
Arvest Bank in the Fort Smith region is partnering with Community Services Clearinghouse, United Way of Fort Smith Area and Antioch for Youth and Family for its 12th annual Million Meals campaign, according to a press release. The two-month, bank-wide aims to provide one million meals or more to those in need within the bank’s footprint.
Launched in 2011, Arvest’s Million Meals campaigns have raised an 11-year total of 18.7 million meals, which includes more than $3.3 million in funds given directly to the bank’s dozens of local food partners.
These organizations will receive monetary donations made in Fort Smith, Greenwood, Van Buren, Alma, Waldron, Poteau and Sallisaw from April 1 through May 28. Local area residents can support Million Meals by making monetary donations at Arvest branches and drive-thrus in Fort Smith and the surrounding area or by calling 866-952-9523. Additionally, customers can donate via the Arvest Go mobile app and Arvest Flex Rewards credit cardholders can log in to arvestflexrewards.com to redeem and donate rewards points.
Every dollar raised through Million Meals provides the equivalent of five meals for local, hungry families. While Arvest is unable to accept food donations in branches this year, customers and community members can donate directly to the bank’s food partners.
The Community Services Clearinghouse has been in operation for over 43 years. Their primary focus is to alleviate hunger in Sebastian, Crawford, Franklin, Scott, Logan, Leflore and Sequoyah counties. Community Services Clearinghouse will use Arvest’s monetary donation to support the Meals For Kids Backpack Program. 142 schools participate in the program, providing food to 2,400 kids each week.
The goal is to provide at-risk children a sack of nutritious kid-friendly food each Friday of the school year. The food is placed in the child’s backpack so they will have something to eat over the weekend.
The United Way of Fort Smith Area has worked in the areas of health, education, financial stability, and crisis support services since 1928. United Way and its partner agencies provide services to thousands of individuals every day to improve lives and strengthen the six-county area. United Way of Fort Smith Area will use Arvest’s monetary donation to fund local initiatives such as providing a grant to a local school to purchase healthy food for a life skills class.
The Antioch Food Pantry provides over 800,000 meals in a community where one-in-five people are food insecure. Senior and Veterans Mobile Pantries deliver food to low-income elderly, disabled and struggling families. Whenever possible, fresh produce is provided at the pantry, to seniors and veterans, and to food insecure children as they leave their elementary schools. Antioch for Youth and Family will use Arvest’s monetary donation to support their Thanksgiving event to provide holiday meals.
Last year, Arvest raised more than 1.6 million meals in the form of direct monetary donations for its food partners and this year’s campaign will benefit more than 75 organizations in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
In 2020, 10.5% of American households surveyed were food-insecure, meaning they had difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all their members due to a lack of resources. Additionally, Oklahoma and Arkansas rank fourth and ninth, respectively, among the most food-insecure states in the nation, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
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