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Arkansas Food Bank struggling to feed families, students

With inflation and kids going back to school, more families are relying on the Arkansas Food Bank for help... but now they are needing help themselves.

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Back-to-school season is typically an exciting time for most kids, but sadly, it can also be the only time in some student's lives when they know for sure that they will be getting a meal.

For years, those meals have been made possible thanks to places like the Arkansas Food Bank.

As inflation has continually gone up, supplies for the pantry have gone down, and it's expected to get worse as the deadline for federal funding approaches.

The Arkansas Food Bank feeds thousands around the state 

In the Food For Kids program alone, they feed 3,300 students weekly around the state— That doesn't include the families they feed for their two other programs, which focus on the elderly and other pantries.

"That's one of the most difficult things you do is when you don't have enough and you have to say, 'the food's out.' It's heartbreaking," said Rhonda Sanders, CEO of Arkansas Food Bank.

She referred to it as a perfect storm... and it's something Sanders has never seen in her career.

Food donations have been down recently since producers and stores have been selling all their food. Also, inflation has caused prices to go up, which means more families have become food insecure.

"To say we could maintain this for another 5 years... no, we can't maintain this level of purchasing that we are right now," explained Sanders.

And as classes have resumed, the food bank's backpack program, Food For Kids, has been secure thanks to federal money, but that is set to run out at the end of September.

"What's going to happen come October 1 through the end of the year and on into the winter months," asked Sanders.

The food bank came up with a temporary plan, in which they'll use emergency funds to help keep them afloat. With that, they can continue the backpack program and be able to purchase food for others. 

They have also looked at cheaper options, such as buying produce, which is less expensive compared to dry goods, like canned items. 

If you're interested in being a volunteer at the Arkansas Food Bank click here.

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