The Salvation Army food pantry low during summer months

Maj. David Robinson, corps officer for The Salvation Army in Conway, shows the sparse shelves of the organization’s food pantry. He said the demand for food boxes has outpaced the supply, and donations of canned goods and other food items are needed. Debbie Hendrix, director of social services for The Salvation Army, said close to 100 food boxes are given out each week. Donations may be taken to The Salvation Army office in the North Plaza Shopping Center, 2125 Harkrider St., Suite 12, from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Maj. David Robinson, corps officer for The Salvation Army in Conway, shows the sparse shelves of the organization’s food pantry. He said the demand for food boxes has outpaced the supply, and donations of canned goods and other food items are needed. Debbie Hendrix, director of social services for The Salvation Army, said close to 100 food boxes are given out each week. Donations may be taken to The Salvation Army office in the North Plaza Shopping Center, 2125 Harkrider St., Suite 12, from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

CONWAY — The Salvation Army pantry in Conway has plenty of peanut butter and diapers, but those two things aren’t enough for a food box.

Maj. David Robinson, Conway Corps officer, said the organization’s pantry has been depleted again by the needs of the community.

“Just today, we did 26 food boxes, and 15 yesterday,” he said. “We had nine new cases yesterday and today, people came who had never been here before, plus the regular cases.”

Debbie Hendrix, social-services director for the organization, said the needs are greater in the summer.

“It goes up a lot when school’s out,” she said. “During the summer, kids have to fend for themselves.”

She said the pantry has plenty of peanut butter, with 12 cases donated after the April 27 tornado in Faulkner County.

“If we could get some jelly to go with it, that would be great,” she said.

Also good for students who might be home alone are macaroni and cheese,

tuna and other easily prepared items.

“Right now, I’m even out of canned goods, which is odd,” Hendrix said.

Robinson said he is thankful for what has been donated. For example, the Arkansas Rice Depot has given cups and diapers. The Salvation Army is scheduled to pick up more food items today, but they will be gone quickly, he said.

“We need all the food we can get,” Robinson said. “It goes fast.”

Hendrix said her order is for items such as ramen noodles, “nothing big.”

Robinson said the organization received donations after the tornado, but money marked for the disaster could not be used to purchase food for local use. He said the organization was, however, allowed to get a new freezer with disaster funds, so meat and other frozen items can be accepted.

Food may be donated from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1-5 p.m. at 2125 Harkrider St., Suite 12, in the North Plaza Shopping Center.

Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.

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