The Arkansas Rice Depot and hungry Arkansans need your help.
The Little Rock-based food bank says it has faced a difficult summer due to decreased donations and a higher need for food because of the tornado that ravaged central Arkansas in April.
With their children being out of school, parents do not donate as much during the summer in order to afford food and childcare for their own kids, things that the school would normally provide. Many victims of the tornado are still struggling to find the financial support or time to provide for their families as they rebuild their lives three months later.
Become a “Hunger Hero” by making monthly donations to the depot here. Donations can be made in amounts of $30, which will feed six families for one week, $60, which provides 240 pounds of food to families, or $200, which provides 1/4 pallet of food to the depot’s warehouse.
It is also possible to feed those in need from a mobile phone! Text “Feed” to 41010 to make a $5 or $10 donation. They can also be contacted by phone at 501-565-8855 or by emailing them here and visiting their Facebook page.
The Arkansas Rice Depot started in 1982. Today it serves 600 Arkansas public schools and 500,000 hungry Arkansans, distributing food to shelters, schools, disaster relief efforts and homebound seniors.
Some statistics from the Arkansas Rice Depot:
- 18.8 percent of Arkansans live below the poverty line
- one in six Arkansans struggle to provide enough food for their family
- Arkansas ranks first in the nation for very low food security and second in food insecurity
- Arkansas Rice Depot distributes more than 9 million pounds of food each year, feeding 15 percent of the state’s population