While everyone attending annual Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s Agency Meeting is a hunger
hero, Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic Church received the special honor of being named 2017
Hunger Hero organization.

The award was presented at the annual agency meeting of the Food Bank on March 7 at the
Center for Nonprofits in Rogers. More than 175 people attended the event. The Food Bank is
celebrating its 30 th anniversary in 2018.

The church serves 600 households, representing more than 2,200 individuals through its
programs. It is also a client choice pantry, where clients can choose the food for their household.

The food pantry is open four days a week on a variety of mornings, afternoons and weekends.

The pantry was one of the first to incorporate the Oasis program, a client data tracking program.

Pete Metzger of the Saint Vincent de Paul thanked the volunteers at the church who go about the
pantry’s work.

“I do think they are an exceptional pantry who does everything right,” said Gerald Demory,
director of strategic partnerships for the Food Bank. “Because of them, someone will eat today.”

Keynote speaker Sheila Staten, child nutrition manager for the Rogers Public Schools, spoke
about how the summer feeding program has helped the district’s children and their families.

Many of the parents are working poor who after expenses such as rent, utilities, child care and
car payments may have approximately $200 for food. The Food Bank, in many cases, helps
supplement those food needs.

She pointed out that it may take $15 to pay for a nutritious meal or $1.49 to get fast food nuggets
or a hamburger. So on a tight budget they opt for the fast food.

In some cases, mothers are going to bed hungry and scared. Grandparents on fixed incomes are
taking care of grandkids. Parents are lost to opioids. The father has gone back to work but the
wife has health issues.

“These are the people you’re helping,” Staten said. “You make a difference to them.”

Her organization is working with the Food Bank to feed every child under 18 in the district. They
load up the food trucks and go out into the community to feed the kids, who are waiting for the
trucks to arrive.

She also went work with the Food Bank to find ways to reach not only kids but also adults. The
result was care boxes to give to the adults and kids. More than 600 adults are helped through the
program.

Staten also praised the work of June Self, who founded the Food Bank and was in attendance at
the meeting. “You’re amazing,” she told Self.

Ministers Chuck and Patti Jarrett of A Cup of Love food pantry in Eureka Springs talked about
how their ministry went from a food truck to a building where a meal is served four days a week.

They serve 640-700 meals a week and the pantry serves approximately 200 people every Friday.

There is a potluck supper after Sunday church services.

“It is community helping community,” the Jarretts said. “We couldn’t do it without the Food
Bank.”

Kent Eikenberry, president and CEO of the Food Bank told those attending that he appreciates
all they do every day to help those with food insecurities.

The Food Bank distributed 12.5 million pounds of food in 2017. Volunteers contributed more
than 9,000 hours at the facility. The senior mobile program is currently visiting eight sites
monthly.

The organization implemented the Oasis client data tracking program last year to identify and
better serve the needs of clients.

He said the state is building a new highway through the parking lot on the east side of the Food
Bank. The construction is expected to start before the end of March.

He asked those attending to make sure when making an appointment to see if a vehicle can make
it to the Food Bank warehouse. The Food Bank may have to make deliveries if the road work
makes the entrance impassable or the food may be staged at the annex building.

“The highway department has assured me that our operations won’t be interrupted,” Eikenberry
added.

The Food Bank gave away food vouchers during a drawing at the end of the meeting.

 Receiving $500 vouchers and their representatives were: Children’s Advocacy Center, Little
Flock, Lindsay Aycock; Manna Center, Siloam Springs, Mark Brooker; and Church of the
Nazarene, Bentonville, Aimee Vernon.

 Receiving $250 vouchers and their representatives were: Full Faith Ministries, Eureka
Springs, Beverly Blankenship; Oasis Food Pantry, Bella Vista, Candy Briggers; and Flint Street
Fellowship, Eureka Springs, Pat Kasner.

 Receiving $100 vouchers and their representatives were: Village House, Bella Vista, Sara
Scott; Eastside Assembly of God, Bentonville, Sheila Ward; Christ the King Lutheran Church,
Bentonville, Barbara Renken; First Christian Church, Rogers, Rita Martin; and God’s Pantry,
Garfield, Sharleen Rathmell.

 Receiving $50 vouchers and their representatives were: Meals on Wheels, Rogers, Patsy
Wicker; Cross Compassion Center, Springdale, Brenda Perritt; American Agape Foundation,
Fayetteville, Donna Gray.

 Receiving a $25 gift card to Walmart donated by Village House was St. Andrews Episcopal
Church, Rogers, Whitney Chapman.