November is a time to be thankful. I’m thankful for so many things, it’s hard to begin to list them all. However, one item that is toward the top of my list is the group of individuals that I have the privilege of working with every day. Not only do these men and women have a passion for what we do, feeding our neighbors in need with dignity, they have a passion for making Northwest Arkansas a better place to live for all of us. Here is just a partial list of the things we are involved in outside the Food Bank:
- Leadership roles in our respective churches, including serving as ordained ministers, pastors, ushers, youth leaders, church councils, small group leaders, choir members and more.
- Area Chambers of Commerce, serving on committees ranging from leadership development to membership recruiting.
- Civic clubs such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions etc.
- Public and Private schools booster clubs, volunteers, coaches for academics and sports, and after school programs.
- Mentors for young ladies and young men, including foster parenting.
- CASA Volunteers.
- Leadership Roles and active participation in other 501c3 organizations including Salvation Army, Network of Professional Women, Association of Fund-Raising Professionals, Children and Advocacy Center, Make A Wish, Sources for Community Living, Next UP NWA, Circle of Life Hospice.
- Our team actively participates in fund raising events for other organizations who benefit Northwest Arkansas such as Cobblestone Farms, Mercy Foundation, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, and Single Parent Scholarship Fund. In addition, one staff member serves as a benefit auctioneer to raise money for countless groups.
*This is just a partial listing of all the things that our staff does to improved the lives of everyone who lives in our part of the world, but perhaps the most important way is that our staff lives their lives every day with a servant’s heart and mindset.
The election is over. Regardless of whether or not your chosen candidate won, life goes on, which means the holidays are just around the corner. It has been clearly documented, stress increases during the holidays. There are many reasons for this: cooler weather, higher utilities, seasonal jobs such as landscaping slow down, even the fact that we leave for work in the dark and go home in the dark has an impact on each of us. For too many of our neighbors, food insecurity is at the top of their stress list. Our role is to help reduce that stress by putting food in local pantries that, in turn, distribute it to those in need. The fourth quarter is critical for our continued success. We need your help. Year-end giving helps support us through the lean first quarter of the year. Additional volunteers are needed to work through the food drive items and prepare these items for distribution. Simply taking a moment to reflect on what you have that others might not will impact our mission. For your support, as always, I thank you.
We’ve been in the Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief for just over four months now. Every day when I walk around the building, I am filled with awe and gratitude. I promise you that I am aware of the responsibility you have put on myself and the rest of the staff when you built your Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. To that end, I want to share two upcoming internal events. Later this month, a member of the Feeding America Member Engagement team will be here for two days reviewing our policies and procedures and recommending ways that we can improve. Also, later this month the board of directors and the leadership team will meet for a brainstorming session to share ideas of ways we can improve in the future. I’m excited that both of these events will help us show the continual improvement that is necessary as our area continues to grow. In closing, I want to remind you that this is your Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. If you have ideas of ways we can improve, or if you want to come tour the facility, shoot me an email at kent@nwafoodbank.org.
Yes, November is a time to be thankful. Please know that I am thankful for each and everyone of you. Because of you, someone will eat today.
K
