CONWAY — The Community Action Program for Central Arkansas student food pantry in Conway is back this summer with a different name and a new community partner.
The CAPCA Student Market will open May 28 for Faulkner County students. Conway Corp has partnered with the nonprofit organization this year, said Melissa Allen, community programs director for CAPCA.
“They’re doing reusable shopping bags, and they’re building some fruit stands. They purchased a 3-foot-by-6-foot banner and designed it, and it is so super cute,” Allen said. “They’re hosting fish fries for their staff, and they’re asking their staff to bring food items for the student pantry. They’ll be here working the first week of June with the kids to help them pick out their food.”
Crystal Kemp, chief marketing officer for Conway Corp, said the American Public Power Association hosts an annual Public Power Day of Giving, which will be June 7.
“Conway Corp is hosting our own version of that with our Conway Corp Day of Giving,” Kemp said.
She said that beginning last week, employees were hosting a food drive to help CAPCA fill the Student Market. Conway Corp employees are also volunteering to help in the pantry June 3, 4 and 5.
Allen said 226 students were served last year through the pantry. The students are allowed to visit every two weeks and receive 14 breakfast items, 14 lunch items, 28 snack items and five drink items, “so the need for donations is tremendous,” she said.
The program’s success shows the need, Allen said.
“Anytime you do a new project, it takes a little while to get it off the ground. We were actually surprised at what a turnout we had, and we expect it to be a lot larger this year, so we need a lot more food,” she said.
The program started as an offshoot of the Certain Little Free Class Pantry at Conway High School, which was a project by high school art teacher Crystal Certain. She kept snacks in a desk drawer for hungry students, but there was so much need, the practice grew into a classroom food-pantry project. On her busiest day, almost 400 kids got food from the pantry, Certain said last year.
When it was time for school to be out in 2018, Certain put a plea on the Certain Little Free Class Pantry Facebook page for someone to pick up the project for the summer, and Allen answered.
CAPCA, at 707 Robins St., operated the student pantry last year in the agency’s pantry in Suite 118, but this year, it will be in Suite 120. Allen said George Covington of Conway, who owns the building in which CAPCA is located, is allowing the agency to borrow the suite next to the CAPCA food pantry.
“I am beyond thrilled, and we are going to work to get the space set up all cute and welcoming,” Allen said.
Jarett Wilson, the new CAPCA food-pantry coordinator, said he is excited about the Student Market.
“We’ve got so much stuff people have donated; it’s great to see it come together,” he said. “I was born and raised in Conway. … I’ve been one of those kids who was food insecure. I had friends who were worse. I had a grandma who was able to feed me.”
Some students rely on meals at school, he said, so they suffer during the summer.
“That breakfast and lunch you were counting on eating at school are gone,” he said.
He said students in kindergarten through the 12th grade will be served.
CAPCA will rely mostly on donations to run the food pantry again this summer, although she can buy a few items from the Arkansas Food Bank, Allen said.
“We struggled to get donations to keep it open. It would get scary toward the end of the week. Every week, you would get nervous because we wouldn’t have enough food, and you don’t think you’ll make it, but it worked out,” she said. “Kids never complained; they were always so grateful for whatever they could get. We want to be able to provide more than Ramen noodles. We never ran out of those and never ran out of cereal bars, but we want to have a variety of food as well.”
In addition to the food, Allen said, there is a hygiene area, where donated products will be available. Allen said she purchased a few items, including paper towels and toilet paper, through the Arkansas Food Bank, but “it won’t last.”
CAPCA will also offer free donated books to students through its Bookworm Project.
“As long as we have books donated, we will give them away,” Allen said.
Conway High School students were able to fill out applications for the CAPCA pantry in Certain’s class, but the applications will also be available at the CAPCA Student Market.
“[Filling out the application] teaches them how to apply for different things, how to complete paperwork,” Allen said. “Even little kids who can’t write, we have our volunteers work with them. It’s something to empower them to help them learn and be engaged. They go in with a volunteer to pick out the food.
Wilson said older students will be able to walk through and pick out stuff they like, pick out stuff they’ll actually eat that won’t go to waste. It gives them ownership of what they’re going to eat and the feeling that, ‘Hey, I’m doing this on my own. I’m responsible to pick out what I want to eat,’ and they’ll be able to plan out their meals, too.
Allen said that after students fill out the application the first time, they can come to the Student Market every two weeks.
“There is a card created for them so when they return, all they have to do is sign that card,” she said.
The Student Market will be open from 8-11:30 a.m. and 1-4:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Donations of books, hygiene supplies and food will be accepted at 707 Robins St., suites 118, 120 and 700. Monetary donations may be marked for the Student Market.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.