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.

K

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

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!

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.

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 .

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.

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.