LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — This week the Discover Arkansas team stayed in Little Rock to explore the Arkansas Food Bank!
The team tries to find new ways to explore Arkansas and what better way than to volunteer. With the big effort for the summer cereal drive, Adam and Mariel discovered how the cereal is organized at the food bank.
The Arkansas Food Bank is the largest hunger relief organization in the state. It serves 33 counties and 280, 000 Arkansans. Unfortunately, Arkansas has one of the highest food insecurity rates in the country.
- 1 in 4 kids in Arkansas are facing hunger.
- 1 in 5 seniors in Arkansas are facing hunger.
Arkansas Foodbank distributes over 27 million pounds of food each year.
The summer cereal drive is an extra push to provide a meal for children that won’t have a meal due to being out of school. Monetary donations are also accepted. One dollar is one box of cereal.
This money is used to buy loose cereal in bulk. Volunteers then come in to weigh, bag, and organize cereal. This is an awesome way to spend your extra time this summer. They are always looking for volunteers!
Arkansas also has one of the highest obesity rates in the country. This is why the Arkansas Food Bank tries hard to distribute fresh produce. They have huge coolers and freezers to keep all of the fruits, veggies, dairy fresh.
The food bank is a nonprofit. It keeps running thanks to donations and volunteer efforts. Discover Arkansas by volunteering!