Generous donations allowed the River Valley Regional Food Bank on Thursday to feed hundreds — who that morning filled the streets from the wee hours to take their food home.
The food bank prior to Wednesday and Thursday received 73,000 pounds of chicken from Tyson Foods and several pallets of bananas from Walmart for COVID-19 relief in the community. The food was first given to community partners and then on Thursday morning to individuals and families, who filled the intersection of Jenny Lind Road and Zero Street for several blocks backward as they waited in line.
Each family that drove through the parking lot took home a 20-pound box of chicken and a 20-pound box of bananas.
“We’re trying to get everyone to understand that this is a pandemic, and we’re trying to serve everyone in the community,” said River Valley Regional Food Bank spokesperson Justin Bates.
COVID-19 throughout the world has placed a strain on families, who find themselves trying to salvage basic goods from grocery stores fraught with people in the same situation and hoarders. The disease caused by the coronavirus has also strained the job market, which has seen closures, layoffs and downsizing in multiple industries — most notably food service.
Those in line for food Thursday morning included veterans, seniors, and people who can’t drive themselves and came with family members, said River Valley Regional Food Bank Director Tracy Engel. The living situations didn’t stop there, though — some, like April Perkins, will be able to feed multiple generations in their families more easily.
“It’s going to keep my grandkids fed, keep my daughter fed, because it’s mayhem with people buying all of the groceries out of the store and people needing the food not being able to have it,” Perkins said. “They buy up all the items, and families who depending on (Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) can’t even feed their kids because of it.”
“Unless you’re an essential worker, you’ve lost your income,” Engel said. “These were people who were in need before the pandemic, and then there’s people who never would have visited the pantry until after the pandemic hit. Now they’re also having to be helped.”
The parking lot that morning was a maze of vehicles, forklifts moving pallets, and volunteers loading up hatchbacks with the boxes of food. Fort Smith police directed traffic both in the roadways leading up to the River Valley Regional Food Bank and in its parking lot.
“It’ll feed all of us,” said Kara Sweeten, who lives with her husband and three children. “It’ll last maybe a month. I hope longer than that.”
While he spoke well of the giveaway, Bates also encouraged anyone with the means to give to consider doing so to the River Valley Regional Food Bank. He said they need people to help them “with the issues” that have come up with the pandemic.
Nonetheless, Bates and Engel said they were happy they could give as much food away as they did on Thursday.
“It means a lot to the public. They’re hurting, they’re in need,” said Engel.
Anyone who wishes to donate to the River Valley Regional Food Bank during the COVID-19 pandemic may contact them at www.rvrfoodbank.org.
