Pulaski County and the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance partnered earlier this year to create a program to improve public health and reduce hunger in Pulaski County, especially among senior and homebound residents. The Pulaski County Hunger Reduction Initiative provides direct support to food pantries serving Pulaski County. Initiative funds are used within the county to improve or establish hunger gardens, purchase food, and improve or establish food delivery programs.
Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde and Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance began presenting checks on August 2, including Central Baptist Church in Sherwood, Fishnet Mission in Jacksonville, Berean Disciple Church in North Little Rock, and Philander Smith College in Little Rock.
The Initiative developed after a successful 2021 Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance pilot program distributed $100,000 in funds to Pulaski County food pantries, impacting 16,708 residents.
“After the tremendous success of last year’s program, it was an easy decision not only to continue, but to expand,” said Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde. “The Pulaski County Quorum Court saw the value in increasing support to the program, so we’ll be improving our reach in 2022. We recognize that food insecurity is a real problem facing many county residents, especially during the pandemic, and this is one way we can help make food and resources more available to those who are homebound or in underserved and rural areas.”
Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde and the Pulaski County Quorum Court allocated funding for the Pulaski County Hunger Reduction Initiative. In June 2022, Pulaski County provided $500,000 to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance to facilitate the initiative.
The following 35 pantries received funds:
- Fishnet Missions
- Central Baptist Church Food Pantry
- Berean Disciple Church
- Philander Smith College – Panther Pantry
- Bridge 2 Success – Ministry of Intercession
- Depaul USA’s Jericho Way Day Center for the Homeless
- Asociacion de Mujeres de Arkansas, Inc
- St. Andrew UMC Food Pantry
- the Helping Hand of Greater Little Rock
- Potluck Food Rescue
- Veterans Villages of America INC. (V2A)
- Amboy Community Food Pantry
- Central Arkansas Library System
- Roland Crisis Closet
- Life Skills for Youth
- Unitarian Universalist Church
- Food Jobs Work Foundation
- We Care of Pulaski County
- Little Rock Stewpot
- Salvation Army Central Arkansas Area Command
- Highland Valley United Methodist Church
- Ossie Barnes Empowerment Foundation
- Our House
- River City Ministry of Pulaski County
- Women and Children First
- Central Arkansas Volunteers In Medicine
- Baptist Health Foundation
- CareLink
- FEED First USA
- Gardner Memorial UMC Food Pantry
- St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry
- The Home Teen Youth Center
- The Ridge Assembly of God
- Parkway Place Baptist Church Food Pantry
- Carter’s Crew