About the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

• In 1988 June Self was approached by Green Thumb, a Federal program to place senior citizens into nonprofit organizations. 

• From 1988-1989 June Self researched how to start, operate, and fund a food bank. 

• In 1989 June Self opened the first Ozark Food Bank on Township Road in Rogers, AR.

• Within three years, the Ozark Food Bank outgrew the Township location and moved to a two-story building on Second Street in Rogers, AR.

• In 1993 the 12,000-square-foot building in Bethel Heights, AR was constructed. 

• Board of Directors included representatives from Tyson, Walmart, JB Hunt, P&G, and other Vendors, Churches, and agencies. 

• June Self and her husband picked up food donations from as far as Tulsa to serve NWA. June was the Food Bank Director for 14 years before retiring in 2003. 

• In 2007 the Ozark Food Bank changed its name to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. 

•  In 2011 the NWA Food Bank built an expansion wing onto the original building bringing our total square footage to 22,000 square feet.

• In 1989 the total pounds of food distributed was 89,000 pounds and in 2013 the total pounds distributed was 6.7 million. 

• In 2014 the NWA Food Bank hit the 180 agency mark in Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington Counties. 

• The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed more than 8.2 million pounds of food and 6.9 million meals in 2015. 

• In 2023 the  Food Bank distributed over 11.7 million meals  through our partner agencies, our mobile pantries, Feed Rogers, and our school pantries.
• In June 2024 we moved into our new 82,000 square foot Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief located at 1604 Honeysuckle Street in Lowell.
•  In 2024 the Food Bank distributed over 14.9 million pounds of food and provided more than 12.4 million meals.
  

RESPECT  

We respect the inherent worth and dignity of every person and treat all with justice, equality and compassion. We honor the lives, concerns and stories of people in need and expect our staff and member agencies to do the same. We accept one another and encourage diversity of thoughts and ideas. 

STEWARDSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY

We keep faith with the public trust through the efficient and compassionate use of resources entrusted to us and are mindful that our mission is accomplished through the generosity of others. We maintain and communicate accurate and timely information on hunger research, education, advocacy and service. We evaluate and account regularly for how resources are used to implement and achieve our mission.

COLLABORATION

We believe in the power of community. We collaborate and build strong relationships, based on trust, with and among those who share our vision. We work together to accomplish the mission in our regions, valuing each other's roles and using an open process and honest communication. We seek out and are responsive to the input and counsel of our staff and member agencies.

URGENCY

We operate with an acute sense of urgency that reflects the immediate needs of hungry people. We challenge our employees, volunteers and member agencies to embrace the same sense of urgency to accomplish our shared vision.

SERVICE

We believe service to others is fundamental in working towards our mission. We serve with excellence, compassion and responsiveness to meet the needs of those with whom we work, internally and externally. The better we serve, the more people we bring together in commitment to our vision.

INTEGRITY

We act with honesty, trust and openness and deliver on commitments. We act within the spirit of agreements, contracts and the law. Our intentions and actions will be transparent and above reproach.

DIVERSITY

We believe that the ethnic, cultural and social diversity of our nation should be reflected in our staff, Board and network.