LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas is the nation's leader regarding food insecurity, and on top of that, this week's weather forced many hourly workers to lose income with businesses closing.
That's where the Arkansas Foodbank comes into play, where they've put in extra efforts to keep its doors open and Arkansans fed.
"We were able to get a lot of our pantries rescheduled for their deliveries and pickups," Arkansas Foodbank Chief Programs Officer Sherri Jones said. "Get that into the hands of the community."
During significant winter events like the one we just experienced over the last several days, a part of many Arkansans' routines is running to the grocery store to stock up on food. However, Jones said not everyone has that luxury.
"We're going to have families that have lost income during this timeframe, that may not necessarily be able to go to the grocery store to purchase food now because they've lost two or three days of wages that they need," Jones said. "With the kids being out of school, anytime that happens, it's hard to ensure they have the snacks they want and different foods they need during this timeframe."
Several nonprofits were impacted by the winter storm, causing them to cancel food giveaways, so with the increase in calls for help, the Arkansas Foodbank stepped up to try to meet the need.
"It's up to our partners to figure out how we ensure they're receiving this food and what that looks like," Jones said.
According to Jones, food insecurity tends to increase during inclement weather.
“The phone calls have increased, but our pantries and the food bank are doing the best that we can to make sure that our pantry is out in the communities,” Jones said.
Jones said even with the food bank trying to prepare for the weather, the increase in demand can be hard to match.
"With these types of weather events, we're going to need an increase in what we're pushing out into the community," Jones said. "We're going to encourage everyone to really think about that and donate that food monetary if they can."
33 counties in Arkansas have a food bank, and Jones said they're open to help anyone in need.
"There is no shame in going to a food pantry," Jones said. "Our ultimate goal is to make sure that they have dignity and hope; as they enter any of our pantries for assistance, we want them to get back on their feet."