A unified voice

Policy. Programs. Partnerships.

For over 20 years, the Alliance has served as a unifying voice for hunger relief in Arkansas, representing over 500 members, including all six Feeding America food banks. Together, we create a coordinated approach to connecting families with nutritious food, resources, and education. The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance is the only statewide hunger relief organization serving all 75 counties in Arkansas.

Green-tinted image of a building with text overlay: OUR MISSION. The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance collaborates as a statewide voice advancing solutions to hunger.

A green background image with text: OUR VISION. The vision of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance is to create a hunger-free Arkansas. Faded food items are visible behind the text.

OUR HISTORY

From six food banks to a statewide force

In 2001, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation awarded funding to examine and improve the existing charitable food distribution system in Arkansas. The hunger-relief organizations in the state were identified and contacted by the Reynolds Foundation to determine their interest and willingness to work together to build a coordinated food distribution system. In 2004, our six founding members, the Arkansas Foodbank, Food Bank of North Central Arkansas, Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas, Harvest Regional Food Bank, River Valley Regional Food Bank and the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, with the assistance of a 3-year start-up grant from the Reynolds Foundation, formally incorporated the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance in the state of Arkansas. In 2008, the Arkansas Hunger Coalition merged with the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, thus expanding the scope of the Alliance’s work into issues of advocacy and anti-hunger policy.

A timeline shows milestones from 2004 to 2025, including forming an alliance, launching food programs, merging with AR Hunger Coalition, and passing laws on meat inspection and school breakfast.

We are accomplishing our goal by:

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advocating on food policy

Advocating on food policy issues that are contributing to and resulting from hunger.

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INCREASING BREAKFAST PARTICIPATION

Encouraging schools to increase their breakfast participation by introducing Breakfast After the Bell programs that make breakfast part of the school day and have real benefits for students.

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securing food & funding

Securing food and funding to assist our members in meeting the needs of people in their service areas.

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PROMOTING NUTRITION EDUCATION

Promoting nutrition education programs that empower low-income Arkansans with the skills they need to make healthy food choices, prepare nutritious meals and get more from their food dollars.

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providing resources

Making sure that those Arkansans who qualify for food assistance programs are enrolled and receiving the benefits these programs provide.

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SOURCING NUTRITIOUS FOOD

Building reliable, sustainable sources of nutritious food for the hungry in Arkansas.

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INCREASING OUT OF SCHOOL MEALS PARTICIPATION

Encouraging schools and community organizations to develop educational enrichment aspects of their programs, improve their capacity to serve more children, and create sustainable programs that provide meals to children outside of school hours and throughout the summer months.

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raising awareness

Raising awareness of the economic, academic and social impact hunger has on our state.

The alliance today:

Through our public/private partnerships, we are connecting the dots between poverty, hunger and other aspects of life that keep low-income Arkansans stuck in a cycle of struggle. Un- and underemployment, children’s health, senior hospitalization, availability of healthcare, grade level reading, high school graduation rates, energy and housing assistance, wage inequality and so many other poverty-related issues directly impact the ability of families to put food on the table. As we act synergistically, we are able to have a greater impact on the lives of the food insecure people we serve.

the alliance, moving forward:

With the continued support of the many individuals, businesses, organizations as well as state and local government agencies across Arkansas who recognize the effects of hunger on our state’s economy and on our people, the Alliance will remain at the forefront of hunger relief, nutrition education, and advocacy. We will continue working to identify opportunities and partnerships like those we’ve established with Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Arkansas Campaign for Grade Level Reading, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, Arkansas Hunters Feeding The Hungry, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Farm Bureau, Little Rock Park and Recreation, the Arkansas Legislative Hunger Caucus and others to bring reliable sources of food to the hungry of our state, and increase awareness that food insecurity contributes to many of the challenges our state faces. Working together we really can end hunger in the land of plenty.