According to Feeding America, “40 million people struggle with hunger in the United States, including more than 12 million children.”
This national non-profit organization leads hundreds of others with the belief that the answer lies within each community. How easy is it to make a difference in the lives of others – to really offer a better tomorrow? Well, in Texarkana it may just be a car ride away or even a button click. Harvest Regional Food Bank, a Feeding Hunger affiliate, is a non-profit organization based in Texarkana, serving 10 counties in Southwest Arkansas and Northeast Texas. To help families in need, the organization holds food drives, events, accepts donations, and more. They utilize over 100 partner agencies to distribute their stock, all of which their nine employees manage to store and sort.
This September, Ledwell Machinery and Ledwell Office is hosting a peanut butter drive that will help ensure that every kid participating in the Backpack Food Program has something to eat over long holiday breaks. According to Camille Wrinkle, Harvest Texarkana’s CEO and Executive Director, “Teachers identify students in their classrooms each year that may not be receiving enough food at home and recommend them for the Backpack Food Program.” Participants of the school’s backpack program will be sent home with a backpack full of nutritional foods every weekend and holiday break to help parents and students. Last year, this program reached more than 900 children across nearly 40 school campuses.
To contribute, you can bring small jars of peanut butter to Ledwell Machinery, located on 910 E Loop Dr. If you’d like to help Harvest, you can sign up to volunteer, donate, or drop off a jar of peanut butter! To learn more about the organization, visit their website at www.harvestregionalfoodbank.org or find them on Facebook.