World Food Day will be observed on Friday, but the Arkansas Rice Depot reminds everyone it is committed to feeding the hungry in our state year-round. 

This year to date, the Arkansas Rice Depot in Little Rock has supplied 5.8 million pounds of food and other products  to hungry Arkansans. That’s over $5.7 million worth of food, supplied completely free of charge to food pantries, senior citizens and hungry children.

“Arkansas Rice Depot couldn’t fulfill its mission of ending hunger in our state without the tireless efforts of our volunteers and donors,” says Laura Rhea, President and CEO of the organization, who’s led the charge against hunger for 25 years. “We are thrilled that so many give so selflessly to help the hungry in Arkansas.”

To date this year, approximately 4,000 volunteers have given over 12,000 hours of their time to help. But the work of Arkansas Rice Depot is far from complete, especially as the economic downturn continues.

“We realize that over 500,000 Arkansans live in poverty and may face hunger on a regular basis, but the good news is that over 375,000 Arkansans, or 13-percent of the state’s population, is not going hungry, thanks to food provided by Arkansas Rice Depot. Many of those hungry are children who have hunger-related problems in school. That’s where our Food for Kids program comes in,” Rhea says.

Through Food for Kids, Arkansas Rice Depot serves more than 25,000 schoolchildren in about 600 schools statewide with backpacks filled with food and personal care items. These backpacks are sent home with students who are facing hunger at night and on weekends.  The program has been replicated in 110 cities in over 40 states.

The Arkansas Rice Depot has been working for 27 years to feed the hungry in Arkansas, click here to visit its website.