Robin Moses, HR/ROMA Coordinator at the Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council, directs traffic during a River Valley Regional Food Bank Pop-Up Pantry at Ozark High School in Ozark on Thursday, May 7, 2020.
Thanks to its partnership with the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, Feeding America, the River Valley Regional Food Bank (RVRFB) was able to provide more than 19,000 meals to families in the River Valley through mobile pantries this week.
The RVRFB this week conducted a series of five mobile “pop-up” pantries, which distributed in-need protein products to residents in Crawford, Franklin and Sebastian counties. On Wednesday, the RVRFB provided poultry products to residents in Uniontown in Crawford County. On Thursday, the RVRFB provided pork and poultry products in Ozark in Franklin County. And on Friday, the RVRFB delivered pork products to three communities in Sebastian County — in Midland, Hartford and Hackett.
The purpose of these mobile-style pop-up pantries is to deliver quality protein products to “food desert” communities where food accessibility is limited. Fresh, healthy food tends to have a short shelf life and it’s even scarcer in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The food bank was able to provide this food to residents in these communities at no charge, thanks to generous donations from Feeding America. The RVRFB’s partnership with Feeding America allows the food bank to distribute protein in bulk at a time when residents in the River Valley need it the most.
“Getting out into the rural communities and providing nourishment to our neighbors in need is what the River Valley Regional Food Bank has expressed in our mission,” Director Tracy Engel said. “We will continue to serve those in need as long as there is a need. We’re grateful for our partnership with Feeding America and the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, as well as our partnerships with our donors,
vendors and pantry partners.”
Volunteers load a box of donated product into a vehicle during a River Valley Regional Food Bank Pop-Up Pantry at Ozark High School in Ozark on Thursday, May 7, 2020.
This week’s distributions helped many in need, including Tamara from Hackett, who sent us a message and said the bacon she received from us was a blessing.
“I just wanted to tell you and your co-workers thank you so much for the bacon,” she said. “The doctors have put me on a 30-grams-of-carbs-a-day plan and bacon is one thing that I can eat. It’s been so scarce at the stores on days that I go, so you can imagine how happy and grateful I am!”
In addition to this week’s mobile pantries, the food bank also provided 2,000 ready-to-eat meals to River Valley residents thanks to its partnership with Panera Bread.
The RVRFB plans to continue to do these pop-up-style pantries on a weekly basis in communities throughout the River Valley until as long as there is a need.
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