Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Locals feed community
Groups come together to tackle food insecurity
LINCOLN — Lincoln schools, LIFE Ministries, area senior centers and Prairie Grove United Methodist Church are some of the organizations in the area meeting needs during the coronavirus crisis by delivering meals and providing a place for others to pick up food and other necessities.
Lesa Owens, food service director with Aramark for Lincoln’s School District, said the district delivered 8,536 meals to students and their younger siblings last week during spring break. The meals included a breakfast and lunch Tuesday-Friday.
Owens said the school had an average of 45 people helping, whether they were preparing food, packing meals or delivering the meals by school bus throughout the district.
“Everybody involved has jumped in like you wouldn’t believe,” Owens said, noting her Aramark employees and the bus drivers were paid for their time. School staff, which included administrators, teachers and paraprofessionals, came in on spring break to help.
Other groups volunteering during the week included Tyson Research and Development Group and students from Ecclesia College in Springdale.
“It takes a village to feed our children,” Owens said. “We’re hitting all the kids on our bus routes. Our kids are eating.”
Owens said the district requested a waiver from the National School Lunch Program to deliver meals for multiple days to limit students and staff to exposure to covid-19.
After receiving the waiver Monday, the district delivered meals Tuesday for two days and delivered meals again Thursday for two days.
Owens said everyone followed state and federal guidelines for food safety. Workers were screened with a health check before they could help and Owens gave a briefing on safety to everyone each day.
Workers wore bandanas and frequently washed their hands. Surfaces also were frequently washed. Coolers were sanitized after each use. In addition, Aramark employees were kept separate from other helpers.
Owens said the district decided to deliver meals over spring break to make sure no children went without a meal. About 70 percent of the students in Lincoln qualify for the free and reduced-price school lunch program.
She said she knew meals were having an impact on the second day. One of the workers riding a bus came back crying because a mom along the bus route had been crying. The mom said the family hadn’t known they would receive any meals and she wondered how her children would eat.
“My staff has witnessed blessings unfold in front of them,” Owens said.
After spring break, the plan is to deliver meals for three days on Mondays and deliver meals for two days on Thursdays for as long as schools remain closed for inschool instruction.
Brea Gragg, Prairie Grove United Methodist Church children’s minister, said the church already has a summer program called Samaritan’s Cupboard to serve children on the school weekend backpack program. She said the church decided to offer food now to help those in need because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The food program is available to anyone in need and is focusing on meals for the family, not meals for children.
The first week, the church provided boxes of food for 28 families. It grew to 41 families the second week, and Gragg already has 48 families who have signed up for the third week. To sign up, an adult in the household fills out a form to provide information about the family, such as address, number in the family, ages of children, and any dietary needs.
The food is set up in front of the church on one evening, and families can come by to pick up their box. The boxes include two dozen eggs, spaghetti and sauce, hot dogs, milk, peanut butter and jelly, rice, beans and cereal.
The majority of the food is purchased at the NWA Food Bank. In addition, many people are dropping off donations in a blue box behind the church.
Gragg said she doesn’t want to call it a project that just belongs to the Prairie Grove Methodist church. Many churches and others in the community are helping, she said.
“I think it’s inspiring that so many people are willing to help outside the church,” she said.
Prairie Grove Junior Civic League donated $500 and Arkansas Egg donated 150 cartons of a dozen eggs. Others have given donations from $25 up to $200.
The church’s motto is to feed people, Gragg said, and members look for opportunities to provide food for those in need.
Gragg said she expects to see the need grow because of layoffs and businesses having to close due to concerns about spreading covid-19.
Senior centers in Farmington, Prairie Grove and Lincoln are closed for meals and activities, but the centers continue to provide a pick-up service Monday-Friday and home delivery for homebound senior adults.
Linda Willke, director of Prairie Grove’s center, said the centers changed their procedure for Meals on Wheels this week. The center will deliver seven frozen meals on Mondays to the homebound.
“We’re calling them throughout the week to check on them and doing the best we can,” Willke said. “We want to stay safe with our staff so they do not have to go door-to-door everyday.”
Curbside meals will continue Monday-Friday. Seniors have to call ahead to reserve a hot meal.
Tina Batlle, Farmington’s center director, said around 25 are ordering meals during the week from her center.
To be safe, her staff is changing gloves each time they deliver meals to a vehicle. Sanitizer is low and the center could use more disinfectant wipes.
Judy Faulkner, picking up a meal one day last week in Farmington, said it was a wonderful service. She said she is not getting out because of the coronavirus and is especially missing her church, the senior center and being with friends and family.
LIFE Ministries has temporarily closed its resale shops in Prairie Grove and Farmington, as well as its assistance office because of covid-19 concerns. However, volunteers are answering phones and trying to help those who need help with utilities and food.
Cindy Dobbs with LIFE
Ministries said staff are interviewing people by phone. Those who are helped will drive to the back of the building, pop their trunk and food is placed without any contact. The hours are 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays.
On one Saturday a month, LIFE Ministries is providing food for any seniors, 65 and older. The organization also is delivering food to seniors and will set it on the porch.
“We’re really reaching out to that age group because they are the highest at risk,” Dobbs said.
In February, 60 seniors showed up for food on senior day with about 15 receiving deliveries. Saturday, this jumped to 107 seniors with another 17 seniors receiving their food at home.
Dobbs said the organization is limiting the number of its volunteers, keeping it to 10 and under as ordered by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to reduce exposure to the virus. She’s also frequently sanitizing all surfaces with bleach.
“We feel it’s necessary now more than ever to offer assistance to our local community,” Dobbs said. “These are unusual circumstances.”
She expressed her appreciation to her volunteers.
“These are volunteers that are continuing to assist. It’s one thing to get paid to be out in the trenches but these are volunteers serving the community.”