The Food Bank of North Central Arkansas has received donations of over $25,000 and more than 7,300 food items through Arvest Bank’s annual 1 Million Meals two-month initiative to fight hunger. The donations equate to over 126,000 meals. These donations benefit the food bank’s backpack programs, as well as other backpack programs organized by other hunger relief organizations supported in part by the food bank.
Other local fund drives in conjunction with the 1 Million Meals campaign directly benefitted backpack programs in the Yellville, Mountain Home, and Flippin school districts, as well as local food agencies supported by the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas.
Arvest Bank launched its annual 1 Million Meals initiative to fight hunger in the four-state region the bank serves two months ago. With the help of customers and community members, the bank announces it has exceeded the campaign goal by raising a total of more than 1.8 million meals in the fight against hunger.
Launched in 2011, Arvests 1 Million Meals campaigns have raised a seven-year total of over 11 million meals, which includes more than $2 million in funds given directly to the banks dozens of local food partners.
This years campaign total of 1,881,283 meals was made possible through donations from the bank, Arvest associates, customers and community members through fundraisers, events and nonperishable food drives in all Arvest branches throughout April and May. With summer here, the success of the campaign is especially meaningful because many schoolchildren will be without the meals they ordinarily receive at school.
All money and food items raised through this campaign directly benefitted more than 70 different organizations feeding local communities in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
Sally Gilbert, market president of Arvest Bank in Mountain Home, says North Central Arkansas has definitely been focused on raising awareness and reducing hunger these past two months, and there are several hundred children and their families in this area who appreciate the generosity and compassion behind these donations.
Gilbert says while they are grateful for the contributions made during the 1 Million Meals campaign, area residents are asked to remain aware of the problem of food insecurity throughout the year and continue to donate to local organizations when possible.
The banks decision to provide one million meals was based on the fact hunger is an issue in every community it serves. In 2015, more than 12 percent of American households surveyed were food insecure, meaning they lacked access to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle for all household members.
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