THREE RIVERS AREA — The holiday season is a time for giving and sharing, but for many Arkansas families, that isn’t possible without the help from food pantries. Many food pantries provide food on a weekly basis to needy families, but some organizations go above and beyond for Thanksgiving.
The West Race Baptist Church in Searcy not only has reopened its food pantry, but will offer a free hot Thanksgiving meal for anyone in the community. The meal will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thanksgiving Day at the Family Life Center behind the church, and deliveries will be made to shut-ins.
“We don’t want anyone to be alone on Thanksgiving,” Tricia Whitworth said.
Whitworth works at the church, but she also runs the food pantry, at 1009 W. Race. The pantry had closed its doors but reopened about two months ago, Whitworth said. The hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to noon Fridays.
“All they have to bring is their name and address,” Whitworth said about families who come for food.
Whitworth said volunteers and donations are always welcome. She also said anyone who would like to help out with the Thanksgiving Day meal can just show up, or call (501) 268-2312 for more information.
In Jacksonville, Fishnet Missions provides food to needy families, as well as to those who are homeless.
“Oh goodness, yes,” Marlis Wheeler replied when asked if the amount of families coming to the Fishnet Missions food pantry has increased this year. All that is required to receive food is two forms of identification and the number of people in the family, Wheeler said.
“These are working people who are down on their luck,” she said. “It’s either pay your bills or eat. Each week, we see new faces.”
Wheeler has been a volunteer at the Fishnet Missions for 10 years, and she runs its thrift shop.
“We see about 500 families each week with an average of four family members,” she said about the food pantry. “Food is getting tight. We need donations: canned goods, beans, rice, peanut butter, cereal, basic staples.”
Sales in the thrift store, which is next to the food pantry, help support the pantry. The thrift shop also serves as an outreach to needy families. Wheeler said the shop has what is called a “paper-bag sale,” when the shopper can fit as many shoes, toys, books, clothes and purses into a paper bag as possible for only $5.
“All that money goes back into the food pantry,” she said.
Fishnet Missions is at 1700 Swift Drive in Jacksonville, just off Marshall Road. The food pantry is open from 7:30-10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the thrift store is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The food pantry will be closed the week of Thanksgiving.
Anyone who would like to donate or volunteer is asked to call (501) 241-1211.
In Quitman, Foothills Bible Church does more than just feed the bellies of its 60 or so clients. Volunteers also offer counsel, fellowship and prayer for anyone who requests it.
Each year, the volunteers at the Foothills Bible Church food pantry offer something special for the holidays. Volunteer Jill Nulsen said that last Christmas, members of the church congregation compiled toys and other children’s items in shoe boxes, wrapped the boxes and handed them out to children of the food-bank clients. This year, some of the larger families will receive turkeys.
“We probably feed about 60 people a month,” Nulsen said.“Many of them are single parents of one or two children, single people or elderly.”
She also said that although the food pantry is near Quitman, people from Pangburn to Greenbrier have been served. One of the things Nulsen said she and her husband get out of volunteering for the food pantry is building relationships with the clients.
“We get to know our clients,” she said.
The food pantry is at 2274 Heber Springs Road W. between Heber Springs and Quitman. The hours are 10 a.m. to noon Mondays and Wednesdays.
For more information, call the church at (501) 589-2802.
Many of the food pantries get their food through donations and from the Arkansas Food Bank and the Arkansas Rice Depot.
Staff writer Jeanni Brosius can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or jbrosius@arkansasonline.com.
Arkansas poverty facts◊Eighteen percent of Arkansas’ population live below the federal poverty average.
◊Arkansas is the fourth poorest state, and more than 500,000 Arkansans live in poverty, with 25 percent of those children.
◊Arkansas has more hungry children than any other state in the United States.
◊The average income of recipients in the Arkansas Rice Depot’s program Food for Seniors is $79 per month after rent and utilities.
Facts provided by the Arkansas Rice Depot
Three Rivers, Pages 125 on 11/20/2011