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Almost half a million Arkansans live in poverty.
The Arkansas Foodbank Network has been working since 1984 to eliminate hunger in Arkansas by providing nutritious food to those in need. In 2007, we distributed more than 8.5 million pounds of food to our more than 400 member agencies in 33 Arkansas counties. That is about 34,000 pounds of food per day. Ninety-six percent of everything the Foodbank receives is allocated to programs, enabling our agencies to serve about 23,000 hungry Arkansans in any given week.
Often when we visualize a hungry person, one of two pictures comes to mind: either a small child halfway around the world with a distended stomach or a person on the side of the road holding a "will work for food" sign. But hunger in Arkansas is much more than these stereotypical images we hold in our minds.
In 2005, the Arkansas Foodbank Network participated in a nationwide Hunger Study. Foodbank staff and volunteers went to many of our member agencies around the state and spoke to the clients who come to those agencies for help. We asked them very personal questions-about lifestyle, income, job history. And the results were:
- 28% of the members of households served by the Arkansas Foodbank Network are children under 18 years of age.
- 14% are elderly.
- 23% of households include at least one employed adult.
- 51% of adult clients have not received a high school diploma.
Many clients reported having to choose between food and other necessities:
- 52% of clients served by the Arkansas Foodbank Network report having to choose between paying for food and paying for utilities or heating fuel.
- 43% have to choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical care.
- 35% have to choose between paying for food and paying for rent or mortgage.
The Arkansas Foodbank Network is a member of America 's Second Harvest-The Nation's Foodbank Network, a group of more than 200 food banks across the nation. A2H monitors its agencies regularly to ensure compliance with acceptable food handling, storage and distribution standards and practices. Additionally, A2H supports the emergency food system by obtaining food from national organizations, such as major food companies. The Arkansas Foodbank Network is able to bring in more than half of the food it distributes to hungry Arkansans from out-of-state.
Partnerships:
America's Second Harvest-The Nation's Food Bank Network is the country's largest charitable hunger-relief organization with a Network of more than 200 Member food banks and food-rescue organizations serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. We are proud to be a member of A2H. secondharvest.org
The Arkansas Foodbank Network is a founding member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, a statewide organization with the goal of maximizing efficiency and equitability by procuring, distributing and transporting food to all counties in Arkansas . arhungeralliance.org
The Arkansas Foodbank Network is a proud member of the United Way agency who supports health and human services organizations in Central Arkansas and partners with local agencies on special projects and programs that benefit our community. heartaruw.org
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