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.

K

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.