With budgets tight and getting tighter by the day, hunger relief agencies are looking for additional resources to expand programs or help them meet the demand for emergency food. For some agencies the need is for increased shelving in their pantries, for others it may be trailers to transport larger quantities of food to their soup kitchens, shelters or pantries, for still others it may be refrigeration or stoves. Here are five reasons why being part of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance can help acquire the financial resources your organization needs to better serve the food insecure people in your area.
1. Members of the Alliance can apply for annual Capacity Building Grants. The Alliance awards more than $180,000 in annual grants that can be used for appliances, increased storage, transportation or anything that increases your organization’s capacity to serve the hungry in your community.
2. Serving up Solutions Capacity Building Grants average $1000 through participating Arkansas Legislative Hunger Caucus members. Caucus members who participate in the event receive grant money to present to a hunger agency in their districts.
3. Through the Arkansas No Kid Hungry campaign, the Alliance awards Share Our Strength implementation grants to sponsor organizations who participate in the Summer Meals and At-risk Afterschool child nutrition programs. Providing nutritious meals to children when school is not in session helps keep kids from making unhealthy choices that lead to poor health outcomes.
4. The Alliance assists organizations participating in the Cooking Matters and Cooking Matters at the Store programs with materials and equipment to get started. Nutrition education programs are showing that as people acquire the skills they need to shop for and prepare healthy meals, they do, if fact, make better food choices. Cooking Matters and Cooking Matters at the Store programs are giving low income Arkansans the confidence to make better choices for themselves and their families.
5. The annual Member Conference, held each September, offers workshops and networking our members find very helpful. There are also drawings and prizes that our members enjoy.
Become a member of the Alliance today. Contact Membership Support Manager, Jessica Chapman at jchapman@arhungeralliance.org or call (501) 399-9999.