Arvest pushes for 1 million meals
by August 30, 2012 6:37 pm 78 views
Arvest Bank is embarking on its second initiative to fight hunger in the more than 90 communities in which the bank operates.
On Sept. 5, Arvest will kick off a two-month, bank-wide effort to provide one million meals or more to those in need. The bank has pledged to raise the equivalent of one million meals through bank donations, in-branch fundraisers and non-perishable food drives to benefit local organizations fighting hunger, according to an Arvest statement.
The initiative takes place in September and October, and culminates in early November when donations are presented to recipient organizations. During that time, all Arvest branches will participate in various fundraising efforts in order to provide the equivalent of one million meals to 44 hunger relief organizations across four states – Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. The recipient organizations were selected on a local basis.
Arvest raised enough money to support more than 1.2 million meals in the 90 communities, or enough to feed 400,000 people for one day.
In Northwest Arkansas and the Fort Smith area, those food organization partners are:
Fort Smith – The Community Services Clearinghouse for the Meals for Kids backpack program and Arkansas Rice Depot for the Food for Kids backpack program.
Fayetteville – LifeSource International and 7hills Homeless Center
Springdale – Springdale Public Schools
Madison County — Madison County Senior Center Meals on Wheels program
Prairie Grove – West Fork Elementary Backpack Program, The Grace Place, Life Ministries and Farmington Senior Center
Siloam Springs – Genesis House
Lowell — First Baptist Church of Lowell Food Pantry
Benton County – Samaritan Community Center, Helping Hands of Benton County and The Shepherd’s Food Pantry in Bella Vista
According to Feeding America, 16% of American households, or more than 49 million people, do not have enough food to eat. This is the highest figure since the USDA began gathering data in the 1990s.
Arvest Bank operates more than 230 bank branches in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas through a network of 16 locally managed banks, each with its own advisory board of directors and management team.