PINE BLUFF, Ark. (KTHV) - The Merrill Center is one of 40 winners of a State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant.
The $25 thousand grant will be used to renovate the center's kitchen, to bring it up to code and help the center feed the more than 100 children it sees every day.
The grant was won based on voting by the public. Here are the three phases listed on the State Farm website.
"First, users submit causes they think deserve a $25,000 grant. Next, the State Farm Review Committee narrows down the submissions to the top 200 and pairs them with nonprofit organizations that can help make them happen. Finally, the public votes to select the top 40. Each winning cause that meets all of entry criteria will receive a $25,000 grant."
Samuel Glover with Parks and Recreation said getting renovations started on the kitchen is essential for their feeding program.
“We service over 120 children per day and that feeding is paramount to what we do with the Merrill Center,” he said.
Glover said the current kitchen is unusable and does not meet state code. The center ships its meals in daily to feed the kids.
Glover said the meals the kids receive are sometimes the only food they see all day. Winning this grant will give them the resources they need to feed even more kids.