Story by DDNS Reporter Jerry Don Burton

JONESBORO – Following the government shutdown and with the holiday season approaching, food insecurity in Northeast Arkansas (NEA) remains a challenge for food banks.

Arkansas faces the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation, according to a since-discontinued annual report published in 2024 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA defines food insecurity as a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.

Terry Austin, development officer at the Food Bank of NEA, said the rural nature of Northeast Arkansas contributes to the high rates of food insecurity. Many areas of Arkansas are also classified as food deserts.

Food deserts are areas where access to affordable, healthy food is restricted or nonexistent due to the absence of grocery stories within convenient distances, as defined by Food Empowerment Project.

“Statistically speaking, 21% of Northeast Arkansas citizens are in food insecure households,” Austin said. “Which is a staggering statistic to me.”

Food deserts are not the only elements worsening food security in NEA, though. National factors have further increased demand for food banks.

Lingering Impacts of Government Shutdown
Austin said the latest government shutdown, which lasted from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12 put a spotlight on food insecurity. He said those who depend on food assistance, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and federal employees, were particularly impacted.

The Food Bank of NEA saw a 16% increase in SNAP recipients who received food assistance during the shutdown compared to that same period in 2024. 8% of those served were new households that had never received assistance from the Food Bank of NEA before.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4, is also expected to impact food security nationwide.

“[The act] is estimated to reduce the number of meals for SNAP beneficiaries in the nation by some six billion meals year to year over the next 10 years,” Austin said. “We’re gonna see that kind of cut in food assistance and that’s going to mean a very steady rise in demand.”

Another factor influencing the increased pressure on food banks is the approaching holiday season.

Holiday Season Challenges
“Regardless of what your family’s financial picture may be, you still want to have those holiday gatherings,” Austin said. “You want to have a table of food to share with your loved ones.”

The holiday season further contributes to an increase in demand because, since many children will be on break, they’ll miss out on school-provided meals. One in three children are at risk for hunger in NEA.

Austin said the Food Bank of NEA orders traditional seasonal food during this time of year to give families in need the food to make a holiday meal.
Food insecurity is not an issue limited to NEA, either.

Food Insecurity Affects Arkansans Everywhere
On the opposite side of the state, the River Valley Regional Food Bank in Fort Smith serves 140 pantries across eight counties in Western Arkansas.

Hattie Hamilton, interim food bank director and operations manager for the River Valley Regional Food Bank, said they have reached out to Feeding America for extra food. She said the additional product will help the food bank better supply the pantries as need increases.

Feeding America is a non-profit network of food banks nationwide that helps feed more than 46 million people.

“Our battle here to help fight against it is just to get the food in to help get to the neighbors in need,” Hamilton said.

State Funding Support
In an effort to combat SNAP cuts and relieve pressure on food banks, state funds have provided support to food banks across Arkansas.

On Oct. 31, Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders directed $500,000 to be split among the six Feeding America partnered food banks in the state. On Nov. 9, with the shutdown still in effect, Sanders assigned $500,000 more to food banks.

“As the shutdown continues, my administration will stand with our partners in the legislature, at churches and in food banks to help Arkansans stay fed,” Sanders said.

Back in NEA, Austin said their food bank received about $83,000 from the state. He said the Food Bank of NEA priortized buying protein products with the funds.

“Protein is a critical part of a diet and it’s also part of a diet that’s hard for us to provide enough of in our distributions,” Austin said. “We get a lot of canned goods and a lot of dry goods. Protein can be tricky to fit into that parameter, so that’s why we focused using those dollars on protein purchases.”

Austin said he wants to stress that the food bank is grateful for the money, but more help is needed to meet the rising need.

Demand Rising in Northeast Arkansas
One of six food banks in Arkansas, the Food Bank of NEA serves a 12-county area in the northeast region of the state, serving about 8,000 square miles.

Austin said the Food Bank of NEA primarily raises money and food and then distributes products to 176 partner agencies. These agencies include churches, schools, food pantries and homeless shelters.

In 2024, the Food Bank of NEA distributed 8.2 million pounds of food to those facing food insecurity. 25% of that food was fresh products like meat, vegetables and fruit.

In addition to distributing food to partner agencies, Austin said the Food Bank of NEA travels to each of the 12 counties as least four times a year to hold a mobile distribution.

Through these distributions, Austin said the food bank arrives to a central location and hands out food themselves. He said the increased demand is felt even in these mobile distributions.

During a mobile distribution held in Craighead County in early October, Austin said the food bank brought 24 more boxes of food than normal and still had to turn away about 30 households because they ran out of food.
Similarly, during a distribution in Lawrence County, Austin said they brought 64 additional boxes of food and had to turn away 42 households.

“We simply ran out of food,” Austin said. “The demand has definitely spiked and it spiked in part because of the shutdown, but honestly, the demand was already beginning to climb.”

How to Receive Assistance and Offer Support
For those in need of food assistance, Austin said one of the best resources they offer is an interactive map on their website that allows users to find what food distributors in NEA are closest to them. Phone numbers, addresses and more information is included in the map to help guide users to help they need.

“We have done this a long time and we know all the ins and outs and the best way, the most efficient ways to get food to people who need it,” Austin said. “We stand ready to help if we need to.”

The Food Bank of NEA also has links under the “How to Help” section of their website for those interested in donating or volunteering. 1,157 volunteers donated 3,847 hours in 2024 to support the Food Bank of NEA.

Some of the most needed food items include peanut butter, canned soups, pasta, cereal, boxed meals, canned meats, and canned fruits and vegetables.

Austin said fresh food is always a challenge, so shelf-stable products are preferred. He also said popular foods that are flexible in meal prep are favored, such as spaghetti, corn, green beans and macaroni and cheese.

More than food, though, Austin said the Food Bank of NEA–and most food banks in general–actually prefer money donations.

Austin said donating money directly would serve the food bank more than canned goods, as the food bank buys product in bulk at reduced prices.
“We typically say that $1 donated can provide up to three meals,” Austin said. “We’re able to really stretch those dollars a long way.”

Austin said money donations can be used to pay for freight costs and other fees needed to keep the food bank running, too.

Still, Austin said any form of support–food donations, money donations, volunteer work or otherwise–is greatly appreciated.

The Food Bank of NEA is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and is located at 3414 One Place in Jonesboro. The food bank can also be reached by phone by calling 870-932-3663.
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