Foodbank Tops Distribution Record

Help for those in need came in leaps and bounds in 2017.  The Arkansas Foodbank finished the year by distributing a record 26,526,525 million pounds of food. The total surpassed the previous record set in 2016 by almost 1.5 million pounds.

“Our goal each and every year is to find ways we can come together to provide more food to those in need,” said Rhonda Sanders, CEO. “We want to be as ambitious as the year before and in 2017 we did exactly that.  In 2018, we will continue to look for new pathways to connect people, resources and food to hungry Arkansans.”

The 2017 distribution total is a 6% increase over the previous year and translates into approximately 22.1 million meals for the 280,000 Arkansans we help serve. Furthermore, the Foodbank was able to continue its focus on more nutritious foods by distributing 3.7 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables.

But sadly, hunger still remains a prevalent issue in Arkansas as nearly 1 in 5 Arkansans do not know where their next meal is coming from.  Arkansas ranks second in overall hunger (Feeding America), second in child hunger (Feeding America) and fifth in senior hunger (National Foundation to End Senior Hunger).

“We are forever grateful to all of our local businesses, food retailers and manufacturers, farmers and individuals who helped make a difference by building stronger and healthier communities across our state.”