Hunger relief
Arkansas ranks second in the nation for food insecurity. Currently, there are nearly 500,000 children, seniors and families in Arkansas who don’t know where their next meal will come from. That means one in five residents are currently considered food insecure, and 25 percent of Arkansas children are facing hunger due to limited access to adequate food. Arkansas’ rural footprint unfortunately means it is home to several food deserts, or areas without convenient access to affordable, good-quality food.
Covid-19 is continuing to strain Arkansans’ physical and financial well-being, including their ability to put food on the table. Since the onset of the pandemic, hunger has become an even more complex issue experienced by too many in our state. We are now faced with a dire food security crisis; something needs to be done and we are here to help.
Supporting health and wellness has always been part of Bank of America’s pledge to the communities we serve. We’re doing our part to put an end to the pandemic through employee vaccine initiatives while at the same time making strides to end hunger in our state. That’s why the bank pledged to donate $100 for each employee who received and reported a covid-19 vaccine booster shot in January. Through our month-long booster vaccine initiative, we’ve raised $25,000 for the Arkansas Foodbank. Nationally, the bank will donate a total of $10.6 million to local hunger relief organizations across the U.S.
The impact of this donation is sizeable. Our partners estimate that every $1 donated can provide five meals to our neighbors in need, which means the donation from our staff’s boosters will provide approximately 125,000 meals to the Arkansas Foodbank.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Bank of America has provided more than $158,000 to support hunger relief efforts across Arkansas. Today I applaud our employees who participated in our shared commitment to protect and serve our communities, but our work is not done. Our state’s business community can and should do more to support the wellness of our workforce and our communities. Collectively, we can work together to ensure no Arkansan goes to bed hungry.
HEATHER ALBRIGHT
Little Rock
Heather Albright is president of Bank of America Arkansas.