Agency Annual Meeting

The Flint Street Fellowship, Eureka Springs, and the Cooperative Emergency Outreach (CEO), Fayetteville, were named the Agencies of the Year for the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

Each organization received a $1,000 grant to use at its facility.

022317 nwafb annual meeting-Eikenberry 1

022317 nwafb annula meet-oxford

022317 nwafb annual meeting-cooperative emergency outreach 1

022317 nwafb annual meet-flint street

022317 nwafb annual meet-250 grant

022317 nwafb annua meet - 50 grant

022317 nwafb annual meet-100 grant 1

The presentation was made before more than 100 people who attended the Food Bank’s annual meeting on Feb.23 at the Jones Center. The two agencies earned this honor for utilizing their pantry to the very best of their ability, said Barbara Carter, agency relations coordinator. She cited the use of pantry space and the available times to best serve their community as two examples used as criteria for the award. “We looked at efforts taken in collaborating with other churches or agencies to increase the amount of food distributed to the food insecure, and looked at the innovative way agencies used volunteers,” she added.

Kent Eikenberry, President/CEO of the Food Bank, told the attendees that the Food Bank distributed more than 11 million pounds of food to the more than 160 agencies serving Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties. He said the senior mobile pantry has grown to seven sites in 2016 with a possible eighth location on the horizon.

In addition, the Food Bank has started a law enforcement food partnership in which the law enforcement agencies are provided food boxes to those in need. Woodland Research is funding the program, which is currently in the Benton and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices, and the police departments in Springdale, Rogers and Fayetteville.

Eikenberry also reported that the ninth annual Jewels of Giving Gala was the most successful to date.

Angela Oxford, director of the Center for Community Engagement at the University of Arkansas, told attendees about startup of the “Full Circle” Campus Food Pantry on the university’s campus that opened in 2011 and serves more than 350 students and university employees a week. The main idea that students expressed in the startup of the pantry was they wanted their friends to keep their dignity. Pantry participants are allowed to pick what foods they want.

The food insecurity rate in Arkansas is 20-25 percent, but at the university it is 37 percent, she added

The pantry, which is operated by students, also has cooking classes and SNAP clinics.

“What the students are doing is awesome,” she said.

For more information on how to recruit University of Arkansas student volunteers for your agency go its website at service.uark.edu.

Carter announced that there would be up to a $5,000 Spring Capacity Grant funded through a generous donation from Walmart. Applications are currently being accepted. Martha Smith of Piney Point Baptist Church near War Eagle Mill talked about the capacity her church received last year. They used the funds to purchase two refrigerators, one of which can be turned into a freezer and new shelving as well as build a waiting room addition to the front of the pantry. The pantry serves 300-350 people a month. “We could not do it without the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank,” Smith said. “We’re a small church of 100 people. It’s God’s will that the program is growing.” The pantry feeds those less fortunate than we are,” she added.

Travis Sorensen, retail coordinator, said that he has been working with Walmart, Sam’s, Aldi’s, Target and Whole Foods to save food from being thrown away. Through their efforts more than four million pounds of food have been saved and given away through the Food Bank.

“We’re making a difference every day,” he added.

Following the speeches, the Food Bank had drawings for food grants to be used at the Food Bank.

Receiving $500 grants were: Bread of Life, Springdale; Full Faith Ministries, Eureka Springs; and Grace Place, Lincoln.

Receiving $250 grants were: St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Springdale; Center Street Church of Christ, Fayetteville; and the Fayetteville Senior Center.

Receiving $100 grants were: St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Rogers; St. Stephen Benevolent Conference, Bentonville; Compassion Center, Springdale; Life Ministries, Prairie Grove; and Hunger and Thirst, Siloam Springs.

Receiving $50 grants were: St. Vincent de Paul Church, Rogers; House of God, Rogers; and 7Hills Homeless Center, Fayetteville.