After a hiatus imposed by the COVID-19 public health emergency, Mission Outreach of Northeast Arkansas, the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas and Prairie Farms teamed up to distribute food boxes Thursday morning starting at 9 a.m.
“This is something we will be doing periodically,” said Mission development director Jackie Ross. He said the food is available on a first-come, first-served basis, with no means-testing, identification or other requirements to qualify to receive the food.
“Just show up,” Ross said. “We’ll be doing it until the food runs out.”
He said the Mission had previously been making the food available every week, but that the COVID-19 public health emergency had disrupted the event.
Ross said that those who came to the Mission received a case of dairy products: two gallons of milk; two small containers each of chocolate and of strawberry milk; french onion dip; cottage cheese; sour cream.
All the above had been donated by Prairie Farms, he said. In addition, families received two 10-pound cases of pre-cooked chicken, as well as one case containing produce, all from the Food Bank.
Each family therefore received a total of four cases of food. In the past, Ross said, the produce has included carrots, celery, apples, oranges, potatoes and onions. He said the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas donated these other foods, in five produce pallets (with 64 cases on each pallet) and six pallets of meat (with 128 cases on each pallet).
Members of the Lord’s Refuge assisted with traffic control during the well-attended event.
