Author John Maxwell states that “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” While Maxwell was referring to personal growth, the phrase certainly applies to all of us right now. Last week, I attended a Feeding America conference, virtually. Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, the CEO of Feeding America used the term in her keynote address to Food Bankers across the nation. To say our current method of operation has changed because of COVID-19 would be an understatement. However, I am proud to state that through the efforts of our board of directors, staff and volunteers, growth has been achieved. Through the end of August, we have distributed more pounds to our food insecure friends and neighbors than we did the entire year of 2019. Obviously, we are on track to have a record year in the amount of food we distribute. But growth also comes in other ways, ways not necessarily tracked by numbers. Let’s take a look at some of these: Leilani Ocasio, Client Services Manager, launched our very first virtual training program for Oasis Insight Plus so partner agencies could safely learn how to collect client data from their homes. As COVID-19 has prevented us from visiting pantries, we were challenged to design a way in which we could keep teaching agency coordinators and volunteers how to learn who they are serving.

We held a virtual meeting of partner food pantries which compose our nutrition cohort. This group of five partner agencies have been involved in “nudges,” and are helping clients make healthier choices. While partnering with UAMS to develop this program, the Food Bank has shown growth.

We hosted a virtual cooking seminar featuring Nena Evans, our Program Coordinator, which showed our partner agencies how to prepare a tasty, healthy meal with ingredients found at a food pantry. We have found that one reason our clients are reluctant to choose and use healthier options is that they don’t know how to prepare them. By training our partner agency volunteers, much like a “train the trainer” program, we have shown growth.

These are just a couple examples of the way our staff has stepped up and attacked the way COVID 19 has impacted our daily lives. I pledge to you all that we will continue to work to find innovative ways to address food insecurity. We will continue to work to find new ways to improve the way we do business and to enhance training for our partner agencies to allow them to be more efficient, all while maintain practices to remain safe. As we head into the fourth quarter of the year, the time when our need rises to the greatest level, rest assured we will be here to help, today, tomorrow and as long as the need is here.

Thanks for joining us on this fight. Thanks for all you do to help make us better today than we were yesterday. And thanks for allowing me to say Because of you someone will eat today.

- Kent Eikenberry

The Northwest Arkansas community helped to raise $85,245.00 for local families in need through Walmart and Sam’s Club’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign. In its seventh year, Walmart and Sam’s Club engaged their customers and members, along with 22 suppliers to fight hunger during this challenging time and support local food banks across the country.

“The fight against hunger has never been more important than now. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is committed to serving our neighbors in need every day but we’ve seen more people in our community struggle with hunger as a result of the pandemic. That is why we are incredibly grateful for Walmart, Sam’s Club, their associates, suppliers and everyone in our community who helped to support the ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’ campaign,” said Kent Eikenberry, President/CEO of the NWA Food Bank.

Each Walmart and Sam’s Club was matched with at least one of the 200 local Feeding America® member food banks.

The funds raised through this campaign help us feed the more than 65,000 food insecure individuals in Northwest Arkansas in the four counties that we serve. Every dollar raised helps provide up to 10 meals for those in need in our area.

“This year’s Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign is especially critical given the great need communities are facing,” said Maria Zazycki, senior manager, Walmart.org. “We are incredibly proud of the way our customers, members, suppliers and associates stepped up to support local Feeding America member food banks that are working so hard.”

Walmart and Sam’s Club provide donations of both food and funds to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank throughout the year in many ways. These efforts include food donations through our food recovery program, grants to our organization, as well as generous sponsorships.

Nearly $18 million was raised this year through “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” Funds will benefit 200 Feeding America® member food banks nationwide. Additionally, Walmart kickstarted the campaign with a $3 million donation to Feeding America and member food banks. The Walmart Foundation also donated $5 million to Feeding America to help support communities and individuals facing hunger during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Feed the 479 in Springdale was not always the successful food pantry it is today.

In fact, in August 2015, they were the size of a back corner of a warehouse. Brenda Prewitt, the director of Feed the 479 since its beginning, said that the director of the Compassion Center with Cross Church, Eric, came to her with the idea of a “choice pantry,” and she knew she wanted to help make it happen.

A “choice pantry” is a food pantry that does not pre-bag their food, but rather lets those in need come into the pantry and choose what they want for themselves.

“We hope people feel empowered by making their own decisions,” Brenda said, “and provide a dignified shopping experience.”

Eric’s idea for the choice pantry came about after he saw a woman picking through and taking items out of the bags that had been pre-packed for her. They were not compatible with her restrictive diet and therefore it did her no good to take the food home.

In its beginnings, Feed the 479 was open on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and offered services like rent and utility support, gasoline assistance, clothing vouchers, and food. As it evolved thanks to grants, donations, partnerships, and revenue from the Compassion NWA Thrift Store, the idea for a choice pantry was able to become a reality. Today, Brenda said they serve thousands of customers a month.

Those coming to the pantry for the first time are asked to bring any form of a photo ID and fill out a form with their name, date of birth, household members and their dates of birth, and a declaration of household income for the USDA. This information is used to apply for grants in the area, protect the customers, and keep track of who has come to the pantry. They are allowed to come once a month. Feed the 479 also takes a photo in case the customer ever forgets their ID. Although they ask for the above information, there is no qualification to receive food from the pantry.

“We err in abundance,” Brenda said, “not in neglect.”

Volunteers of all ages are welcomed at the pantry. Brenda said about 95% of their volunteers were retired members of the community, but with the pandemic that has changed drastically. Volunteers bring in, sort, bag, and distribute food, and also run conversation groups that customers can use to get to know the volunteers and other members of the community.

“We have an amazing group of volunteers,” Brenda said. “Amazing.”

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the pantry. They are currently unable to use the choice pantry format and are instead operating with pre-bagged food in a drive-through. They are also only offering their food distribution services. That being said, Brenda said the pantry has seen a 60% increase in the number of people they serve since the start of the pandemic. They follow strict COVID-19 guidelines in the drive-through and serve over 100 families a day. Each car typically leaves with 175 pounds, net, of food from the pantry and USDA items.

Brenda said she thanks the food bank, corporate partners, and supporters of the food bank for their ability to keep the doors of the pantry open during the pandemic.

“There’s just no place like this,” Brenda said.

The Feed the 479 food pantry is located at 3157 W. Sunset in Springdale and is currently operating with a drive-through format. They are open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 5-7 p.m. and Thursdays from 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Alexander Battaglia joins the NWAFB team as a Service Insights Specialist. In this role he will be onboarding our partner agencies onto Oasis Insight Plus, our Service Insights program. He returned in March from a two-year service with the United States Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. While serving in a rural border community, Alex taught Spanish literacy and sex-education courses in a local elementary school and worked to establish a scholastic library and bring specialized literacy training to the classrooms of 20 educators.

A Bentonville native, Alex is excited to return to NWA and work with the Client Services team to assist agency partners in the collection of Oasis data and compassionately meet client’s needs in both English and Spanish. He is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Political Science.

Due to COVID-19 the Service Insights team has had to adapt their agency on-boarding process of Oasis Insight Plus. In response to safety guidelines, they have created Oasis Virtual Training. Agency volunteers now have the option to complete all training at their own pace without having to be in a large group. This will also allow the Service Insights team to onboard multiple agencies at one time to meet our goal.

We could not operate the way we do without our beloved volunteers For the month of September, we had 228 volunteers with a total of 498 hours served. You can make a difference in someone’s life today by volunteering at the Food Bank. Grab a friend and sign up today!

We are limiting the volunteers per shift and are taking enhanced measures to make sure we keep everyone as safe as possible while they volunteer with us.

Is your business looking to give back in a fun way? Are you looking for something that can get your whole team involved, no matter their location?

If the answer is “yes”- we would love to have your group participate in our Food Drive Challenge presented by Spectrum Brands!

Instead of doing our competitive drive, we have opted to do things a little simpler this year. We will be hosting a non-competitive drive this November. No divisions, no leaderboard, just one common goal. It will be one drive with one giving page representing the collective generosity of Northwest Arkansas workplaces. We are asking companies to forego internal activities like auctions and meal fundraisers to promote social distancing. In place of that, we are hoping individuals within your company will light up their social media channels to promote awareness and ask their network to donate. Teams can still create their own fundraisers and rally their coworkers to raise funds as a group with all totals being added together on the main fundraising page. By doing this online, you will save the Food Bank the time and resources incurred through a physical food drive and your donations will help us purchase more of our most-needed food items in bulk such as canned vegetable and meats, peanut butter, oatmeal and cereal.

For every dollar donated, we can provide up to 10 meals to our friends in need right here in NWA.

We hope you will join us in this important and fun challenge! If you wish to participate or need more details, please email Mike.Williams@nwafoodbank.org.

We need you! We are currently accepting videos for our virtual recipe book, The Cutting Board of NWA. Pick your favorite recipe and show us how to make it. Videos should be step by step instructions using common foods we find in our distribution boxes. These include foods such as potatoes, apples, rice, beans, lettuce, tuna and carrots! Please keep the time of the video under 2 minutes. Videos can be sent to madison.bigelow@nwafoodbank.org.

Here’s one of our videos we received and just love!