Jonesboro, February 15, 2023: The Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas announced that a $1,300 grant it received from the Mississippi County Community Foundation purchased a refrigerator, shelving, and a thermal blanket for the Naked Truth Training and Empowerment Center, a food pantry located in the Blytheville-Gosnell area.
“We get a lot of meat, which is a blessing. And we didn’t have a place to store everything. It has been so essential that we have a place to keep frozen food,” said Christine Bennett, Pastor and Executive Director of the Naked Truth Training and Empowerment Center.
The pantry serves roughly 140 families monthly, but Christine says each time she visits the pantry, it seems there are more families than ever. This is a common occurrence at many pantries as inflation, higher food costs, and higher fuel prices impact low-income families and individuals, often leading them to face impossible decisions.
“Sometimes it’s a matter of food or medicine, and a lot of times people are going to get something to eat,” Christine said.
According to the most recent Map the Meal Gap report, issued by Feeding America, the Food Insecurity rate in Arkansas is 14.7%. In comparison, the Food Insecurity rate in Mississippi County is 18.3% with 7,590 food insecure individuals.
The Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas provides hunger relief to people in need by raising awareness, securing resources, and distributing food through a network of non-profit agencies and programs. The Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas provides the equivalent of 120,000 meals each week to people facing hunger. The Food Bank works in partnership with 140 non-profit partner agencies and programs in 12 counties in Northeast Arkansas. These counties include: Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Jackson, Lawrence, Mississippi, Poinsett, Randolph, St. Francis, and Woodruff. Additionally, the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas is a member of Feeding America, a national network of food banks. Through our many partnerships, every $1 donated can help provide 4 meals. For additional information, please visit our website www.foodbankofnea.org. You can also find the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas on Facebook @FoodBankofNEA, Twitter @foodbankofnea, and Instagram @foodbankofnea.