The holidays are upon us as we prepare to gather and feast at the Thanksgiving table. A tradition that stretches back to colonial times, the holiday is meant to inspire us to reflect upon our many blessings and share what we have with those who are less fortunate.
In Arkansas, there is plenty of the latter to go around. No matter how one slices it, the Natural State’s standing in hunger and food insecurity is sobering and getting worse.
Feeding America reported in 2020 nearly 445,000 Arkansas residents, or almost fifteen percent of the population, of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities, are food insecure, meaning they lack access at times to enough food for an active, healthy life, as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, by 2022, that number had grown to more than 555,000. Of these, almost 169,000 are children, reports the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.
In September, Arkansas was dubbed the hungriest state in the country for 2023, according to the USDA’s Household Food Security in the United States survey. That document reported the percentage of Arkansas households that experienced low or very low food security rose from a three-year average of about seventeen percent in 2022 to nearly nineteen percent last year. That rate of food-insecure households is nearly five percent higher than the national average.
Given the enormity and prevalence of the problem, it is little wonder why so many organizations, in part or in whole, focus on hunger as their mission of choice in communities across the state. Fort Smith is no exception, which is why Do South® reached out to a few of these groups to discover the scope of the issue locally and to relay ways concerned citizens can help be part of the solution.
COMMUNITY RESCUE MISSION
A transitional shelter, Community Rescue Mission was founded forty-three years ago to serve families in crisis. The organization hosts up to fourteen families at a time, providing shelter, food, hygiene items, case management, clothing, and other basic needs, per Heather Sanders, executive director. Community Rescue Mission served about forty-three thousand meals in 2023, at a rate of three meals a day.
“We transitioned into a family shelter about six years ago when Hope Campus opened, and since then, we are constantly on a waitlist,” Heather says. “We served eight hundred and five people last year, and I believe we have seven families on the wait list right now. That has continued to increase in the last six to eight months.
“Unfortunately, inflation is creating some issues. We lack affordable housing in our communities, and many families are one paycheck away from having to knock on our door. We recommend that anybody in need call as early as possible; if you’re struggling and behind, call now, get on the wait list because we don’t know how long it will be until we can get you in.”
The group serves a clientele of families, defined as groups that include minor children, be it a single-parent or dual-spouse household. The children can be of any age; in fact, Heather said the group has hosted families released directly from the hospital after welcoming a baby.
Client families stay for an average of six months while they get back on their feet from various life situations. Attending to their needs takes volunteers and donations, both of which are gladly and readily accepted from the community.
“We absolutely accept all kinds of food,” Heather says. “If it’s cooked food, it can’t be opened or needs to come directly from a restaurant. As for canned goods and perishable items, we take them all the time. They do need to be within the date, which is a requirement for the health department. We are always in need of milk and fresh fruits and vegetables. That’s one thing that we continuously struggle with.
“In addition, we have a meal calendar where companies and volunteers can sign up to come in and help cook and serve meals. We rely very heavily on volunteers.”
Heather adds that in addition to food, the organization provides personal hygiene products, baby items such as diapers, and housewares. They have also launched a bed ministry to help families set up housekeeping when they move out of the shelter.
Community Rescue Mission
310 North F St., Fort Smith
479.782.1443
fscrm.org
RIVERVIEW HOPE CAMPUS
A relatively new organization, Riverview Hope Campus opened nearly seven years ago and is the largest low-barrier homeless shelter in the six-county region of the River Valley. Services include case management and advocacy for individuals, as well as employment services, life skills classes, and even kennels for individuals with pets. Riverview Hope Campus also acts as a conduit for individuals to access additional community services, including health care, mental health services, and counseling.
On any given night, the organization hosts one hundred forty individuals in-house and serves an estimated thirteen thousand meals per month, says Phylis Savoy, the group’s community development coordinator.
“As inflation is rising and prices are increasing, we see a lot of people who aren’t even necessarily experiencing homelessness. They’re in a situation where they can’t afford groceries, coming to eat here,” she says. “Over the past two months, we’ve seen an increase in women with children coming to eat a balanced, nutritious meal.”
With a steady flow of people seeking help from the shelter, keeping food supplies stocked takes constant effort. Phylis says grocery prices have strained the organization’s resources and forced it to think creatively about how to fulfill its mission to feed the hungry.
“We don’t necessarily have a lot of funds to buy the food that we need, so we rely heavily on community support for donations for our kitchen,” she said. “We do not have restrictions on anything that we can accept. We only ask that it is edible and not past its expiration date. As long as it’s edible and safe, we’re willing to accept it, whether that’s canned or fresh produce, milk, dairy products, anything anyone is willing to give and help us; it is greatly appreciated.
“Every quarter, we also host a canned food drive where we partner with different agencies. Sometimes it’s churches, and then this past quarter, it was our educational partners, such as our local schools.”
The group also relies on help from volunteers and local groups, which has paid big dividends in the kitchen and donations, including hygiene items, diapers, and other supplies.
“We serve three meals a day, and have volunteers, mostly church groups, that come in, and help cook and serve meals, bringing food in themselves,” Phylis says. “We are filled up on our kitchen volunteers until about February because we have a very giving community behind us.”
Riverview Hope Campus
301 South E St., Fort Smith
479.668.4764
riverviewhopecampus.org
RIVER VALLEY REGIONAL FOOD BANK
Tracy Engel, director of the River Valley Regional Food Banks, minces no words when describing the scope of local hunger.
“I can tell you right now the need at the River Valley Regional Food Bank in the River Valley area is probably higher than it was during the height of COVID,” she says. “When I say that, everybody says the same thing, they say, wow. They can’t believe it, but that’s where we are.
“It’s the perfect storm between economic conditions, the cost of transportation, the cost of food. You’ve got people who have never had to go to a food pantry or a food bank asking for food. We have one hundred seventy food pantries that are members of the food bank in an eight-county service area, and we’re all feeling it.”
Tracy says in the decade she’s been with the food pantry, she has never seen conditions as they are now, resulting in severe shortages of items that are usually plentiful.
“This morning, I was on the phone with our corporate partners telling them we are in a protein crisis,” she says. “I need protein. I’ve never had to do that before.”
The food bank, one of two hundred that makes up Feeding America nationally and one of six in the state, serves eight counties in Arkansas. It supplies a network of front-line food pantries and other organizations that feed the hungry and serve the public directly.
The food bank distributed eighteen million pounds of food last year, fighting against hunger trends that place seventeen percent of River Valley households and twenty-five percent of local youth in the food insecure category.
Tracy says one of the food bank’s most significant needs, besides monetary donations, is volunteers. “Without volunteers, food banks do not operate,” she says. “That’s just hands down all there is to it. People can come out to the food bank and volunteer. We’re always packing boxes and sorting product that comes in. There’s always those things to do. Come by and help us with distribution; our next one is November 19; you will really get to see what food banking is all about.
“In the community, you can host a food drive, pick a rival school or company, and see who can collect the most cereal or canned goods. We just had that happen; one school did peanut butter, and the other did jelly, and now we’ve got peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for days. Everything helps.”
River Valley Regional Food Bank
1617 South Zero St., Fort Smith
479.785.0582
rvrfoodbank.org
Looking for a way to get involved? Check out this partial list of organizations feeding those in need locally and be part of the solution!
Antioch for Youth and Families
479.459.0669
antiochyouthfamily.org
First Presbyterian
First Sunday Supper
479.783.8919
1pres.org
First United Methodist
Last Sunday Breakfast & Taking It to the Streets programs
479.782.5068
fsfumc.org
Harvest Time
Food Pantry & Clothes Closet
479.646.6001
htchurch.com
Immaculate Conception
Sack Lunch Program
479.783.7963
icchurch.com
Salvation Army
479.783.6145
southernusa.salvationarmy.org
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal
The Sack Lunch Program
479.783.2101
stbartsfs.org
The Next Step Day Room
Homeless Service
479.782.5433
thenextstepfs.org
