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
