Wow, it just seems like yesterday when I sat down to write my April column. Now today is May 1st. Happy May Day everyone. May 1 is a significant day for the Food Bank. So as we celebrate May Day, let’s look at some of the projects currently underway.

Fight Hunger Spark Change: This nation-wide initiative is in the sixth year at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. Customers are invited to donate to their local Food Bank (in the case of NW Arkansas, us) while checking out. Also, many manufacturers donate a percentage of their sales to Feeding America who in turn pass that money on to local food banks. This is an excellent opportunity for you as a consumer to donate to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank simply by buying products you use every day. Following is my quote from the Fight Hunger Spark Change news release.

“’Fight Hunger, Spark Change’ is another example of Walmart’s corporate awareness of the critical issue of food insecurity. By inviting these partner corporations to the table, Walmart is leading the fight. As the Feeding America affiliated Food Bank located right here in Walmart’s back yard, we are proud to support this effort and do our part to continue to grow the program. We look forward to another successful drive this year and in the future.”

Last year the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank received over $94,000 from Fight Hunger, Spark Change. This year’s drive runs through May 20 so you still have time to support this drive with your purchases and/or donations.

Arvest Bank’s Million Meal Campaign. Each Arvest location collects food and money to support a local food charity. Each branch chooses to assign their collection efforts. In our case, because we serve more than one Arvest location, we are the recipients of food and money collected by Arvest Operations. As I said in a recent television interview, I really like this initiative because it does go to the heart of the community and hits at a time where all of us are in need. This drive helps us help our partner agencies stock their shelves before school is out for the summer.

On April 27, over 40 University of Arkansas student athletes helped us unload a semi-trailer full of Tyson chicken which Tyson donated to some of our partner agencies from across the service area. I was asked to say a few words at the beginning and I focused not only on the need of the food insecure families but spent a lot of time talking about volunteering. Studies have shown that the younger a person engages as a volunteer the more likely they are to continue giving of their time throughout their adult life. So, one more time to those student athletes and food pantry volunteers, thanks for giving up your Saturday. And WOO PIG SOOIE.

By the time you read this, there should be traffic driving on the new improved Highway 265. When you come to the food bank you will need to take extra caution as we anticipate traffic on the new road to be even heavier than on the existing highway 265. Once the highway opens, the road contractors will move their equipment into our parking lot to improve access to our docks by Tractor trailer rigs so parking and access will be limited during the construction period.

September is four months away and will be here before you know it. September is Hunger Action Month and this year we have several plans in the works to make it a September to remember. The Spectrum Brands Corporate Challenge has moved from November to September. Diana and I will be guest “beertenders” at the Brick Street Brews in downtown Rogers once again. This is a fun evening, for which the Food Bank will receive money for each glass of beer or wine sold along with any tips. More details will be shared closer to the time. These are just a few of our plans, with one extra exciting event still in the planning stages.

At the end of September we will truly be able to say to thousands of Northwest Arkansans, “because of you someone will eat today.”

Kent