Arkansas Community Foundation launches program to address food insecurity in state |

SPRINGDALE — A new statewide initiative aims to address food insecurity in Arkansas by offering grant funding to nonprofit organizations that demonstrate an ability to get food to people who need it most.

Local and state leaders gathered Friday at the Springdale Senior Center to celebrate the launch of the Arkansas Full Table Fund.

Anchored by a $10 million grant through the Walmart Foundation and funding from Tyson Foods and Cargill, the fund, “unites public agencies, agricultural producers, corporations and foundations to strengthen and innovate policy, system and change,” Arkansas Community Foundation President and CEO Jessica Hughes Ford said.

Beginning Oct. 1, Arkansas nonprofit organizations can begin applying for Arkansas Full Table Fund grants to improve access to federal nutrition programs, build food system capacity and drive solutions to community food insecurity, Ford said.

Despite being one of the top food-producing states in the country, Arkansas ranks the highest in the nation for food insecurity, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. One in five Arkansas households experience food insecurity, and one in three Arkansas kids lack consistent food access, she said.

Findings from the Arkansas Health Survey released in February showed 28.8% of adult Arkansans are food insecure. That translates to approximately 668,000 Arkansans in both rural and urban areas lacking consistent, reliable access to the nutritious food they need for an active, healthy life, according to a University of Arkansas news release about the findings.

When Arkansans cannot reliably afford food, they are more likely to delay medical care, struggle to manage chronic conditions, experience worse mental health and face disruptions that affect school and work, the release states.

“We deeply care about the strength and well-being of communities across the state,” Walmart Foundation President Julie Gehrki said. “This investment is about helping families get the food they need today, while building stronger, more reliable food systems for the years ahead. And it’s an invitation for others to join us.”

Food security is a complicated thing to solve, Gehrki said. Families need food today, and meeting that need is essential, she said. But if there’s going to be lasting progress, that means there needs to be a different approach, so families don’t keep encountering the same issues in the future, she added.

A food bank may need more than food, such as cold storage, transportation or technology to get food where it’s needed, Gehrki said. A family may qualify for nutrition benefits, but struggle to navigate the process of getting them. Strong organizations may be doing important work, but lack the connections and infrastructure to work together effectively.

These are the kinds of challenges that philanthropy can play a big part in helping address, Gehrki said. Something that is exciting about the Full Table Fund is it gives people an opportunity to pursue the work together, she added.

The grant application will open for Arkansas nonprofit organizations Oct. 1. Groups can visit arcf.org/fulltable to review eligibility and application instructions, Ford said. The application deadline is Dec. 7, and awards will be announced in February.

“Together, in partnership, we truly believe that we can improve access to federal nutrition programs, build a food system capacity statewide and drive community solutions to food insecurity,” she said. “That means ending hunger in Arkansas.”

The initial grants for organizations will be up to $200,000 for a couple of classifications and up to $100,000 for a third classification, Ford said. The grants will be for two years, she said.

The different classifications are:

• Advocate — Raise participation rates and access to federal nutrition programs.

• Strengthen — Improve the charitable food system’s efficiency, infrastructure and capacity to reach more people.

• Innovate — Test community-driven ideas.

If applicants can demonstrate they’re doing all of those things or are partnered with someone else who can complement their work, they’ll have a greater chance of getting funding, Ford said.

Organizations must:

• Be a 501(c)(3) organization, or a hospital, government entity and/or educational institution, such as schools and universities.

• Work in Arkansas, and projects must be solely implemented within Arkansas.

• Have a demonstrated track record.

“We hope to see nonprofits from across the state,” Ford said. “That includes food banks, food pantries, schools, municipalities and any innovative approach, whether it’s backpack programs or other innovative ways that people are getting food to Arkansans.”

Sanders said the ultimate goal is for no Arkansans to be hungry at the end of the five years the grants are in place. The hope is Arkansas will be successful in moving from the bottom to the top in food security and creating a national blueprint of what happens when everybody comes together to address a big need.

Jada Robison can be reached by email at jrobison@nwaonline.com.