More than 37,000 pounds of chicken donated from Tyson Foods will be distributed to the public for free on Thursday (April 2) at the River Valley Regional Food Bank (RVRFB).

Tyson Foods, headquartered in Springdale, Ark., donated in total more than 73,000 pounds of chicken products to the RVRFB to help us respond to COVID-19. A portion of that donation was distributed to our pantry agencies on Wednesday (April 1). A public donation will be held on Thursday (April 2) at the Food Bank headquarters at 1617 South Zero Street in Fort Smith. The media is invited to attend.

The donation — a 20-pound box of chicken product that may be shared with friends and family — is tied to Tyson’s strategic long-term partnership with the RVRFB. In addition to donations of frozen protein products, the company’s grants over the years have allowed us to expand freezer capacity, which allows us to house more food to distribute to our clients.

River Valley Regional Food Bank Director Tracy Engel thanked Tyson for providing this gift to our community, noting it will go a long way in providing protein to households in need at this time.

How it will work Thursday

We will host a public distribution for the product in a drive-thru manner Thursday morning. The distribution begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m., or until supplies last.

We request the public line up in rows of three in our parking lot nearest to KFC. We will serve one vehicle at a time on a first-come, first-serve basis.

(See map for more details.)

This distribution is free to the public. No ID or proof of residency is required.

What the public needs to do

We ask the public to PLEASE RESPECT APPROPRIATE SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES. When a member of our staff calls on your vehicle, you must:

  • Advance slowly to the front of the building
  • Please stay inside your vehicle
  • Please keep your window up
  • Please pop your trunk

Our staff will load the items in your trunk or truck bed, but due to social distancing guidelines, we will not load any items inside the main compartment of your vehicle, as a way to avoid contact. Please have enough room in your trunk or truck bed for your donation.

The River Valley Regional Food Bank is an equal opportunity provider.