On Thursday morning, the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District kicked off a summer nutrition program at Bayou Metro Baptist Church in Jacksonville.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva and others spoke at the event and shared their hope that the program will make a dent in food insecurity in the state, which has the highest food insecurity in the county, with more than 16% of households facing food insecurity, according to the USDA.
“We know summer is one of the most important times for kids and we want to help in any way we can,” said Governor Sanders. “And it takes a collaborative effort from nonprofits, the public sector and the private sector to do this, and that’s what you’re seeing here today.”
Nathan Treece
/
Little Rock Public Radio
USDA’s Summer Nutrition Program supports students in three ways: summer meals provided at schools, parks, and other similar locations, Summer EBT, a new grocery benefit that provides families with $120 per eligible child during the summer, and Summer Meals to Go, which provides takeout and delivery to rural areas.
Clint Walker, child nutrition director for the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, said drive-thru locations like the one at Bayou Metro Baptist Church can provide several days’ worth of meals to a family in one go.
“Kids don’t have to eat at the church. Kids who live 15-20 miles away can come to the church and get a meal. Right now we’re providing free breakfast and free lunch to over 100 kids a day, which means the church is providing 200 meals a day.”
Melissa Curtis, who has a child in elementary school, says the program has helped her save about $75 to $125 per grocery trip, and it’s made the drive easier for her.
“I think it was only about eight minutes away. It’s really close by, but I saw a flyer on the Jacksonville North Pulaski school page and they have locations all over the place. So I don’t think it would be too difficult for people in the area to get to one of those locations.”
Nathan Treece
/
Little Rock Public Radio
Following the morning event, Governor Sanders and Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva stood in line to hand out the first meals for the summer nutrition program.
Mary Franklin, county operations director for the Arkansas Department of Human Resources, said the department is finalizing more than 240 cards for the summer EBT program.
Franklin said many children who qualify for these cards don’t need to apply, but others may need to apply before they can receive benefits.
You can check your eligibility for the program by visiting AR.GOV/SummerEBT .
