Arkansas Foodbank History
The Arkansas Foodbank was created on January 17, 1984 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to serve several central south Arkansas counties by providing an affordable and credible food source for local agencies serving hungry people in the state. By 1986 the Arkansas Foodbank had its first year of distributing 1 million pounds of food. In 1989 the Foodbank became a member of the Feeding America national network and gained more assistance for acquiring and distributing food. Since that time the organization has distributed over half a billion pounds of food.
In its 40th year, Arkansas Foodbank stands as the largest hunger relief organization in the state, serving 33 counties across the state’s central, eastern, and southern regions. As a proud member of Feeding America and the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, the Foodbank has been at the forefront of combating hunger with innovative programs that provide healthy and nutritious food to those in need. Its cornerstone initiatives, including Food For Kids, Food For Families, and Food For Seniors, enable the distribution of essential resources through a network of more than 400 food pantries, schools, colleges, shelters, senior centers, and other agencies across Arkansas. The Arkansas Foodbank has had several locations since it was founded in 1984 including a location on Brown Street and an old UPS building on Distribution Dr. in southwest Little Rock. Today the Foodbank is located at 4301 W 65th Street in Little Rock at the Donald W. Reynolds Distribution Center that was built for the organization 2011. From this distribution center the Arkansas Foodbank operates a fleet of trucks to deliver and pick up food daily, Summer/After School programs and back packs for children, local agency food pick up, training and capacity building as well as volunteer and fundraising activities.