Readers can help feed families during holiday season

w/ photo, video by David

Readers of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette can help feed the hungry in the region through monetary donations to the newspaper's Community Christmas Card.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank will receive all money donated. The Democrat-Gazette will accept donations through Dec. 31. The newspaper will list readers giving more than $3 in the print and replica editions on Christmas Day.

"We'll use it to buy food," Kent Eikenberry, chief operating officer of the food bank, said of the donations.

"Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley are so important to our state and the surrounding region," said Brent Powers, president of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "We are honored to be able to support our local community through this initiative.

"The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is our partner this year, and 100% of the proceeds will go directly to them. We are so happy they will be able to reach more people with their vital services through this partnership."

The food bank partners with about 160 agencies to get food on the plates of those who need it. Agencies must apply to become partners.

Alejandra Ruiz sat in her car earlier this month at a community center to collect food for her two young daughters. Ruiz said she works on commission, and her work hours have been cut, leaving less money for the single parent to spend on food.

When food is scarce, she feeds her daughters first and goes without or sends her daughters to stay with her mother, she said.

Casey Cowan, the food bank's director of client services, said the nonprofit organization provided food for 370,332 individuals from January through August.

The food bank served 552,163 people in 2019, according to tallies from their partnering agencies.

Tom Stallbaumer, director of administration for the food bank, said the pounds of food distributed were up 54% in the second quarter of 2020 and 76% in the third, in comparison to last year's quarterly totals.

The food bank provided 8.5 million pounds of food or 10 million meals in 2018, according to the group's website. Amounts for 2019 weren't available last week.

"Our biggest challenge is people understanding why we're here," Eikenberry said. "We're here because there are people in Northwest Arkansas who need help. The Food Bank works to distribute food to those who are food insecure in our community."

Eikenberry said food insecurity was beginning to stabilize in the region before covid-19. Requests for food were increasing, but keeping in line with the increasing population, he said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as "a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life." Families that are food insecure aren't sure they will always have adequate food.

The food bank this year started providing food directly through mobile, pop-up and school pantries. The mobile pantries distribute once a week in locations throughout Washington, Benton, Madison and Carroll counties.

The mobile pantry made stops Tuesday in Siloam Springs and Gravette. A group of masked volunteers kept a line of vehicles moving quickly at the Senior Activity and Wellness Center.

The food bank provided a box of dry goods, a box of produce, a gallon of milk, butter and ground turkey. The food will feed a family of four, said Blake Hawkins, mobile services coordinator. There were 160 boxes set up for Siloam Springs and 180 for Gravette, Hawkins said.

Melissa Todd of Siloam Springs was happy to see the food bank helping people.

"Times have been pretty hard here lately," she said as she waited in line.

Christine Bartlett of Siloam Springs also went through the line Tuesday morning.

"It helps out a lot, and I am thankful for it," she said.

Pop-up pantries deliver food in rural areas on a more random basis. Partnering agencies in each town publicize the events in advance.

In October, the food bank helped 1,800 families through the mobile and pop up, Stallbaumer said.

So far this year, the food bank has spent twice as much money on food as it did for the same time last year, Stallbaumer said.

The food bank buys food at wholesale prices from its parent organization, Feeding America, but it also makes its own purchases and secures donations from area industry.

The food bank sells food out of its north Springdale warehouse to participating agencies at 9 cents a pound, no matter the type of food. "So if you get 100 pounds of chicken, you pay $100." Stallbaumer said.

Food bank officials did see the pandemic coming -- a little -- and bought extra food.

"We have a full warehouse," Eikenberry said Nov. 19. And six tractor trailers of food arrived two days later.

Eikenberry said the supply in the food bank's warehouse would last about three months without replenishment.

The food bank also stocks pantries at 12 schools where 70% of the student population is enrolled in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program.