from our new teaching garden, located at our Bethel Heights location. This produce was distributed to clients at our mobile pantry locations during the month. Everyone loved to receive this fresh produce, and were pleasantly surprised when they were told it was grown at our office location. We look forward to being able to continue to provide fresh produce in the coming months as well.

We are working together here in Northwest Arkansas

We want to thank everyone who supports our organization each and every day- including our employees, our Board members, our donors, our volunteers, our partner agencies, the list goes on and on.

We couldn’t do what we do without each and every one of you! THANK YOU!

HOT OFF THE PRESS!

A new informational flyer has been created to help educate people on how to get the food they need. This flyer, produced both in English and Spanish, answers questions about paying for food, what is needed to receive food, what is a mobile pantry, etc. We tried to cover all of the basics with this flyer so it is a “one time shop” for anyone new to the process.

The flyer is being mailed out to a selected group of residents in the four counties we serve, and will also be available online, at government assistance offices, and anywhere we feel there is a need to share the information.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || JUNE 2020

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 19:49:51 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – June 24, 2020

I’m sure you have all seen on the news that the number of COVID-19 cases in Northwest Arkansas continues to grow at a fast rate. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those afflicted with the disease. Our mobile pantry has added stops to our regular schedule to make food more accessible. Nearly all of our partner agency pantries are open during their normal hours. Before you head to one, be sure to check our website to confirm that they are open. Most of them have changed their methodology and converted to a drive-thru model.

I want to thank all of the Food Bank staff members and volunteers who are putting themselves at risk in order to feed those neighbors in need.

We all need to take special care to slow the spread so please wear your mask, wash your hands, and social distance. As is the case with many challenges, we will get through this together.

- Kent Eikenberry

We appreciate each and every dollar that you give to us to help feed those who are food insecure in the Northwest Arkansas region. Here’s how your dollars helped your neighbors in need in the month of May.

Upcoming Mobile PantriesJuly 2, 2020

Fayetteville: Wedington Place Apartments, 3130 Telluride Drive, 8 a.m.

Prairie Grove : American Legion Hall, 120 South Neal Street, 10:30 a.m.

Every dollar you donate can provide up to 10 meals for those in need in the Northwest Arkansas region. Will you consider donating today? You can make a one-time donation by visiting our Donate page.

We Need You!

Did you know we have a teaching garden? So far, we have planted zucchini, yellow squash, winter squash, cantaloupe, okra, potatoes, onions, cucumbers, and lots of flowers (to attract pollinators and beneficial insects). All produce grown in this garden will go directly to people we serve through our Mobile Pantry program, but we can't do it without some wonderful volunteers!

Pre-register to get involved!

NWA Food Bank Receives CLIF and LUNA Bar Donation

We received a generous donation of 50,000 CLIF Bar , CLIF Kid and LUNA bars this past week. These bars will go a long way in helping feed those in need in the NWA region.

We appreciate our community partners so much!

We will be closed on Friday, July 3rd but will resume normal business hours on Monday, July 6th.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || June 8, 2020

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 19:33:36 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – June 8, 2020

Welcome to June. If the first week is any indication it is going to be a long hot summer. Speaking from personal experience, when I get hot, I get cranky. Let’s assume that I’m not the only person affected in that manner. Now, let’s assume that the person getting cranky is food insecure. His or her problem is compounded exponentially. You and I cannot do anything about the heat. But we can do something about food insecurity.

Together with our partner food pantries, we are tirelessly working to have the necessary inventory to serve all those in need. If you have blessed us with a gift this year, please know you have my deepest appreciation. If you haven’t had a chance to yet, I encourage you to consider whatever amount you can afford. We will take those dollars and convert them into meals for those in need. There is lots of good information in this electronic newsletter this month. Please do me a favor; after you have finished reading, please forward to two, three, or four friends or family members who you think need to read what we are doing. Telling people about the problem is key to our future success. Thank you for advocating on our behalf.Stay hydrated and try your best to stay cool.

Until next month, know that because of you someone will eat today.

- Kent Eikenberry

We're All in This Together

Arvest Foundation Provides $50,000 Grant to NWA Food Bank

The Arvest Foundation recently donated $50,000 to Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, a local nonprofit organization that helps reduce food insecurity by providing an affordable and credible food source to their partner agencies in the four Northwest Arkansas counties. During the outbreak of COVID-19, Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is continuing to serve the needs of those in the community who face food insecurity.

The organization is working closely with local and state officials, Feeding America, and the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance to make sure their response is fast, efficient, and effective. Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is also coordinating directly with schools to eliminate any duplication of services to ensure an efficient and collaborative response to any food insecurities across Northwest Arkansas.

“We are deeply appreciative of this generous donation. It is another example of how Arvest is working to make Northwest Arkansas a better place to live,” said Kent Eikenberry, president and CEO of Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “We will use this to help feed our neighbors in need.”

“There are so many organizations doing wonderful work during these troubling times,” said Kent Williamson, market president of Arvest Bank in Springdale. “While Northwest Arkansas is very blessed, there are also many in our community who are wondering where their next meal will come from. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is a leader in providing food to those that need it. We are so thankful for the service that the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank offers to the public and we are thrilled to be able to help them carry out their mission.”

VOLUNTEER UPDATE!

June 1 marked the date we welcomed back volunteers into the warehouse. We have added some extra measures to our volunteer program to make sure we keep everyone at a safe distance while volunteering and have added some extra guidelines as well. We would love to have YOU come out and help us, too! It is super easy to volunteer with us. To sign up to volunteer, please pre-register online on our Volunteers page!

01 6 Feet Apart

There will be a required 6-foot distance between volunteers will be strictly enforced with a three strike rule

02 Masks

Masks will be required for all volunteers at all times.

03 No Sharing

Volunteers will not be allowed to share tools.

03 At Least 16

The age minimum for volunteering at the NWA Food Bank is 16 years old.

Last month's record numbers are due to the incredible dedication to the team of Crystal Bridges and Tyson Foods! We are incredibly thankful to these two teams for stepping up in our time of need, and ensuring that all of the boxes we need were built and that our Pop-Up Pantry went smoothly.
We are thrilled to begin hosting volunteers again this month, and are excited to continue working with our partners. Thank you!

Huntsville Pop-Up Pantry Another SuccessJune 8, 2020

We hosted another successful pop-up pantry in Huntsville on Friday, May 29 thanks to the generous support of Ducommun. We were able to serve a total of 170 households with 546 members.

Every dollar you donate can provide up to 10 meals for those in need in the Northwest Arkansas region. Won’t you consider donating today? You can make a one-time donation by visiting our Donate page.

A Teaching Garden Update

Our new teaching garden at our Bethel Heights locations is going great! We have already harvested several pounds of zucchini and squash that we have been able to distribute to clients at our mobile pantries. We love the fact that we can grow healthy options right here at our warehouse for those in need in the region. If you would like to help out in our garden, we have volunteer opportunities available.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || MAY 25-29, 2020

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 19:19:21 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – May 29, 2020

I just watched the Governor’s daily press conference. Collectively, as a state, we have done a good job controlling the spread of COVID-19. But Governor Hutchinson was quick to point out we are far from an end to the pandemic. Like the rest of the state we are taking some action to try to return to normal operations at the food bank. Here are two big ones.

Beginning June 1, we will begin accepting volunteers back in to the warehouse. Now before you all come rushing down here to help us out, please take time to read the procedures and restrictions elsewhere in this email. Within the next few weeks, our client services team will resume on-boarding agencies on to our Oasis software. The data we have received from Oasis has been critical in our approach to serving our clients during the past few weeks. On-boarding more agencies will only allow us more detailed data to help us make more informed decisions. It is important to note that each of these steps are being taken while focusing on the safety of our staff and volunteers. I will not hesitate to suspend either of these should the spread of COVID 19 deem it necessary.

Thank you all for what you are doing to help control the spread of the disease. Please maintain social distancing, wear a mask when appropriate, wash your hands frequently and above all, please get tested should you show any of the symptoms.

- Kent Eikenberry

Spectrum Brands donates new Cutter hand sanitizer

Spectrum Brands recently donated 600 bottles of new Cutter® brand hand sanitizer to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank for distribution to their partner agencies. “Our agencies are open, serving the public,” said Kent Eikenberry, President/CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “This donation of hand sanitizer will help keep the volunteers at those agencies safe and healthy allowing them to continue to feed the hungry. Thank you, Spectrum Brands, for this generous donation of much needed product.”

The company’s manufacturing facility in Virginia, that normally produces liquid line products, was converted over in two weeks to make the hand sanitizing products to support the company’s facilities, US employees, and several organizations in communities where the company operates, including Northwest Arkansas.

The NWA Food Bank has set a few rules in place for when work resumes in the warehouse starting June 1.

01 6 Feet Apart

There will be a required 6-foot distance between volunteers will be strictly enforced with a three strike rule

02 Masks

Masks will be required for all volunteers at all times.

03 No Sharing

Volunteers will not be allowed to share tools.

03 At Least 16

The age minimum for volunteering at the NWA Food Bank is 16 years old.

Pop-Up Pantry for June announced! June 9, 2020

Our new pop-up pantries will be continuing into the month of June, with the first one for June scheduled for the 9th. We have seen large numbers at the ones we have hosted so far, and expect that numbers will continue to be high for the month of June as well.

Jessica is a single mom with three young children, ages 8, 3 and 1. She and her children were recently homeless right after her last child was born. She is not currently working and has no childcare. A friend told her about the pantry, Rogers First Food Pantry, one of our 160-plus partner agencies.

“I don’t know what we would do without this help,” said Jessica. “It got so bad I had to cook on a campfire and we did without food when the shelters were full.”

Jessica does receive SNAP benefits and looks forward to finding reasonable childcare so she can hopefully find full time work in a local factory. She said her kids absolutely love the fruit and juices they can get from the pantry – items that would not be possible to purchase on her own.

“Keep doing what you are doing,” she said crying. “You help a lot.”

If you know someone who could benefit from our services, please refer them to our website to find a full listing of our mobile pantry schedule under the FIND FOOD tab.

NWA Food Bank receives $45,000 grant from Bank of America

In an effort to continue to provide food to those in need during this COVID-19 crisis and continue the free school pantry program at Monitor Elementary School in Springdale during the coming months, Bank of America has awarded the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank with a $45,000 grant. This contribution designates $10,000 for the school pantry program at Monitor Elementary and $35,000 for COVID-19 relief.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || MAY 2020

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 17:06:00 GMT

A Word From Rhonda Sanders

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR ANDCEO, ARKANSAS FOODBANK

Just like coronavirus, hunger doesn't discriminate. We are now two months into Arkansas’s response to COVID-19 so I wanted to take this opportunity to give you a perspective on what the Arkansas Foodbank is seeing during these unprecedented times. Not only has our distribution model been different due to COVID-19, but the people seeking assistance have been very different than those we have seen prior to COVID-19. While this pandemic immediately affected those in the hospitality and retail industry, those effects have radiated out into some unexpected areas such as healthcare, gas and oil, and consultant services. With empty waiting rooms, restaurants and event venues, lower gas prices and lower uses, and postponement of major campaigns and internal initiatives, many have found themselves without enough revenues to maintain the expenses they have. Each organization is handling their situation differently, but ultimately it results in pay cuts, fewer hours, lengthy furloughs or even closure. This means that people, who on Friday had the means to pay for their monthly mortgage or vehicle loan, find themselves on Monday without a steady income. Often the family or friend unit they would have turned to for assistance is also dealing with the same issues which leaves people looking for ways to fill the gap in their household needs. This is where the Arkansas Foodbank and other food banks like us come in.

We are the emergency food system in our communities. We provide access to a limited amount of food to fill the gap while a family or individual works through their crisis situation and seeks a new normal. Because of this, we typically work through local pantries and soup kitchens to provide food to help them for three or four days. With the COVID-19 situation we have seen such dramatic increases in unemployment that we have also added mobile food distributions and pop-up pantries to our list of avenues to serve those in need. Whether at an agency or a mobile food distribution, we seek to provide enough food for about 3 days to fill that gap for them. As we visit with individuals we are always surprised to find out their situation that has created that need. They range from a sudden lay-off, to a major illness, to even a death in the family. They are asking for just a little bit of help until they can get back on their feet. During the COVID-19 shutdown this is even more prevalent.

Approximately 40% of those coming to pantries and mobile food distributions have never needed help before. They are often middle-class workers with what seems to be the best of everything but they are stuck in a crisis. They are waiting on unemployment, they are waiting on their job to possibly be reinstated, they are waiting and planning on major lifestyle changes that will be occurring, but during that time of waiting and changing they still need just a few days of food to help their families. This is real life and it is how we all respond to a crisis in our lives.

I feel it is important for us, as the emergency food system, to keep a non-judgmental perspective on the needs on around us. At this time, I see individuals and families who are critically poor and have extreme needs on a daily basis, I also see those who have just entered into a state of need with very limited resources. While the level of their crisis may vary, they all have one thing in common, their humanity. They are all scared for the future of their families and loved ones and they are embarrassed by the need to ask for help. Because of this, we don’t require those reaching out to us to explain their situation, nor do we attempt to rate their stories in order to determine whether they deserve assistance or not. We serve anyone who has faced their reality to point that they are lining up for help. We support them in as many diverse settings as possible. Remember, many of the families reaching out for help have not ever used a pantry, so drive up food distributions in familiar locations make it easier for them to have access. We also have increased our ability to help people find a pantry location and the hours they are open. We are using new text applications as well as information pieces on our social media pages.

All-in all, the need we are seeing now pales in comparison to the great recession 10 years ago. It has rolled over any economic barriers and it has swept across all industries. We are putting in many extra hours to reach those in need by adapting our systems while stewarding resources from our gracious donors. As a person dedicated to helping those in need I can sleep at night knowing I have provided multiple and safe opportunities for those in need and have worked to eliminate judgement for those who are reaching out. The real truth is that none of us truly get what we deserve and that grace infinitely abounds when we need it most.

Reflecting on our volunteers

Volunteer opportunities remain closed to the public at this time. Know that we miss working with you all and can’t wait to have you back helping out again. These measures are taken to protect you, our staff, and most importantly the food insecure families that we all care so deeply about!

THANK YOU NORTHWEST ARKANSAS! We can't wait for you to join us again soon through our volunteer program!

MASS DISTRIBUTION DAY AT ARVEST BALLPARK | MAY 9, 2020

Saturday, May 9th we held a mass food distribution day at Arvest Ballpark along with Tyson Foods, Hiland Dairy, Harris Baking Company, P&G, and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

The first car in line arrived at 4:30 AM with the start of distribution to start at 8AM. By 6AM we had cars lined up on every street around the ballpark for as far as you could see – and the lines continued to grow as the morning went along. “I am so grateful to our partners who came together to serve over 2,000 families in need,” said Kent Eikenberry, President/CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. “Some of the people sat in line for over 2 hours. If that doesn’t say they need help, I don’t know what does.”

“I’ve said it before and this is just another example of our commitment to helping our neighbors in need. Since 1988 we’ve been there," he said. "We’ll be there to help tomorrow, next week and next year. As long as people are hungry, we’ll bring our partners together to serve them.”

We are so appreciative to those who support us financially to make events like this possible.

"As long as people are hungry, we’ll bring our partners together to serve them.”

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || MAY 8, 2020

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 16:47:15 GMT

I cannot thank you enough for the support you have shown us. Every day we get a stack of mail which includes not only donations but notes and letters of encouragement. I want to share some of those notes of encouragement with you.

Enclosed is $100: “I’ve had this for years as emergency cash. This really is an emergency.” This is just one example of the words of encouragement which help us be better today than we were yesterday.

We get lots of Bible verses quoted. The most recent 1 John 4:16 “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” Lots of notes stating we are in their thoughts and prayers.

We have had donors sign over their stimulus check to us. Speaking of stimulus, here is another. “I try to send you $20 twice a year, but I’m sending you more from the government stimulus check I received.

Here is another who is “using their stimulus check to help mobile pantry.”

"Hi to you all. Keep up the good work and know that I’ll be sending more soon. God bless you."

I look forward to one day being able to take a tour…but will wait until times are better."

"The current situation is tough on so many people. I’m very blessed to still have a job and wish to share with those who need help. Please use this donation to purchase food for the Food Bank."

"Thank you for helping families during this pandemic."

And finally my favorite: "Please accept this in honor of June Self."

Every time I read a note of encouragement I am refreshed knowing that the community is out there supporting our mission. Thank you all for that support. Because of you, someone will eat today.

- Kent Eikenberry

In April we celebrated Volunteer Appreciation Week. Although we can’t celebrate with our volunteers in person right now, we still wanted to recognize them during the week and celebrate with them from a distance. We will all get together soon for a party to celebrate in style!

Our 2020 Corporate Volunteer of the Year:

Tyson Foods

Tyson served over 270 hours with 137 volunteers this past year.

Our 2020 Volunteer of the Year: Franklin Evarts Franklin serves in our warehouse twice a week. He has volunteered over 100 hours this past year.

Volunteer Appreciation!

Although our volunteer program is currently closed to the public, we have been able to continue serving the community through assistance by our staff's family members, select volunteers, and a new partnership with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art! We are deeply grateful for the dedication we have seen across the community, and have been able to build more than 4,400 boxes of food with the Crystal Bridges team and look forward to a continued union across our missions.

THANK YOU NORTHWEST ARKANSAS! We can't wait for you to join us again soon through our volunteer program! For the month of April we had 66 volunteers who were able to serve a total of 216 hours!

Never too young to give back

This shows you really are never too young to give back: Mason Weisenfels just turned 9 this year. We received this message from Mason's mother and wanted to share. What a caring young boy! The message was as follows:

It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35

Times are tough for so many. The NWA Food Bank can provide up to 10 meals for every $1 donation. Mason’s love for life and joy is so contagious, let’s celebrate him by spreading that to others. When I talked to him about this idea, his response was to run and get some of his own money to donate. For Mason’s 9th birthday, consider driving by to honk, wave, and donate $1 in honor of him. It may sound small, but little by little, a little becomes a lot.

Mason and his mother set up a crowdfunding page with all of the donations going to our organization to feed those in need. His goal was set at $100.00.

Mason raised $460.00.

MOBILE PANTRY CONTINUES TO SERVE

“People should know that they should not be ashamed and that the food bank staff are very kind."

Ronnie is retired and now lives off of social security. Thankfully, he is in good health and able to go about his daily business, in the safety of his home. He visited our mobile pantry in West Fork this past month as an opportunity to share the food he received there with his neighbors in need. This was his first time to visit a pantry, and says he was pleasantly surprised to receive fresh produce with the food he received. “People should know that they should not be ashamed and that the food bank staff are very kind,” Ronnie says. We are glad we are able to help people like Ronnie and his neighbors, and know we could not do so if it wasn’t for our generous supporters. We appreciate every dollar we receive and know we can put it to good use in the community to help feed those in need.

If you know someone who could benefit from our services, please refer them to our website to find a full listing of our mobile pantry schedule under the FIND FOOD tab.

New Teaching Garden Seeded at Bethel Heights Location

A new garden, which we are calling the Teaching Garden, is starting to produce at our Bethel Heights location! So far, we have planted zucchini, yellow squash, winter squash, cantaloupe, okra, potatoes, onions, cucumbers, and lots of flowers (to attract pollinators and beneficial insects). In the middle of this month, we will plant bell peppers and watermelon. Volunteers will help with general garden maintenance, including, but not limited to, planting, harvesting produce, spreading mulch, and weeding around plants in the garden.

All produce grown in this garden will go directly to people we serve through our Mobile Pantry program. The goal of this garden is to supplement the Mobile Pantry program with locally grown, fresh, nutritious produce, as well as to teach volunteers and our partner agencies about local agriculture. We use organic methods in this garden to protect the health of our staff, clients, volunteers, and the environment. In size, the Teaching Garden is 1/4 of an acre.

We have also created a Super Pantry program to help us feed those in need during this pandemic.

Several area agencies have had to temporarily suspend their services or have been forced to reduce their hours- leading many clients to look elsewhere for help. We have created what we like to call Super Pantries to fill the gap during this time. A Super Pantry is a pantry that we've identified as having the capacity to see an increased amount of people during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

We've partnered with Feed the 479-Springdale, Samaritan Community Center- Rogers, St. James Missionary Baptist-Fayetteville & 2nd Street Pantry-Bentonville. We've given each of these agencies enough food to serve 240 additional households monthly. We will continue this service for as long as it is needed to make sure no one in need goes hungry during this time.

The Mobile Pantry team has been administering an Impact Survey courtesy of Feeding America and the percentage of people using charitable food services for the first time is 22%. The service was conducted March 23 – April 30.

During the last thirty days, we have served 2,040 households with 4,197 members through our partner agencies and 204 households with 522 members through our mobile pantry program. With the increased demand for food by those in need and the increased number of people we are serving, our food purchase has increased dramatically. Here are some numbers to consider.

Purchased food January 1 – April 2020

2019 – 417,149.83 pounds purchased

2020 – 591,303.20 pounds purchased

That is an increase of 30%.

MOBILE PANTRY CONTINUES TO SERVE

“People should know that they should not be ashamed and that the food bank staff are very kind."

If you know someone who could benefit from our services, please refer them to our website to find a full listing of our mobile pantry schedule under the FIND FOOD tab.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT || APRIL 27–MAY 1, 2020

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 21:57:47 GMT

Letter From Our President & CEO – April 30, 2020

If you will indulge me, I want to brag on the Food Bank staff today. Since early March when this whole mess started, the Food Bank staff has been on the front line working hard to make sure all who need food have access to it.

From taking temperatures when we report to work, to wearing masks and gloves, we’ve taken extra precautions. From packing boxes, bagging protein, monitoring which partner agencies are open, which are closed, to loading up our trucks for mobile pantries; each and every staff member has completed the task with a smile. They have rescheduled vacations, worked overtime, and pitched in wherever necessary without regard to “what’s in it for me.” I cannot be more proud of the team. Later this week, the governor will begin announcing when Arkansas will begin opening up. I am looking forward to what he says, but speaking very frankly, we never shut down. Repeating what I said last week, I cannot thank you enough for the support you have shown us. Every day we get a stack of mail which includes not only donations but notes and letters of encouragement.

Here is a little sneak preview of my May newsletter column which will be entitled “Mail Call” a compilation of some of the recent messages I’ve received in the mail. Enclosed is $100, “I’ve had this for years as emergence cash. This really is an emergency.” This is just one example of the words of encouragement which help us be better today than we were yesterday. Because of you someone will eat today.

- Kent Eikenberry

Huntsville Pop-Up: Huge Success! April 23, 2020

Friday, April 23 we held our second pop-up pantry in Huntsville, thanks to the generous sponsorship from Ducommun Inc.

We were able to serve 237 households with 785 members during this event. Our next event will be held this Friday, May 1 in West Fork.

Our Staff in Action!

Our staff has stepped up during this crisis to continue to make sure those in need are getting the food they need. Here are some pictures of a few of them in action at one of our pop-up pantries this past week. #weloveourstaff #feedingnwa #nwafoodbankatwork #wewontstop #helpingothers

Donation Received from Congressman Steve Womack

We received a generous donation of $10,000.00 from Congressman Steve Womack this week on behalf of this supporters of the Womack for Congress campaign. This donation will be used to purchase food for those we serve during this time.

We appreciate the Congressman’s ongoing support of our organization and our mission to feed those who are food insecure in NWA.

Alice L. Walton Foundation Donates Generous Gift to NWA Food Bank COVID-19 Response Fund

Volunteer Needs

How we are putting your dollars to work.

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:53:02 GMT

Ebony's Story

Ebony is a single mother of three (18, 7, and 5) from Little Rock who has now been living in Johnson for 16 years. She has been coming to the Feed the 479 food pantry in Springdale on and off for quite some time after finding it through the Northwest Arkansas Compassion Center.

The pantry offers many services to those in need including clothing vouchers, toiletries, and food. Ebony said she has utilized these and other resources and appreciates that the people at the pantry always make sure you get what you need, and does so with a smile.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Feed the 479 has kept its doors open, something Ebony greatly appreciates.

“There are some pantries and churches and things that have closed their doors to the pandemic,” she said, “but not the Feed the 479.”

Ebony also recalled one of her most positive experiences with the food pantry.

One month, she received a shut-off notice for the utilities on her home. Typically Feed the 479 takes appointments, but because they were full, Ebony decided just to stop by and hope for the best. Brenda Prewitt, Feed the 479’s director, told Ebony to wait and they would see if they could help her that day. Ebony said she was appreciative just of the fact that they said they would try.

“Anyone else, I believe,” Ebony said, “would have turned me away and said ‘Well, I’m sorry, we can’t help you. We need you to make an appointment.’”

Sure enough, one family did not show for their appointment and Ebony was able to receive money to pay her utility bill that very day.

“Because everybody has different situations in life,” she said, “we never know who’s really going through it unless we take the time out to listen.”

Feed the 479 is located in Springdale at 3157 W. Sunset and is open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. and Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Hunger Can Effect Anyone At Any Time

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 16:06:16 GMT

A few years back I took my three children and moved in with my mom. I fled an abusive relationship and took nothing but the clothes on our backs. It was difficult, starting over – but I didn’t know things were about to get even worse.

After we moved in, my mom lost her job due to illness. I can’t work because daycare is too expensive and my youngest is not yet in school. So we all moved in with my sister and live with her now. There are eight of us in the household. When we each contribute a little we can get by.

I’m not sure we could make it work though, without the help of the food pantry. It has been a god send. Everyone there is absolutely amazing; they are big-hearted, super caring and make you feel at home. They don’t make you feel ashamed to ask for help. The food pantry has helped us put food on the table and ensure that my children eat. Even though there are still times when I skip meals because there isn’t enough, I’m glad I never have to worry about my children going hungry.

I’m proud of my children. Despite all the tough things they’ve been through, they are doing well. They are happy and healthy. Through his entire ordeal they’ve only missed two hours of school in three years. And in August my youngest will go to kindergarten, which means I can start working full time. There are better days ahead. In the meantime I want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to the food pantry for helping us get there.

Smithfield Foods, Inc and Gallo Family Vineyards pair up to donate to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 16:04:02 GMT

We recently received a generous donation from Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Gallo Family Vineyards of more than 30,000 pounds of protein and $33,334 as a result of their Pairings with a Purpose campaign. As part of the program, Smithfield and Gallo committed to donating 5 pounds of protein and $5 to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank for each dual purchase of wine from the Gallo Family Vineyards brand and a Smithfield marinated fresh pork product.

This donation caps off the first month of Smithfield's 2020 Helping Hungry Homes program as part of the company's ongoing focus on alleviating hunger in America.

The donation, which is equivalent to 120,000 servings of protein, was presented to our organization during an event at our Bethel Heights location.

We appreciate our community partners like Smithfield and Gallo Family Vineyards for their continued support of our organization!

A Letter From Kent - Feb '20

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 15:57:56 GMT

From the desk of Kent Eikenberry CEO/President Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

I turned 65 my last birthday. Does that officially make me a senior? We have all read about cultures where the elders are respected. They are given seats of honor at family gatherings. Their knowledge and experience is revered and honored. Sometimes, however, seniors outlive their savings. Many of you know that Diana and I volunteer at our church food pantry. One day, a couple of years ago, a gentleman came in who I knew. He was a retired civil servant so he had a pension. He owned a business. I did not expect to see him at a food pantry. When I spoke to him, he was embarrassed and told me his wife had been sick. After paying the doctor and pharmacy he didn’t have money left to buy groceries. To compound his problem, his grandchildren were coming to visit. This is just one example of how someone who seemingly had his life in order becomes food insecure.

Our senior citizens should not have to choose between heating their home and eating. They should not have to choose between their medication and meals. Yet thousands of your mature friends and neighbors are making that choice every day. We are doing what we can, but we need your help to fund our mobile pantries. We need your help to stock the shelves of our partner agencies. Help us help our seniors get the nourishment they need for a healthy life.

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It is at this time of the year, I like to reflect back on some of the successes we had the prior year. It’s been said, “It ain’t bragging if it’s true.” While it goes against my nature to toot my own horn, I do want to share some numbers with you:

Food distributed to our partner agencies: Up 21%
Food collected from local food drives: Up 12%
Total number of volunteers: Up 33%
Number of volunteer hours: Up 22%
Total number of individual donors: up 11%
Total individual donations: Up 28%

While I am very proud of our year end numbers, I am quick to point out we could not have made these without an extremely efficient staff. To them working at the Food Bank is more than a job. It is a calling, a mission, an overwhelming desire to help those less fortunate. We could not have reached these numbers without the support of the best board of directors a guy in my position could hope for. They walk the walk, not just talk the talk. And finally, we could not have achieved any of these accomplishments without the support of our partner agencies, the true boots on the ground organizations, and you. Whether you supported us with a food drive, a cash donation, by volunteering, by attending the Jewels of Giving Gala, by telling a friend there are hungry people in Northwest Arkansas or by simply being aware of this growing problem, you made a difference. I thank you and applaud you for your contribution.

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A couple of weeks ago, the staff spent two days working on our strategic plan. If you recall we have two primary goals we want to reach by the year 2025.
One is to distribute enough food so that every food insecure individual has reasonable access to the food they need and
Two is that 75% of the foods we distribute be deemed healthy.

Our session was focused on identifying how we planned to achieve those lofty goals. You will hear much more about this in the near future, but I want to introduce you to the concept of Nourish, Feed, Lead. Those are the three pillars that all of our action steps will fall under.

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Speaking of lead, I want to personally invite any of you interested to attend our Hunger Summit on Monday, February 24. The agenda is elsewhere in this newsletter but it will be a full day bringing together partner agencies and other organizations who work in the food arena to begin forming a cohesive plan to work together to solve hunger in northwest Arkansas. We know collaboration and cooperation will be crucial to the success of not just the Food Bank, but to help the 65,000 plus who are food insecure in the four county area. I truly hope you can join us.

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While I would love to thank each and every one of you reading this personally, that simply is not possible. So on behalf of our 65,000 plus food insecure clients and our 160 plus partner agencies let me say thank you and best wishes for a safe, prosperous 2020.

Come see us. The road construction equipment is gone and it is safe.
Because of you someone will eat today.

Kent

Bank of America Grant for School Pantry Program

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 19:26:20 GMT

Monitor Elementary School in Springdale- a First for Northwest Arkansas

Bank of America has partnered with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank to provide a $10,000 grant for a school pantry program for Monitor Elementary School in Springdale. A group of associated recently spent a day packing food boxes and then working the school pantry to get them directly to the families at the school.

The school pantry, a first for the Food Bank, began operating in February 2019, and with the continued support of Bank of America is continuing again this school year. According to the school district, 89 percent of Monitor Elementary students quality for free or reduced breakfast and lunch, which is served at the school. The school pantry program helps fill the dinner gap by providing nutritious food for the entire family. The pantry distributes around 200 boxes of food per month, each of which contains around 18 pounds that can include canned vegetables, rice, canned fruit, cereal and juice, in addition to protein and produce.

"Bank of America is committed to providing relevant, meaningful support to help individuals and families navigate difficult times," said Donald J. Cook, Arkansas President. "The need is great to help feed families, particularly children in the Northwest Arkansas area. We are proud to support the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank's Monitor Elementary School food pantry program, both financially and through the dedicated efforts of our employees who volunteer their time to make a difference."

Sabrina Thiede, Agency Relations Coordinator at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank says " We are so excited to be implementing our School Pantry Program into schools all across Northwest Arkansas. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank believes all children and their families should have reliable access to healthy foods. We are grateful to Bank of America for sponsoring the pantry at Monitor Elementary to help ease food insecurity for the entire household and help children arrive at school healthy, happy and ready to learn!"

The Monitor Elementary pantry is operated each month.

@BankofAmerica
#weloveourcommunitypartners

Client story of gratitude

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 19:02:39 GMT

Perry and Jennifer's story

Perry and Jennifer

I spent my career as a chef. I went to culinary school and worked full time for most of my life. But several unsuccessful back injuries have left me hardly able to stand, never the less work. My wife Jennifer suffers from a debilitating disability as well. So we’re on a fixed income now, and it can be hard to get by with three children to raise.

We receive food from a local pantry. The food helps get us through the month, and without that assistance I don’t know what we would do. Jennifer and I would certainly go without. And not only us, but so many families – so many children – wouldn’t have enough to eat. It would be devastating.

I’m grateful for the support the food pantry provides. It’s comforting to know that I’m able to feed my family, and consequently, that my children will always have the nutrition they need to reach a better future.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank partners with more than 160 partner agencies in our region to help those who are in need. To make a one time donation to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, please visit: www.nwafoodbank.org . Your donation helps feed those who are food insecure in Northwest Arkansas.

Hunger Can Effect Anyone At Anytime

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 15:01:09 GMT

Terri Champion is an author. A singer. A scholar. She has two master's degrees. And she is hungry.

Originally from Philadelphia, Terri moved to Florida after her mother, who she was caring for, passed away.

She went with the promise of a job, but it fell through. Then another opportunity fell through. With very little savings, Terri found herself in an unfamiliar position and she was forced to move again.

"I never thought of myself as someone who needed to visit a food pantry," she said. "But not knowing if you're going to eat is probably the worst feeling I've ever dealt with."

So, she visited a local food pantry. It changed her life.

"Because I've never had to ask for help, it showed me that it's ok to not be ok," she said.

"The pantry helped me immensely," she said.

Now, Terri is still getting back on her feet. But while she does, she's been busy. She's writing a book about her life. She sings at a local church. And she is also giving back. She volunteers at the pantry that once helped her as much as she can.

And even though Terri calls the last few years "a storm" that she's still working to get out of, she knows there's hope now.

"There's definitely light at the end of the tunnel," she said.
To make a one time donation to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, please visit : http://bit.ly/2GXrbqC

Feed Communities Merge with Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

kent@nwafoodbank.org (Kent Eikenberry) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 18:44:46 GMT

The Boards of Directors of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and Feed Communities are excited to announce the consolidation of their operations. The Board of Directors of Feed Communities voted earlier this summer to dissolve their 501(c)(3) and become part of the NWA Food Bank effective Sunday, September 1, 2019.

“We are excited to welcome Feed Communities into our family,” said Leah Acoach, Chairperson of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Board of Directors. “They will be an integral part of our strategic plan to increase access to resources for all food insecure individuals living in Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington Counties by 2025.”

Feed Communities will continue to operate under the name Feed Communities and will integrate with the educational role of the Food Bank. The staff of Feed Communities will continue to work with area community gardens, teaching residents how to grow their own vegetables to aid in a healthy lifestyle. In addition, the diabetes education classes will continue and will combine perfectly with a recent endeavor of the NWA Food Bank. The staff of the NWA Food Bank has partnered with UAMS to craft an effective nutrition policy, and Feed Communities will work diligently to implement that plan by working closely with the NWA Food Bank’s 160 partner agencies. “I have big plans for Feed Communities to flourish as a part of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. These programs are just the beginning.” Kent Eikenberry, President and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

Angie Albright, Feed Communities Board of Directors Chairperson, said, “We are excited about this new chapter in the story of Feed Communities. Since our founding, we have worked to connect organizations and initiatives to create sustainable food networks. This transition is simply an evolution of our mission and a continuation of our effort to promote sustainability in the food networks in northwest Arkansas. We are thrilled to be a part of the future of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and its efforts to increase access to healthy foods for all food insecure families in our region.”

”When we started Feed Communities in early 2011, we looked to the NWA Food Bank to join efforts. The timing, however, just wasn't right. They continued to build their distribution operations, and Feed Communities developed multiple programs to fill a variety of community, food - system gaps. We've come full-circle, the stars have aligned, and I couldn't be happier about this collaboration! Our partnership will serve the people of NWA in ways that are most effective, efficient, and sustainable. That's a win for all.” Denise Garner, founder of Feed Communities.

“Food insecurity is too large a problem for one organization to solve by itself. Collaboration is the answer. We have worked hard to develop relationships with other not for profits in the area to reduce duplication and redundancy, trying to identify what each organization does best. As we did this research, conversations began that the mission of Feed Communities and the Food Bank aligned perfectly. It was a simple progression to integrate Feed Communities to our organization.” Eikenberry stated.
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About Northwest Arkansas Food Bank
Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (a 501c3 organization) was established in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the need for hunger assistance in Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll counties. In 2017 the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed more than 12.5 million pounds of food. Together with more than 160 partner agencies, we are able to reach out to those in need; providing nutritious food to children, the working poor and senior citizens. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and a founding member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

For more information
Kent Eikenberry, President CEO Northwest Arkansas Food Bank 479-419-5392 kent@nwafoodbank.org
Angie Albright, President Feed Communities Board of Directors 479-713-0154 angiealbright@gmail.com

A Letter From Kent - September '19

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 18:32:58 GMT

A Letter From CEO/President Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

I could say welcome back, but I guess technically it has been me who has been gone, not you. Let me restate, I really haven’t been gone, I just haven’t written a monthly update for a few months. What started off to be just taking a break turned in to more and more time passing until Diana mentioned that she really missed my monthly letters and assumed many of our supporters also might miss them. As a man who has been married over 43 years, I took my que and began to work on the September 2019 edition. I think I have written this before, but writing one of these every month provides new respect for those newspaper folks who do this on a daily basis. My hat is off to all those “newsies” with whom I worked for those many years and never thanked them for a hard job that was well done.

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September is Hunger Action Month. You’ve heard me talk about it before. This year we have upped our game. The biggest event of the month is the Spectrum Brands Corporate Challenge. Nearly 50 businesses are competing for a trophy and bragging rights to say they collected more food per capita than any of the other participants. This year our goal, set by chairman Daniel Boone of Outdoor Cap, is 500,000 pounds collected, over 40% more than last year’s total. Listening to the trash talk going on between companies, I believe the goal will be greatly surpassed. Thanks to Mike Williams and the development team for their efforts in this. I also want to give a special shout out to Kenneth Medlin of Spectrum Brands for all he does to make this a success.
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Other events scheduled for the month include:
September 5: Stand up for Hunger Comedy Event at the Grove in Lowell
September 9-13: Eat at Big Orange in Rogers where a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Food Bank.
September 12: Guest Bartender night at Brick Street Brews in downtown Rogers, featuring me.
September 14: Tailgate party at Village on the Creeks
September 17: Tyson Hunger Heroes
September 28: Bikes on the Bricks Poker Run

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Please take a couple of minutes and read the attached press release regarding the consolidation of Feed Communities into the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. I’m really excited about the opportunities this brings to the Food Bank and the food insecure in our service area.

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IT’S FINISHED! I literally cannot remember how long I have been writing to warn you of the ongoing construction of Highway 265 and the redesign of our truck turnaround area as a result of losing our circle drive. I’m proud to say that this week asphalt was put down so we are officially not a construction zone any more. They say out of adversity comes opportunity. This is the case for us. Because of the construction creating a safety issue, we began delivering to partner agencies. Delivering allows our partner agencies to better use their volunteers, allows us to use our trucks and deliver more food to the agencies, and most importantly allows us, along with our partner agencies, to serve more food insecure individuals.

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Finally, after months of asking you not to come because of the construction, I invite you to come to the Food Bank anytime your schedule allows to volunteer, take a tour, or just visit with our staff about how you can help.

Thanks to each of you for your continued support.
Because of you someone will eat today

Kent

From Kent's Desk: A look into May

Wed, 01 May 2019 20:14:53 GMT

Wow, it just seems like yesterday when I sat down to write my April column. Now today is May 1st. Happy May Day everyone. May 1 is a significant day for the Food Bank. So as we celebrate May Day, let’s look at some of the projects currently underway.

Fight Hunger Spark Change: This nation-wide initiative is in the sixth year at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. Customers are invited to donate to their local Food Bank (in the case of NW Arkansas, us) while checking out. Also, many manufacturers donate a percentage of their sales to Feeding America who in turn pass that money on to local food banks. This is an excellent opportunity for you as a consumer to donate to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank simply by buying products you use every day. Following is my quote from the Fight Hunger Spark Change news release.

“’Fight Hunger, Spark Change’ is another example of Walmart’s corporate awareness of the critical issue of food insecurity. By inviting these partner corporations to the table, Walmart is leading the fight. As the Feeding America affiliated Food Bank located right here in Walmart’s back yard, we are proud to support this effort and do our part to continue to grow the program. We look forward to another successful drive this year and in the future.”

Last year the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank received over $94,000 from Fight Hunger, Spark Change. This year’s drive runs through May 20 so you still have time to support this drive with your purchases and/or donations.

Arvest Bank’s Million Meal Campaign. Each Arvest location collects food and money to support a local food charity. Each branch chooses to assign their collection efforts. In our case, because we serve more than one Arvest location, we are the recipients of food and money collected by Arvest Operations. As I said in a recent television interview, I really like this initiative because it does go to the heart of the community and hits at a time where all of us are in need. This drive helps us help our partner agencies stock their shelves before school is out for the summer.

On April 27, over 40 University of Arkansas student athletes helped us unload a semi-trailer full of Tyson chicken which Tyson donated to some of our partner agencies from across the service area. I was asked to say a few words at the beginning and I focused not only on the need of the food insecure families but spent a lot of time talking about volunteering. Studies have shown that the younger a person engages as a volunteer the more likely they are to continue giving of their time throughout their adult life. So, one more time to those student athletes and food pantry volunteers, thanks for giving up your Saturday. And WOO PIG SOOIE.

By the time you read this, there should be traffic driving on the new improved Highway 265. When you come to the food bank you will need to take extra caution as we anticipate traffic on the new road to be even heavier than on the existing highway 265. Once the highway opens, the road contractors will move their equipment into our parking lot to improve access to our docks by Tractor trailer rigs so parking and access will be limited during the construction period.

September is four months away and will be here before you know it. September is Hunger Action Month and this year we have several plans in the works to make it a September to remember. The Spectrum Brands Corporate Challenge has moved from November to September. Diana and I will be guest “beertenders” at the Brick Street Brews in downtown Rogers once again. This is a fun evening, for which the Food Bank will receive money for each glass of beer or wine sold along with any tips. More details will be shared closer to the time. These are just a few of our plans, with one extra exciting event still in the planning stages.

At the end of September we will truly be able to say to thousands of Northwest Arkansans, “because of you someone will eat today.”

Kent

Mark your Calendar for the 2019 Jewels of Giving Gala

Wed, 01 May 2019 20:14:51 GMT

The 2019 Jewels of Giving Gala will be here before you know it. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank will host the 11th annual event on Nov. 15 at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers.

Last year, the Gala raised more than $215,000 going towards the efforts at the Food Bank.

Unilever will be the presenting sponsor for this year’s event. Unilever’s Mark Huffman and Walmart’s Sarah Alderson will serve as honorary chairs of the Gala.

Tickets are on sale now for $125 each and tables of 10 are $1,250. Tickets and sponsorship's are available either through Phillips or by going to the Food Bank’s website, www.nwafoodbank.org/jewelsofgiving .

Sponsorship's for the event are currently available, starting at $2,500. For more information contact Linda Phillips at linda.phillips@nwafoodbank.org .

The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with the sponsor’s reception. The silent auction begins at 7 p.m. The dinner, live auction and program begins at 7:30 p.m.

There are more than 63,000 people with food insecurities in the four counties -- Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington – served by the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and its more than 160 partner agencies.

From Kent's Desk: Stranger Helps the Food Bank

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 14:04:45 GMT

One Thursday evening I stopped at Brick Street Brews in downtown Rogers on the way home. Since I was by myself I took a seat at the bar. A few minutes later a gentleman came in and took the stool beside me. As we were watching the Reds versus Pirates baseball game on TV he remarked he was from Pittsburgh and we began a conversation.

Like all guys, eventually the topic focused on work. He was in town, Thursday his last night, consulting with a local large retailer. He noticed the logo on my shirt and asked if I worked at the Food Bank. After talking about the mission of food banks, of which he was aware, he asked if I had felt called to leave the newspaper industry to run the food bank.

I told him the story of my conversation with Marge several months before the Food Bank approached me about replacing her. He shared that he was at a similar point in his career, wondering how he might spend the last few years of his working career helping others.

Long story short, as my new friend left, he handed me some cash telling me that he knew I would put it to good use. So, Jim from Pittsburgh, whoever and wherever you are, please accept my appreciation for your support of our work. Because of you, several people will eat today.

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One of my first objectives when I came to work here was to establish some type of client tracking. We have to know who we are serving before we can determine who is out there needing our help but not getting it.

I am so excited to share that we recently received a grant from Feeding America that will help us add two additional staffers, each dedicated to working with our partner agencies to implement Oasis, the client tracking software.

We have already installed the software at 11 of our partner agencies, including our own Mobile Pantries. I cannot over emphasize how important it is for all of our partner agencies to be part of this grassroots research into food insecurity in Northwest Arkansas.

This data will help us build a profile of who is food insecure. Ultimately we will be able to use this data to identify pockets of need. It will be used to determine the best selection of food for us to procure. This list of benefits is endless. And because of this grant, the program is available at no cost to the partner agencies.

Please understand that the objective is to not only help the Food Bank be more efficient, but also help you, our partner agencies, be more efficient. Please contact Casey Cowan, our director of client services, for more details of how you can be part of this exciting movement.

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Speaking of making our partner agencies more efficient, I’m proud to report that we have had our first session of our new “Food Bank University.” This series of classes will look at topics such as fund raising to recruiting volunteers, to how to encourage more nutritious choices. Sabrina Thiede, our agency relations coordinator, is heading up this initiative.

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I had a talk with the state highway department earlier this week. Their plan is to start routing traffic on to the new road around the first of May. That means all the north-south traffic that was east of us about a quarter mile is now going to be east of us about 25 feet.

Those of you who have been to the Food Bank recently have noticed first-hand how close the road is to the building. You have also noticed our parking lot/truck turnaround dilemma. There is only one entrance in and out of the Food Bank rather than the circle drive we used to have.

We have made arrangements with APAC to begin work on a pad which will allow tractor-trailers to get turned around and in to our loading docks. This work should begin shortly after the road itself is completed and opened.

Please be advised that during the construction period access will be limited. I am having discussions with the land owners directly north and directly south of the Food Bank to allow us to park overflow vehicles on their property. I’ll share more details as they become available.

In the meantime, we continue to operate every day with food coming in, food going out as well as staff and volunteers being in and out.

Hungry people are still going to be hungry regardless of any inconvenience we are experiencing.

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It has been a while since I have included any anecdotes about any or all of the Eikenfamily.

Earlier I talked about Oasis. What I didn’t include in that segment was that Diana has spent countless hours as a volunteer training other volunteers on how to use the software. She has spent countless hours traveling with the Mobile Pantry to log clients into the system. She works in our warehouse with a group of other retired teachers.

In addition to volunteering here, they pack Snack Packs at the Samaritan Center, they sew, they quilt, and they are working to make a difference in our community. When she retired from teaching, she said her goal was to volunteer.

The Food Bank has been blessed that during the past three years she has chosen to spend much of her volunteer time here. Diana, because of you someone will eat today!

Food Bank University Begins

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 13:56:14 GMT

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has established Food Bank University to help partner agencies better understand their roles.

APRIL 11 – TEFAP/Civil Rights Training

APRIL 24 – Food Bank 411 and Food Safety 101

MAY 15 – SNAP Outreach and Service Insights 101

JUNE 12 – Volunteer Management

JUNE 21 – Food Bank 411 and Food Safety 101

JULY 19 – Foods 2 Encourage

AUG. 26 – Oasis Insight plus Training

SEPTEMBER – Hunger Action Month

OCT. 25 – Food Bank 411 and Food Safety 101

The times and location of the Food Bank University classes will be determined later.

To RSVP for a training session(s), please contact Sabrina at 479-347-2722 or

sabrina.thiede@nwafoodbank.org .

Agencies Gather for Annual Meeting

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 13:40:40 GMT

More than 100 leaders of the partner agencies of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank heard about the future plans at the Food Bank during the annual agency meeting on March 7 at the First United Methodist Church in Springdale.

There are 64,000 people in Northwest Arkansas who don’t have the luxury to eat what they want, said Kent Eikenberry, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. He thanked those in the room who were doing something about it.

During 2018, 8.5 million pounds of food was distributed in the four counties – Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington -- served by the Food Bank with 1,928 people volunteering more than 5,992 hours of service.

By working together as a community, he said, every food insecure person will have a reasonable opportunity to receive food.

As part of its 2025 Vision, the Food Bank and its partners will distribute 11 million meals annually by 2025, he said, and 75 percent of the food will be nutritious food such as protein, fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

The Food Bank will be offering a delivery service to get fresh foods to agencies faster.

Austin Harms, retail coordinator, said that deliveries in Washington and Benton counties would be $50 and $100 in Carroll and Madison counties.

The delivery service offers partner agencies access to more food than they can load into their vehicles.

Rev. Kristopher Adams of the Rogers Church of the Nazarene talked about the delivery service.

Working at the church’s food pantry requires a significant time commitment by a small group of volunteers, he said. Looking at time requirements to pick up food of more than three hours with three to four volunteers, it made sense to have the food delivered to their pantry. It cut the volunteer hours by 50 percent.
“When volunteers work less they are happier,” Adams said.

In addition, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson awarded a $750,000 grant to the six food banks in the state to be used to purchase fresh produce.

That’s food to encourage to assist those with food insecurities with a nutritious food program, Eikenberry said.

Casey Cowan, director of client services, told the attendees that the Food Bank has set up a committee to develop a set of guidelines for healthy food.

“We are committed to client nutrition and health,” she said. “Our goals is to help you and us to be better stewards for nutrition.”

The committee started its work in January and expects to have its first draft soon.

Sabrina Thiede, agency relations coordinator, talked about a new program – Food Bank University – a training program for partner agencies.

The plan is to host the program in different counties to improve participation, she said.

At the end of the meeting, there were drawings for a freezer, shelving and two $250 certificates in food credits.

Fayetteville Christian School received the freezer; Life Ministries of Pea Ridge received the shelving and the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Spanish of Rogers and the Huntsville Seventh Day Adventist Church won the two certificates.

Senior Neighbors Are Giving Thanks for You!

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 15:25:32 GMT

It’s often difficult for seniors on fixed incomes to afford groceries once all their other bills are paid. Which is why Billie, JoAnn and Joyce are all so thankful for your support!

We met up with the two sisters, JoAnn, 81, and Joyce, 82 and their good friend Billie, 79, at a Mobile Pantry in Hunstville. Joyce told the sisters about the pantry, and they’ve all been coming once a month ever since.

“We use [everything] they give us,” Billie says, gratefully.

All three women now rely on Social Security income each month, but it’s limited — and groceries are expensive. They say health insurance and cost of living expenses have also increased, leaving them even less money to pay for groceries.

The ladies really enjoy the juice, canned vegetables and fresh produce they take home from the mobile pantry. Thanks to your gifts, they can stock up and have enough nutritious groceries to last them through the end of the month.

“It’s good for people with fixed incomes,” says Joyce, who also picks up groceries for her elderly sister–in–law.

Thank you for giving our senior neighbors the help they need to stretch their fixed incomes. They’ll continue eating the nutritious food their bodies need because of caring people like you.

“Thank you!” all three women echo.

Jewels of Giving Gala

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 15:16:07 GMT

Thank you to our sponsors and everyone who attended the 10th Annual NWA Food Bank Jewels of Giving Gala presented by Unilever.

The Event was a huge success. With the generous participation in the Special appeal to support the Northwest Arkansas Mobile Pantry program — The KraftHeinz $35,000 match challenge was surpassed. BottleCrew stepped up to the challenge with an additional $10,000 — resulting in over $78,000 to fund the 2019 Mobile Pantry program.

The overall recent proceeds of over $215,600 will be used to provide food to the over 63,000 food insecure people in Northwest Arkansas.

You're Helping Families Heal

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 15:02:31 GMT

When 45-year-old Mike and his 68-year-old father both recently had major surgeries, your gifts were there to help give them nutritious food to speed their healing.
Mike has had to rely on Social Security Disability benefits most of his adult life, and he lives with his parents. But sometimes, their combined incomes just aren't enough to afford healthy groceries once all the other bills are paid.

The family shops at the less expensive grocery stores, but even those aren't always affordable on a fixed income. Especially since the family has added medical expenses from recent surgeries.
That's why Mike is so grateful to pick up groceries once a week from Flames 2 Fire Food Pantry in Centerton, a partner agency of the Food Bank. He's especially thankful for the fresh produce, bread and meat available there.
Mike is happy that he and his father are both healing well now with good nutrition to speed the process. Though Mike still has some health struggles, he's in much better shape because of you.
"Thank you," he says to donors like you, who make food pantries like Flames 2 Fire possible. "It helps a lot."
When you give, you bring great health and encouragement to countless neighbors like Mike and his parents. We are so grateful for your commitment to hunger relief in our community!

A Letter From Kent - Winter 2019

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 14:07:04 GMT

A Letter From NWA Food Bank's President & CEO, Kent Eikenberry

Dear Friend,

With a new year fully underway, I’m thrilled to have amazing partners like you. As we work to achieve our mission of feeding hungry people, I know your involvement is what makes it all possible. Simply stated, we could not do what we do without you.

Looking back, 2018 saw us distribute millions of pounds of food to thousands of northwest Arkansans who needed help. You provided the support necessary to distribute this food through your donations of time, talent and treasure. Your generosity made it possible for children, families and senior to have nutritious holiday meals.

You also made it possible for us to stock our shelves in preparation for the months ahead. As residents of northwest Arkansas, you know winter is far from over. Every day people are having to decide whether to heat their homes or buy food. The food on our shelves now will be the food on the food pantry shelves tomorrow, and the food that will work its way into the kitchens of all those we serve. Food which will help them stretch their budget to allow the comfort of a warm home. I hope you take the time to read about Billie, Joann and Joyce in this newsletter. Your gift helps insure they will have both food and heat this winter.

I am so appreciative of your understanding of our mission. You understand that this is not a one and one scenario. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has set an aggressive goal of allowing all food insecure friends and neighbors to have reasonable access to food. Many of our working poor clients need help with their food budget monthly. Your continued financial support allows us to serve these clients regularly with the nutritious food they need to supplement their food budgets.

If you have questions about our mission, or how you can help, please do not hesitate to call or email me. My direct line is 479-419-5392 and my email is kent@nwafoodbank.org. Because of you someone will eat today.

Gratefully,

A Letter From Kent- March 2019

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 19:44:07 GMT

From Kent’s Desk: Taking a moment to celebrate our awards

Tis the season for award shows. The Grammys, Oscars, Golden Globes just to name a few. Locally there are also awards being handed out.

On Feb. 21, we received the Award for BEST NON PROFIT as voted by the readers of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. As you recall earlier this month we received the SPIRIT AWARD from the Rogers Lowell Chamber of Commerce.

While we do not do what we do for awards, it certainly is exciting when we are acknowledged for the work we do every day. Thanks to our staff, our board, and our partner agencies for all of their hard work and dedication. You all are why being considered for these awards is even possible. Each of us should be proud of the role we play in making our corner of the world a better place to live.

Lest we all get the big head, let’s keep in mind while we may be better today than yesterday, there is still improvement to be had, so let’s be better tomorrow than today. But, let’s take a little time to celebrate this recognition.

Thank you all for what you do. Because of you someone will eat today.

It has been a while since I gave you a Highway 265 update. Partially that is because there really hasn’t been much to say. The construction has moved to the south intersection, where Old Wire Road meets up with Randall Wobbe Lane. The base layers have been laid in front of the building, curbing and sidewalks poured and the new driveway to the foodbank has been cut.

As part of the construction, we will be having some work done in our existing parking lot to allow for semi-trucks to have access to our docks. Right now that process is a challenge for them to say the least. We anticipate it being this way for at least 45 days, perhaps longer until APAC gets the road completed.

There is still another layer of asphalt to be put down followed by the punch list. After they are done with the road, they will start on the parking lot-truck turn around. Until that time, be advised that we have limited parking at the Warehouse so please plan accordingly and be patient as we reach the end of this long process.

Speaking of the Warehouse, effective Feb. 28, we no longer have the lease on the Annex which served as our volunteer center.

A couple of things factored into my decision to not renew the lease. One was that we have changed our policy regarding the amount of inventory we have in stock. Our increased inventory turns eliminated the need for as much storage as we had when we leased the building. Secondly, without knowing how the traffic flow on the new highway would be, I feared for the safety of volunteers and employees trying to navigate from one building to the other.

Another recent change -- delivering to the agencies rather than having them come to the warehouse -- will decrease the amount of traffic to the warehouse and increase the safety of our partner agencies.

Thanks to the staff members who have been involved in getting this project off the ground.

Contrary to what Mother Nature thinks, spring is just around the corner. With the greening of the plants comes school’s spring break. Kiddos are out of school for a week putting additional pressure on the food budget of our clients. I invite you to help us prepare our pantries for this increased traffic.

I think most of you know that I close nearly all of my correspondence with “Because of you someone ate today” or “Because of you someone will eat tomorrow” depending on the timeliness of the message.

Linda Phillips of our development team closes her emails with “ The best way to end hunger in our community is by working together! ” Linda is spot on.

None of us can end hunger trying to go it alone. We must be collaborative, focusing on what we do well while allowing others with a similar mission to do what they do best. To that end, there are lots of organizations out there working in the food arena that we do not know about.

I encourage you to let me know of such organizations so that we can help support them in their mission because working together without concern for whom gets credit is the first step in closing the meal gap and allowing us to fulfill our 2025 goal of providing enough healthy food, so that every food insecure individual in the four-county area has reasonable access to what they need.

Thank you all for what you do. Thank you for making the Food Bank better today than it was yesterday and joining us on the journey to make it better tomorrow than it was today.

“Because of you someone will eat today AND tomorrow.”

Kent

Tyson Donation

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 19:38:31 GMT

Pat Bourke, right, of the social responsibility group of Tyson Foods, receives a box of protein from Kent Eikenberry, president and CEO of Northwest Arkansas Food Bank as participants in the Miles that Matter program assist in unloading a truckload of protein on Feb. 19.

Participants in the Miles that Matter program as well as Kent Eikenberry, right, president and CEO of Northwest Arkansas Food Bank stand under a sign celebrating the 9 million pounds of protein donated to the Food Bank

Tyson Foods donates 110,000 pounds of protein to the Food Bank

Tyson Foods made its third and final donation to complete an 110,000-pound commitment of protein to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank during a Feb. 19 ceremony.

Tyson Foods’s donation to the Food Bank is part of its Miles that Matter program. The donation provides more than 440,000 servings of protein, an essential part of a well-balanced meal, to help the one in seven individuals in Northwest Arkansas who face food insecurities every day.

“The Food Bank is celebrating its partnership with Tyson Foods, who has donated nine million pounds of protein to us,” said Kent Eikenberry, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

There is a tremendous amount of need, said Eikenberry, but there also is a tremendous amount of assistance available.

“We couldn’t do what we do for the food insecure without the help of Tyson Foods, he said.

“We’re proud to support the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and its partner agencies that help address food insecurity in our community,” said Derek Burleson, Tyson Foods spokesperson. “Mobile pantries are a fantastic tool to reach those living in rural areas who may not be receiving the nutrition they desperately need.”

Burleson, who spoke on behalf of the 124,000 team members of Tyson Foods, said hunger relief was the top way for the company to give back across the country.

In 2015, the company put a stake in the ground when it pledged $50 million in cash a kind donations over a five-year period to fight hunger. That pledge is known as the “50-in-5” commitment.

Three years after making the commitment, Tyson Foods is less than $5 million away from reaching its goal. As of the end of its 2018 fiscal year, Tyson had donated more than $45,875,000 toward hunger relief in the form of product donations and charitable grants.

Pat Bourke, of the social responsibility group of Tyson Foods, said through its Miles that Matter program, for every mile a team member walks, runs or cycles, the company donates a pound of protein to area food banks. In Northwest Arkansas, 110,000 miles were logged.

This season, teams logged enough miles across the county to donate 275,000 pounds of protein to local hunger relief agencies.

There are more than 63,000 persons with food insecurities living in Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties that are served the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and its more than 160 partner agencies.

Nutrition Policy Under Development as Part of Vision 2025

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 19:31:30 GMT

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is in the process of developing a nutrition policy to work in conjunction with its Vision 2025.

The Vision 2025 has two major goals. First, the Food Bank and its partner agencies will increase distribution to 11 million meals by 2025 from its current distribution of 6.7 million meals annually.

Secondly, 75 percent of the foods the Food Bank distributes will be nutritious foods such as protein, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

“To accomplish this second goal, we must first write a Nutrition Policy that establishes the guideline for healthy food procurement,” said Casey Cowan, director of client services for the Food Bank.

A committee has been assembled consisting of three staff members, one community partner, one corporate partner and a representative from our partner agencies to help establish the first Food Bank Nutrition Policy, said Cowan.

The committee began meeting in January with its main goal to develop a Food Bank nutrition policy that will guide food procurement decisions of the Food Bank and promote consistent decision-making in acquiring healthier foods for distribution, she said.

It plans to meet at least six times to accomplish the task as it is following a University of California-Berkeley Center for Weight and Health guideline. This group will meet for the third time in March to begin the actual writing of the policy

Cowan hopes to have the policy ready by late spring and encourages everyone to look for it soon.

In developing its Vision 2025, Kent Eikenberry, president and CEO of the Food Bank, said the staff recognized that simply providing more food is not enough. There needs to be an increased focus on the nutritional quality of the food provided that will ensure clients are able to make healthier food choices.

Priority will be placed on sourcing fresh produce, fresh and frozen protein, low sodium/low sugar canned goods and whole grains, he added.

Cowan said the Food Bank’s Nutrition Policy will include the statement of purpose, policy rationale and benefits, the food inventory sources covered by the policy, healthful foods to encourage covered by the policy, foods to prioritize, as well as foods that are intended to be reduced at the Food Bank.

Tenison to Intern at the Food Bank

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 20:48:59 GMT

Rachel Tenison of Fayetteville is the marketing intern at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank for the spring semester.

She will be working on the Food Bank’s social media programs, including updating the website. Tenison also will be producing the weekly staff newsletter and whatever projects come up, she said.

Currently a senior in communications at the University of Arkansas, she is the daughter of Bill and Jamie Tenison. She is a graduate of Fayetteville High School.

Tenison is active in her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, where she served on the executive board for two years.

Food Bank Adds Mobile Pantries in Pea Ridge, Gravette

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 14:54:25 GMT

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank opened two new mobile pantries in Pea Ridge and Gravette to serve the east and west side of Benton County. The Food Bank now operates 11 mobile pantries on a monthly basis.

The Pea Ridge mobile pantry will start at noon on the second Thursday of each month at the Heritage Building at 1474 Curtis Ave., next to the Pea Ridge Intermediate School. The Pea Ridge stop is sponsored by Bottle Crew.

The Gravette mobile pantry will start at 10 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Billy V. Hall Senior Activity and Wellness Center, 1870 Limekiln Road.

Each eligible participant at the mobile pantry will receive either a USDA or state food box, which contain staple food items, and protein as well as fruits and vegetables when available.

“I am thankful to our sponsors and volunteers that stepped up to help us get two new locations started to assist more of our neighbors in need,” said Trina Wilson, mobile services coordinator.

‘We’re making sure we’re providing a service to the people of the area, so they won’t have to go to Bentonville or Rogers,” Wilson said.

Pea Ridge Mayor Jackie Crabtree called the mobile pantry visit a fantastic opportunity. He was glad the Food Bank was stepping in and filling a void in our area.

“At The Bottle Crew/Good To Go, we believe in doing good business and good in the community, said Hanni Griffin, of Bottle Crew.

“Food insecurity is right here in our community,” she said. “When we reached out to NWA Food bank to see how we could help and partner with them, they told us about the mobile pantry program. This was right in-line with our company’s mission to end hunger. We now sponsor the Pea Ridge mobile pantry.”

The Gravette stop will cover residents in the Gravette, Decatur and Hiwassee area as well as parts of Bella Vista, Wilson said.

“There is quite a bit of need in this area,” said Melissa Steele, director at the Billy V. Hall Senior Activity and Wellness Center.

Steele expected that there would be more demand than the 57 households served on the first visit.

She was glad the mobile pantry is making a stop in Gravette, especially for those who don’t drive.

Currently, the mobile pantries are at the following locations and times:

Bentonville, second Thursday, Benton County Senior Center, 3501 SE L St., 8 a.m.
Berryville, first Tuesday, Carroll County Senior Center, 202 W. Madison, 10 a.m.
Elkins, third Thursday, Community Center, 162 Doolin Drive, 8 a.m.
Fayetteville, first Thursday, Wedington Place Apartments, 3130 Telluride Drive, 8 a.m.
Gravette, fourth Thursday, Billy V. Hall Senior Center, 1870 Limekiln Road, 10 a.m.
Huntsville, third Thursday, Senior Center, 903 N. College, 1 p.m.
Lowell, fourth Thursday, Senior Activity Center, 704 E, Monroe, noon.
Pea Ridge, second Thursday, Heritage Building, 1374 N. Curtis Ave., noon.
Prairie Grove, first Thursday, American Legion, 120 S. Neal St., noon.
Siloam Springs, fourth Thursday, Senior Activity Center, 750 Heritage Court, 8 a.m.
Springdale, second Friday, Springdale Senior Center, 203 Park St., 8 a.m.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank serves more than 160 food pantries and agencies in a four-county area – Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington.

For more information, contact Wilson at trina.wilson@nwafoodbank.org .

I am thankful to our sponsors and volunteers that stepped up to help us get two new locations started to assist more of our neighbors in need.

Food Bank Assists TSA Workers

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 14:54:24 GMT

Although the partial government shutdown that lasted more than 35 days is over, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank assisted TSA workers at the Northwest Regional Airport during the shutdown.

On Friday, Jan. 18, the Food Bank set up a mobile pantry in the parking on the eastside of the Main Terminal building to assist more than 45 TSA employees. They received two food boxes containing stable food items such as cereal, macaroni and cheese, rice, beans, peanut butter, and canned fruits and vegetables. In addition, they received chicken and bread.

The effort was started with a phone call from Mike Malone of the Runway Group, a private development company in Bentonville, who called Kent Eikenberry, president and CEO of the Food Bank to see if it could be of assistance to the TSA workers.

“We were blessed to have enough food to help out,” Eikenberry said. “Obviously going without a paycheck can stretch the budget, and we were able to help those who are working get through the next couple of weeks.”

Malone added that he a whole bunch of suppliers came together to help the workers earlier in the week.

In addition to the Food Bank, an aviation group provided lunch to the TSA workers.

“We were trying to help people get through tough times,” Malone said. “January is usually a tough month anyway, so when you’re no longer getting a paycheck, it’s going to impact individuals.”

Eikenberry pinching his fingers together said that everyone is “this close to needing help.”

“It’s no fault of theirs that they are not getting a paycheck,” he said. “We try to assist friends and neighbors who need help.”

Cherry Hooton, local president of the American Federal Government Employees Local 917, representing the local TSA workers, said her fellow workers were concerned about paying rent, housing, child care from not receiving a paycheck.

“This is definitely some relief so that they can use their limited resources somewhere else,” Hooten said of the food supplements.

“We’re all really excited,” she said. “You could see the relief in their faces.”

Hooten praised several community organizations for assistance, including the airport, which brought in lunch, churches, passengers, and pilots who brought doughnuts.

“It was all really appreciated,” she said. “Not only was there stress on us, but our families as well.”

Morale was down after missing the first paycheck, but no one was calling in sick.

A Letter From Kent - February 2019

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 14:54:23 GMT

2018 Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Achievements

Thank you so much for your support in 2018. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank accomplished many things last year but only through the generosity of your time, talent and treasure. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of last year.

By the numbers

*8.5 million pounds of food distributed to the four county area, up 6% from 2017.

*2,296 people volunteered over 7,000 hours

*We continue to have over 160 partner agencies in the four county area.

Some projects began prior to 2018, but grew during the past year.

Police Emergency Food Boxes: Our area law enforcement officers are on the streets every day and are in a position to see who needs aid, in most cases before anyone else.

Hospital Emergency Food Boxes: Similar to the Police Emergency Boxes, these boxes are distributed to area hospitals to share with their patients in need as they check out. We recognize that many illnesses and delays of recovery are related to lack of food.

Community Paramedic Boxes: This program is simply another example of finding partners to distribute food to those in need who may not be able to get to a pantry or mobile site.

Mobile Pantry: We expanded our mobile pantry to make it available not just to seniors but to anyone in need. We also increased our number of stops to 10 with plans to add additional locations, including schools in 2019.

Client Data Tracking: The need to know more about the persons we serve continues to grow. This software allows us to build a virtual profile of the food insecure we are servicing. We continue to add agencies toward our goal of close to 100%. We have also worked with the Center for Governmental Research, HARK, UAMS and the Walmart Foundation to identify areas of greater need. In 2019 we will be working with the University of Arkansas to do a deep dive into the areas of most need to establish solutions.

Agency Delivery: A recent poll of our agencies indicated they would be able to distribute more food if we delivered to them rather than them coming to the food bank to pick up. We experimented with a couple of agencies and look forward to rolling this out to many more partners in 2019.

These are simply a few of the projects we are involved in every day in an effort to serve the four county area. 2019 will be a year of expansion as we work toward the 2025 goal of providing reasonable access to all the food insecure of Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington Counties. Every day our dedicated staff, board of directors and volunteers work to be better than the day before, while expecting to be even better the next. Through this continued improvement the aggressive goals we have set will become reality.

Thank you again for your continued support. Because of you someone will eat today.

Kent

A Letter From Kent - January '19

kent@nwafoodbank.org (Kent Eikenberry) — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 22:44:09 GMT

As 2018 comes to a close, I want to take this opportunity to reflect on the year in the form of a letter to an unnamed donor, who for the purpose of this letter will be known as Keith. I would love to have the time to personally write each of you, but if I wrote over 4,000 individual letters I wouldn’t be able to do anything else during this all important fourth quarter of the year. You see, like almost all other non- profits, and for profit businesses for that matter, the fourth quarter makes or breaks our financial year. Whether we like to admit it or not, we have to have money to operate. So here goes. Please take the liberty of inserting your name and circumstances as appropriate, and know that I am thinking of each and every one of you as I write this.

Dear Keith:

Words cannot express my deep appreciation for your support of our mission. When I came to the Food Bank in January 2016, little did I know how many lives the Food Bank touched. Nor did I know how many times my life would be touched by a generous soul such as you. I remember the fall day you walked into my office. We had not seen each other for several years yet the conversation began as if we had seen each other just the day before. You ended by saying your family had a little money left over and presented me with a check as you left. You have continued to donate on a regular basis since that day.

But your support has been more than financial. You have been there as a sounding board as I struggle with ways to improve the efficiency of our daily operations. You have been there as support during those times when I’m down because I feel we are not doing enough to make a difference in the lives of those we serve. You have been there as an advocate, telling your friends that you support us and why. You have prayed for the success of the Food Bank and our mission.

You know Diana and I volunteer at our church’s food pantry monthly and have for several years. That three hour shift helps keep me grounded as to why I am here. Sometimes during the daily routine of running a business I lose sight of that. Seeing the looks of despair turn to faces of hope as clients weave their way through the pantry reminds me why I left the newspaper to come to the Food Bank. I could not have those experiences without you. Typically these types of letters end with a bunch of statistics to show what we have accomplished with your donation over the past year. I’m not going to do that this year. I am going to assure you we have been good stewards of your money. You would approve of the way we spent it if you saw the aforementioned faces. Those faces tell the story.

So on behalf of our staff, our board of directors, and more importantly, over 64,000 of your friends and neighbors, let me say thank you.

Because of you someone will eat today.

Food Bank Announces Major Goals for 2025

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 18:00:15 GMT

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has developed a 2025 strategic plan establishing two major goals.

Firstly, the Food Bank and its partner agencies will increase distribution to 11 million meals by 2025. Currently, distribution is 6.7 million meals annually. The Food Bank will identify opportunities to increase the amount of food received while working across its network of partner agencies to increase distribution capacity.

Secondly, 75 percent of the foods the Food Bank distributes will be nutritious foods such as protein, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The staff recognizes that simply providing more food is not enough; increased focus on the nutritional quality of the food provided will ensure clients are able to make healthier food choices. Priority will be placed on sourcing fresh produce, fresh and frozen protein, low sodium/low sugar canned goods and whole grains.

“I think this strategy shows the staff and the board of directors are committed to have an end in sight in the battle to end food insecurity,” said Kent Eikenberry, president and CEO of the Food Bank. “We’re going to take the steps necessary to have enough food on hand so that everyone who has a need for food has the opportunity to get it.

“Equally, we see our role evolving where we need to be more cognizant to have nutritious foods, including fresh foods and vegetables, which is something we haven’t done in the past,” he said.

The office of Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has made a $750,000 grant available to six food banks to help facilitate this vision, and make more fresh fruits and vegetables available for those with food insecurities, he said.

The Northwest Food Bank will have the opportunity to match $31,000 a year for the next four years.

The Food Bank will be working closely with UAMS to establish a nutrition policy, Eikenberry said. The Food Bank will be using Feeding America’s Foods to Encourage guidelines, as well.

Director of Client Services Casey Cowan and her team will take the lead by working with 5 pantry locations to roll out the program in 2019 and then move out to other pantries, he said.

“I am very excited to begin writing our nutrition policy here at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank,” said Cowan. “With help from staff members, community partners, donors and partner agencies, I hope to build the foundation for a nutritional strategy that will shape how we not only purchase, source and distribute food, but will guide us as we educate our staff, our partner agencies, and food insecure clients.”

“I believe writing a nutrition policy is the next step to helping us achieve our goal of distributing 75 percent or more protein, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.”

There are currently more than 63,000 people who are food insecure in Northwest Arkansas.

Annual Spectrum Brand Food Drive Challenge Surpasses Goal

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 14:56:11 GMT

The 28 teams who participated in the third annual Spectrum Brands Food Drive Challenge gathered at Mirabella’s Table, Rogers, to celebrate surpassing its goal and for the awards presentation.

The teams collected 282,804 pounds of food for the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, surpassing the goal of 250,000 pounds. The food drive ran from Nov. 1-16. Last year, the drive collected 133,675 pounds of food.

Daniel Boone, the team lead at Spectrum Brands, thanked those attending for their help in surpassing the goal. Last year, 133,000 pounds was raised.

“I thought it was impossible, but we did it,” Boone said.

Kent Eikenberry, president and CEO of the Food Bank, said, “On behalf of more than 63,000 people who are food insecure, I thank you.”

“Food insecurity is the silent challenge,” he said. “Advocacy partners, such as yourselves are important. Thank you and Spectrum Brands.”

Boone expects the challenge to grow and hopes to raise 350,000 pounds next year.

General Mills won the award for collecting the most overall pounds of food and the large-division winner at 28,331.

Castrol Brands was the overall small-team winner with 11,471 pounds collected. Castrol also collected the most pounds per capita at 900 pounds.

Team Direct collected the most food in the medium division at 21,770 pounds.

In addition, Spectrum Brands collected 57,768 pounds of food.

In addition to Spectrum Brands, the other participants in this year’s challenge are 3W, Cargill - Turkey Processing Plant, Castrol Brands, Clorox, Cameron Smith & Associates, Earl, MD, Englander, Gallagher, General Mills, Hershey's, ITW Brands, Johnson & Johnson, Johnson Controls, Kreative, Mondelez, Newell Brands, Nielsen, Pepsico, Post Consumer Brands, Shell, Signature Bank, Smithfield Foods, Smuckers, TeamDirect, Unilever, Waste Management, and Wells Foods.

2018 Turkey Drive an Outstanding Achievement

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 17:26:44 GMT

Jewels of Giving Gala a Sparkling Success

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 16:44:30 GMT

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s 10th annual Jewels of Giving Gala was a glowing success with more than $215,000 raised to support the efforts of the Food Bank. The Gala was Nov. 16 at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers.

Unilever was the presenting sponsor for this year’s event. Unilever’s Mark Huffman and Walmart’s Megan Crozier served as honorary chairs of the Gala.

“The 10th Annual Jewels of Giving Gala was a huge success,” said Kent Eikenberry, president and CEO of the Food Bank. “Not only did we meet our financial goal but we were able to share our story with over 700 attendees.

“A highlight of my evening was presenting our Hunger Award Hero Award to June Self, our founding president,” he said. “I am especially grateful for the foundation she established for us to build on over the past 30 years.”

With the generous participation in the Special Appeal to support the Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry program -- The KraftHeinz $35,000 match challenge -- was surpassed. BottleCrew stepped up to the challenge with an additional $10,000 -- resulting in more than $78,000 to fund the 2019 Mobile Pantry program.

The mobile food pantry program travels to 10 sites in the four counties – Benton, Carroll, Madison and Benton – that are served by the Food Bank, providing protein, fruits and vegetables for those who are food insecure.

Every dollar raised at the gala provides 10 meals to our neighbors with food insecurities, said Linda Phillips, development manager at the Food Bank.

There are more than 63,000 people with food insecurities in the four counties served by the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and its more than 160 partner agencies.

School Principal Thanks You For Helping Students

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 16:41:49 GMT

Almost half of the 950 kids who attend school at Central Junior High School in Springdale are living below the poverty line — your gifts are helping make sure the students and their families have regular access to nutritious food.

“When you look at the inability for a hungry child to learn, we are working to help them overcome that,” says Paul Griep, principal at the school.

This is the third year Central Junior High has offered the Central Family Store food pantry to students and their families. With food provided through your donations to the Food Bank, the pantry typically serves around 30 families each month.

“This is really a great time to talk to families, to see if there is anything else they need,” Paul says.

Families learn about the food pantry through a newsletter sent to all student homes at the beginning and middle of the school year. School counselors also help identify students whose families may need extra support.

Families can pick food up from the pantry once a week. They have access to canned food, and occasionally to meat and fresh produce.

The groceries not only help local families fill tables at home, but also help fuel students’ bodies so they can learn more effectively in school.

“[Families] feel very appreciative,” Paul says.

Thank you for making school pantries like this one possible. When you do, you brighten futures for so many neighbors.

Donor Spotlight: KraftHeinz

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 16:37:58 GMT

KraftHeinz – Official Macaroni and Cheese Provider of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

One of the core values of the KraftHeinz company is to “grow a better world.” And with their longstanding relationship with Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, they’re doing just that.

“We live and work in this community, so we feel we should help,” says Shawn Boss, head of sales for the company.

KraftHeinz has contributed financially to the Food Bank through matching gifts and event sponsorships, and also through generous food donations.

Last year, the company contributed one truck–load of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and one truck–load of Stove-Top Stuffing and Heinz Gravy for holiday meals. This year, KraftHeinz increased their support to include four truckloads of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and one truckload of Stove-Top Stuffing and Heinz Gravy.

And employees of KraftHeinz see that it’s equally important to contribute their time to the Food Bank. Josh Bruns is associate director and said without seeing the work there, people may miss the need that exists.

“It’s important to go see what’s happening at the food bank,” says Josh, who — along with fellow employees — also makes time to volunteer at the Food Bank.

Josh and Shawn both emphasized that though KraftHeinz is a global company, they maintain a strong focus on communities where they live and work.

We’re so thankful to KraftHeinz for their continued partnership with the Food Bank. Their generosity helps put food on the tables throughout our region. Thank you KraftHeinz!

Jacqueline Can Feed Her Family, Thanks To You

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 16:34:16 GMT

Jaqueline knows how to stretch a dollar to feed her family. But following her husband’s traumatic brain injury more than five years ago, it’s been difficult to get by.

“Every few months, we come through here,” Jacqueline said of the Compassion Center in Springdale, a partner agency of Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

Thanks to people like you, Jacqueline can pick up meat, fresh produce and other groceries that she knows will feed her husband and three children through times when money is low for the family.

Though Jacqueline’s husband can’t work because of his injury, he’s still waiting for social security disability benefits to kick in. The family doesn’t qualify for supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits.

Jacqueline works as a direct support specialist for people with developmental disabilities. With her one income, she says she shops at stores she knows will have the least expensive groceries.

Currently, Jacqueline is trying to find an additional job to supplement her current income. In the meantime, she’s thankful she can stop in at Compassion Center when necessary.

“[The people at Compassion Center] care about your spirit and your heart,” Jacqueline says.

Thank you for walking alongside your neighbors through some of the most difficult times of their lives. You make it possible for so many to have nutritious meals, and hope for their future.

A Letter From Kent - November '18

kent@nwafoodbank.org (Kent Eikenberry) — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 16:34:13 GMT

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day which provides me the perfect opportunity to reflect on some things I am thankful for here at the Food Bank. So, in that spirit, let’s get started.

I’m thankful for a wonderful 10th Annual Jewels of Giving event this past Friday night on so many levels. We reached our financial goal! We had over 700 people in attendance who heard the story of the people who need our services. They were each challenged to share that story with their friends and family, building a grass roots awareness that we have hungry people in Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties. The more people we have talking about the issue, the faster we can work together to solve it. Our staff, volunteers and our board of directors worked together to provide an elegant evening. I want to say thank you to each of them for helping make the night a success. A special thank you goes out to our co-hosts for the evening, Megan Crozier of Walmart and Mark Huffman of Unilever. Of course the highlight of my night was presenting the Hunger Hero Award to our founding Executive Director, June Self. I doubt the initial board of directors who hired June to run the Food Bank had any idea of how we would grow over the next 30 years. Much of that growth can be directly traced back to June and her efforts. Over the past year, as we have worked on anniversary projects, I have gotten to know June and truly enjoy her wit and her energy. As I said Friday night, I’m proud to call her a friend.

++++++++++

I’m thankful for Daniel Boone and Kenneth Medlin of Spectrum Brands. They had the vision of creating a competition between suppliers that has grown to include 28 companies and that raised over 250,000 pounds of food for us. Of course 250,000 pounds of food will go a long way in our mission, but this is also another example of bringing awareness of the problem. I don’t know for sure who won the competition but will be sure to include it next month after the final accounting and celebration takes place.

++++++++++

I’m thankful for the media support we receive. KHOG hosted their 6th annual turkey drive. KFSM hosted the “Give Where You Live” food drive. KNWA has had us on the local news numerous times to talk about our mission and events we have going on. Each station has consistently supported us with coverage when we have newsworthy events. The Food Bank subscribes to a service called TV Eyes. It monitors television stations then sends me clips of coverage. The past few weeks I get one of these notices nearly every day. This week I have received notices of news coverage about the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank from stations in Butte, Montana; Clarksburg West Virginia; Monterey, California; Lincoln, Nebraska; Youngstown, Ohio; and at least ten other communities spread across the United States. Brad and Kelli Wilborne planned and executed an event called Wakesgiving, which encouraged residents to go wakeboarding in November and incorporated a food drive.

In case you all have forgotten, up until January 2016 I was a newspaper guy and still get up every morning to read the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette as part of my pre-work routine. Coverage of the Food Bank, or one of our partner agencies is often part of that morning read. Our partners at Celebrate Magazine, Citiscapes Magazine, and 3W Magazine all share our stories with their readers.

Simply put, we could not do what we do without the support of the local media.

++++++++++

I’m thankful for the support and vision of the Food Bank staff and our board of directors. Friday night I publicly announced the formation of a long range strategic plan taking the Food Bank to the year 2025. This plan includes two main vision points:

1: The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank will distribute 11 million meals annually by the year 2025. By achieving this goal, every food insecure resident will have reasonable access to the food he or she needs.

But we want to do more than just distribute food. We want to help people get healthier. To that end…

2: 75% of the foods we distribute will be nutritious foods such as protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and foods lower in sodium and sugar.

Many of you were instrumental in the creation of this strategic plan. I invite anyone interested to come see me to see what we think the future holds for the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

++++++++++

Finally, I want to say how thankful I am for the opportunity to serve in this position. I regularly tell people I feel I was called to this job. January 2, 2016 seems like yesterday, not three years ago. I’ll admit there have been bad days. Days that included problems that seemed insurmountable. But I have never had a day go by without something miraculous happening which confirms the presence of God in our lives and that he is here to help all of us feed the hungry. Thanks to each and every one of you who have been part of this journey I have been on the past few years, and thanks in advance for going on it with me into the future.

Because of you someone will eat today

Kent

Doing Good: NWA Food Bank Mobile Pantry Goes Where the Hunger is

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 17:08:01 GMT

BELLA VISTA, Ark. (KNWA) -- - The Holidays are fast approaching and this holiday season, more than 63,000 people in Northwest Arkansas are food insecure. However, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank goes beyond the walls of its warehouse to reach those in need, no matter what time of year it is.

"We go out to ten locations where food resources are scarce," NWA Food Bank Director of Development Mike Williams explained.

Williams points to the nonprofit's ten mobile food pantry locations as a necessary outreach program to help those who are food insecure.

"We're essentially bringing the pantry to where the need is," Williams said. "So here today in Bella Vista there aren't very many food pantries that are available and the ones that are, are small and only open once a week. So we come out here once a month to help subsidize those efforts."

The locations go up and down the I-49 corridor from Bella Vista to Fayetteville and then outward to places like Berryville and Huntsville. Through the food bank's network of volunteers and vans, this is the only program in which it directly distributes food to clients.

"This program is special because we bring the pantry to them," Williams shared. "We bring the pantry to where it is. We don't have to rely on a building or permanent facility, but we can mobilize to exactly where the need is."

Food insecurity is not only an immediate issue, but one that carries far reaching impacts.

"If people are food insecure they struggle to be productive at work, kids struggle to do well in school," Williams explained. "So if we can make sure that all of our communities are fed, our economy and our community is operating at it's prime."

All of the food distributed through the mobile pantry program is donated.

"We rely on donations to be able to feed the clients that we feed through this program," Williams said. "Holiday donations are important and crucial to programs like this to make sure that everyone in our community has a healthy meal to eat."

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank always needs volunteers to help with its many programs and relies on donations. Click here to learn more about how you can help as well as where all the mobile food pantry locations are.

A Letter From Kent - September

kent@nwafoodbank.org (Kent Eikenberry) — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 13:40:17 GMT

A Letter From Kent Eikenberry, NWA Food Bank's President and CEO

Today is September 24. I’m four days away of completing the quest of wearing orange every working day of September. I have had several folks ask me why I established my “orange challenge.” To restate, Orange is the color representing food insecurity. Our logo, No kids Hungry, The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and Feeding America all have orange as an integral color. As I told a group at the Greater Bentonville Bella Vista Chamber golf tournament, any opportunity I get to bring attention to the need is a success. Monetary donations help pay the bills. Money helps put food on the tables of those in need. Advocacy is equally as important. Too many people are hungry and too few people realize the need is a great as it is. I have been proud to wear orange every day this month, but I am looking forward to Monday and putting my orange up for a few months.

+++++

Just a quick reminder my personal orange challenge was part of September is Hunger Action month. Our calendar has been filled with events such as the previously mentioned golf tournament. Last week our friends at Nabholz also hosted a golf tournament at which we were invited to have staff present to answer questions and collect donations. The city of Fayetteville hosted a city wide food drive. We had several restaurants donate a portion of their proceeds to the Food Bank. I met with the Governor for a photo with my peers from across the state and the rice producers of Arkansas. Last Saturday approximately 70 volunteers from the northwest district of the United Methodist Church had a volunteer day. These are just a few examples of ways we are working to spread the word. Thanks to everyone who helped make this year a success and consider this an invitation to make HAM 2019 even bigger and better.

+++++

Another quick reminder is that our 10th annual Jewels of Giving Gala is just a few short weeks away. We still have sponsorships available. We have tables and individual tickets available. We have a team working on collecting great silent auction and live auction items. Entertainment, great food and a great atmosphere make for an evening where we walk that fine line of balancing the celebration of our successes while recognizing there is still lots to do.

+++++

On the construction front, the road through our parking lot is taking shape. Conducting business is a little inconvenient, but as they say that is the price of progress.

+++++

Finally, it has been a while since I talked about the Eikenbabies. Once again, I am a proud Pops. Stella called me Saturday to ask if she could volunteer again at the Food Bank. Absolutely!!!!

+++++

Have a great day, and thanks for all you do to support our mission. Because of you someone will eat today.

Kent

Dinner For 20

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 13:52:29 GMT

One Of Items to be Auctioned at Gala

A cooking experience for 20 people at the Cooking Studio of Downtown Rogers is one of the unique items being donated to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s 10th annual Jewels of Giving Gala live auction.

The Gala will be Nov. 16 at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with the sponsor’s reception. The silent auction begins at 7 p.m. The dinner, live auction and program begins at 7:30 p.m. The after party, sponsored by Cargill, is slated for 9 p.m. Black tie is optional.

Unilever is the presenting sponsor for this year’s event.

The Cooking Studio of Downtown Rogers, located at 113 S. Second St. in Rogers, is donating an event for 20 guests. This unique item will be custom tailored for the winning bidder and include wine and beer pairings.

The Cooking Studio is owned by Michael and Sheila Reese. The garden area at the Studio is the only one of its kind in the region and is the perfect place to host a wedding shower, birthday celebration, a cooking competition among friends or a corporate team-building event.

The Cooking Studio feature local, seasonal ingredients. Bring your friends and coworkers and let them teach and entertain you as they prepare a fully satisfying meal. Join The Cooking Studio for a casual, fun experience and let them exceed your expectations.

The Cooking Studio is open to the public for lunch only on Tuesday and Wednesday, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Visit their website https://www.cookingstudioofdowntownrogers.com or Facebook page and get a real taste for The Cooking Studio of Downtown Rogers.

Linda Phillips development manager at the Food Bank, said some of the live auction items so far include a Labradoodle puppy with Blue Merle Parti coloring, a $10,000 shopping spree at Sam’s Furniture and a Cajun crawfish boil for 20 people donated by Food Bank Board member Shane Acosta. During the silent auction, there will be Plinko game sponsored by Pepsi.

The auction committee is working hard to secure more auction items, she said.

There will be more than 100 items in the live and silent auctions, and there are still opportunities for people to donate more items, said Phillips. Those who wish to donate an auction item, can contact Phillips at linda.phillips@nwafoodbank.org .

“Every dollar raised at the gala provides 10 meals to our neighbors with food insecurities,” said Phillips. “The best way to end hunger in our country is by working together.”

Last year, the Gala raised more than 2 million meals to help those with food insecurities in Northwest Arkansas.

Unilever’s Mark Huffman and Walmart’s Megan Crozier will serve as honorary chairs of the Gala.

Sponsorships for the event are currently available, starting at $2,500. For more information contact Phillips at linda.phillips@nwafoodbank.org .

Tickets are on sale now for $125 each and tables of 12 are $1,250. Tickets are available either through Phillips or by going to the Food Bank’s website, www.nwafoodbank.org .

Thiede Named Agency Coordinator

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 13:50:18 GMT

Sabrina Thiede has been named the agency coordinator at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. She assumed her new duties on Aug. 14.

“Sabrina is such a wonderful addition to the Food Bank,” said Casey Cowan, director of client services at the Food Bank. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the agency relations position. Her ability to multi-task and solve issues all while paying attention to detail and giving great customer service is unmatched. I’m super excited to have her on my team!”

Prior to her work at the Food Bank, Thiede sent six years as the mission and outreach coordinator at the First Methodist Church in Springdale. One of her responsibilities was the Bread of Life food pantry.

“I liked the idea of feeding people and to resource others to get the job done,” Thiede said of her new position. “This job allows me to do that.”

As the agency coordinator, she will help agencies order and schedule to get what they need as well as work with new agencies.

A graduate of Springdale High School, Thiede attended Northwest Arkansas Community College. She and her tzi shu, Millie, reside in Springdale.

Nestlé Donates to NWA Food Bank

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 13:41:27 GMT

Food Drive Kicks Off Company's Upcoming National Day of Service

Nestlé recently donated 572 items to Northwest Arkansas Food Bank after hosting a company food drive at the Rogers office throughout June and early July. The Better Lives Food Drive was a kickoff for the upcoming Nestlé National Day of Service, which was Aug. 2.

The Nestlé Waters team brought in 359 items, the most of the five Nestlé teams, and far surpassed the team’s original goal of 56 items.

The company’s national partner for the Nestlé Day of Service was Feeding America, and the focus was promoting good nutrition and ending hunger for underserved families and youth. On Aug. 2, thousands of Nestlé employees around the nation volunteered at food banks, soup kitchens, farms and more.

Follow their philanthropic efforts on social media by searching the hashtag #WeAreNestle.

For details on how to donate to NWA Food Bank, visit www.nwafoodbank.org .

Dine at Bocca Every Monday to Support Local Charities

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 15:14:14 GMT

Bocca Italian eatery & pizzeria is raising money for local charities with its new Bocca Gives

Back program. Every Monday, Bocca will donate 10 percent of its sales from its Fayetteville

and Rogers locations to a non-profit organization. Bocca will choose a charity to feature each

month and all the monies raised from each Monday in that month will go to that charity.

Celebrating its 30th year, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is the featured charity for

September.

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (a 501c3 organization) was established in 1988 by a group of

concerned citizens who saw the need for hunger assistance in Benton, Washington, Madison

and Carroll counties. In 2017, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed more than 12.5

million pounds of food. Together with more than 160 partner agencies, the organization is able

to reach out to those in need, providing nutritious food to children, the working poor and senior

citizens. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and a founding

member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

September is Hunger Action Month, a month where people all over America stand together

with Feeding America and the nationwide network of food banks to fight hunger. It's a month to

spread the word and take action on the hunger crisis.

Bocca is proud to partner with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank to reach those in need. The

restaurant is located at 2036 N. College Ave. in Fayetteville and at 2011 S. Promenade

Boulevard in Rogers. To join the cause, all you have to do is dine at either Bocca location on a

Monday night. You don’t have to mention the charity by name; although if you’d like to help

spread the word through social media you can hashtag #BoccaGivesBack and

#NWAFoodBank.

Why is Bocca giving back? Because the owners believe that community is meaningful, people

matter, and giving back is important.

For more information or to see upcoming featured charities, follow Bocca on Facebook and

Instagram and visit www.BoccaNWA.com . Also visit the website to apply to be a featured

charity. For more information on the Food Bank, visit www.NWAFoodBank.org .

September is Hunger Action Month

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 15:06:01 GMT

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is participating in the 11th annual Hunger Action Month during September. The event is held in conjunction with Feeding America and its nationwide network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs to raise awareness about hunger.

September has been designated as Hunger Action Month to inspire people to take action and raise awareness of the fact that 41 million Americans, including 13 million children, are food insecure, according to the USDA.

There are more than 64,000 people with food insecurities in the four counties -- Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington – served by the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and its more than 160 partner agencies. That number includes more than 25,000 children.

The local Food Bank is working to raise awareness concerning food insecurity through its Take a Bite Out of Hunger Program as well as challenges and ideas for groups and individuals can do to help raise awareness.

“Hunger Action Month is a great time to recognize that food insecurities exist in Northwest Arkansas,” said Travis Sorenson, volunteer coordinator at the Food Bank and the organizer of Hunger Action Month activities. “If we can come together to participate in the activities, we can make a difference.”

Sorenson encouraged people to wear Orange for Hunger on Sept. 13, which is National Hunger Action Day.

“With the combined effort of Feeding America, the nationwide network of food banks and hunger advocates across the country, the goal of this campaign is to raise awareness about hunger and inspire Americans to get involved,” said Diana Aviv, CEO of Feeding America. “The Feeding America network is leading the fight to end hunger in the U.S. We all have a role to play in getting food to our neighbors in need. Advocate. Educate. Volunteer. Donate.”

Sorenson also is looking for volunteers to work from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 19 and Sept. 26 at the Food Bank. There are only 30 slots available each night and volunteers can sign up at www.nwafoodbank.org/take-action#Volunteer or schedule your company to volunteer once within the next six months at www.nwafoodbank.org/take-action#Volunteer .

In addition, there are social media activities to challenge residents to contribute to the Food Bank. Sorenson suggested starting a Facebook fundraiser each $1 raised is equal to 10 meals.

The city of Fayetteville is conducting a food drive during September to collect food for the Food Bank. The collection sites are still being determined. Patrons are asked to bring staple food items to the collection points.

Another activity would be for families to take the SNAP Challenge by eating on $4.50 a day, Sorenson said. Go to snapchallenge.com for more information.

Some other ideas Sorenson offered include resolve to throw away less food as more than 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. ends up in the garbage; honor a grandparent on Grandparents Day with a donation to the Food Bank; view food insecurity rates in each state at map.feedingamerica.org; purchase peanut butter, canned meat or canned fruit from www.walmart.com and have it sent to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank;

Several area restaurants are pledging a percentage of the proceeds to the Food Bank on particular nights during the month, he said.

Restaurants offering to donate to the Food Bank are:

• Mondays – Eat at Bocca Restaurants who will donate 10 percent of their proceeds of both locations, Fayetteville and Rogers, to the Food Bank.

• Sept. 3 – Eat at Marley’s Pizza & Bar, 600 W. Dickson St., No. 103, Fayetteville.

• Sept. 4 – Eat at Pickleman’s Gourmet Café, 410 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville.

• Sept. 5 – East at Eclectic Kitchen Company, 1218 Garland Ave.

• Sept. 11 – Eat at Smitty’s Garage, 100 E. Joyce, Fayetteville, between 5 and 8 p.m.

• Sept. 11 – Eat at Houlihans, 2203 S. Promenade Blvd, Rogers.

• Sept. 12 – Eat at the Grove, 808 S. Bloomington, Lowell.

• Sept. 14 – Eat at Natural State Smoothies, 1772 N. College Ave., Fayetteville.

• Sept. 17 – Eat at Zoe’s Kitchen, 3379 N. College Ave., Fayetteville.

• Sept. 18 – Eat at Mockingbird Kitchen, 1466 N. College Ave., Fayetteville.

• Sept. 24 – Eat at Twin Peaks, 2400 S. Promenade Blvd, Rogers.

• Sept. 25 – Eat at Boar’s Nest, 4404 W. Walnut St., Rogers.

• Sept. 27 – Eat at Trick Dilly’s Tacos between 5 and 8 p.m., 2500 SW 14th St., Suite 10, Bentonville.

To learn more about the month’s activities go to the Food Bank’s website at www.nwafoodbank.org /HAM.

Jewels of Giving Gala Beginning to Take Shape

Tathrone@yahoo.com (Tom A. Throne) — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 14:20:30 GMT

The live and silent auctions at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s 10th annual Jewels of Giving Gala is beginning to take shape.

The event also marks the 30th anniversary of the Food Bank.

Unilever is the presenting sponsor for this year’s event.

Linda Phillips, director of development at the Food Bank, said some of the live auction items so far include a Labradoodle puppy with Blue Merle Parti coloring, a $10,000 shopping spree at Sam’s Furniture and a Cajun crawfish boil for 20 people donated by Food Bank Board member Shane Acosta. During the silent auction, there will be Plinko game sponsored by Pepsi.

The auction committee is working hard to secure more auction items, she said.

“The response has been phenomenal,” said Phillips of the auction. “Every dollar raised at the gala provides 10 meals to our neighbors with food insecurities.

“The best way to end hunger in our country is by working together,” she added.

Last year, the Gala raised more than 2 million meals to help those with food insecurities in Northwest Arkansas.

Unilever’s Mark Huffman and Walmart’s Megan Crozier will serve as honorary chairs of the Gala.

Sponsorships for the event are currently available, starting at $2,500. For more information contact Phillips at linda.phillips@nwafoodbank.org .

Tickets are on sale now for $125 each and tables of 12 are $1,250. Tickets are available either through Phillips or by going to the Food Bank’s website, www.nwafoodbank.org .