Arvest donation support Community Services Clearinghouse
by June 7, 2011 7:41 pm 67 views
On April 1, Arvest Bank launched its first-ever initiative to fight hunger in the 90 communities it serves through a two month, bank-wide effort to provide one million meals or more to those in need.
On Tuesday (June 7), the bank announced it exceeded the campaign goal by raising a total of 1.2 million meals in the fight against hunger.
“This campaign was as much about raising awareness as it was providing food for those who truly need help in our communities,” Craig Rivaldo, president of Arvest Bank in the Fort Smith region, said in a statement. “I’m proud of what Arvest customers and associates were able to accomplish and I’m reminded again of their generous spirits. I hope that through this effort we have been able to impact the fight against hunger in Fort Smith and our surrounding communities.”
The Community Services Clearinghouse was chosen to receive donations from the 1 Million Meals campaign locally. Rick Foti, CSC director, and Arvest employees collected more than 6,000 food items from local Arvest branches and ended the day with a check presentation to the Clearinghouse for more than $8,000.
“This is a wonderful thing to happen to us at the perfect time! Just when we are facing the challenge of supplying some 9,000 bags of food through our Summer Meals For Kids program, Arvest comes along with the Million Meals promotion. I am confident we will able to complete the program now! Thanks a Million!,” Foti said.
Locally, Arvest also supported the River Valley Regional Food Bank earlier in their campaign by donating nearly $7,000 to help support their over 200 agency partners.
The bank’s decision to provide one million meals was based on the fact that hunger is an issue in every community it serves. The campaign wraps up as the school year comes to a close, or at a time when children receiving meals at school have a greater need. Nationally, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 15% of American households, or more than 17 million people, do not have enough food to eat. This is the highest figure since the USDA began gathering data in the 1990s.