Child Hunger

In America, there are 45 million people who struggle with hunger. Out of those 45 million, 15 million are children who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. In Northwest Arkansas, the struggle is ever present with 38% of the clients the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank serves under the age of 18 and 61% of students in NWA on the “Free and Reduced Meal” programs at school. Together with the community, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank fights every day to eliminate child, family, and senior hunger and ensure that every one has access to nutritious food.

Hunger can be especially devastating to children. Often for reasons out of their control, over 30,000 children in Northwest Arkansas don’t know where they will get their next meal. Parents are faced with making tough choices such as paying their bills or putting food on the table because of job loss, illness, disabilities, and underemployment.

During the first 3 years of life, proper nourishment is critical to the development of children. According to Feeding America, children growing up in food insecure families are more susceptible to poor health and stunted development, which can have lasting long-term consequences. Studies have shown that food insecurity can cause many health and behavioral concerns. Some concerns include a higher risk for long-lasting health problems, increase in hospitalization, and an increase in problems at school such as tardiness, mood swings, anxiety, hyperactivity, and bullying.

Serving Benton, Carroll, Washington, and Madison Counties, the Food Bank, along with the community and partner agencies, works hard to ensure that food resources are available to children in our area. “Together” is how we can make a change in the lives of over 30,000 children and fulfill our mission of “Nourishing NWA Communities by Feeding Hungry People.”

~NWA Food Bank