Community Christmas Card project fights hunger this holiday season

For the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, this community is more than a place to sell newspapers. That’s why they’ve partnered with The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank to help make sure no one in our community goes hungry this holiday season.

Founded in 2000, the paper is the regional affiliate of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette—the oldest continuously-published newspaper west of the Mississippi River—which was established in 1819.

The paper started a program called the Community Christmas Card in 1977 as a way of giving back to the community. In exchange for donations for local families in need, readers would get a name, their own or another’s, in the paper on Christmas Day on a full-color, full-page Christmas card.

This year, the decision was made to focus donations on a problem widespread in our community: food insecurity.

“We had been waiting and talking about a new life for the Community Christmas Card,” said Northwest Arkansas DemocratGazette Advertising Operations Manager Sandy Robinson, “something a little different than what we had done in the past.”

With so much need in the community as a whole because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the paper decided to give all proceeds to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

“NWA Food Bank was right on target for all they do and what they provide for the community,” Sandy said. “This year, we wanted to make sure that families are fed.”

This year, for every three dollars donated, the donor submits a name to the paper. Donors can submit their own names, other people’s names, make a donation “in honor of ” or “in memory of ” someone, or any other name they choose.

On Christmas Day, a full-page, full-color Community Christmas Card will appear in the print and replica versions of the paper with all of the names listed. There is no limit to the number of names that can be submitted with a donation, one for every three dollars donated.

“I might get $100 from someone, and they can give me 30 names,” Sandy explained.

Tom Stallbaumer, Director of Administration at the Food Bank, is working hand-in-hand with the paper on the Community Christmas Card project this year. The paper will be collecting the donations and giving them to the Food Bank, who will coordinate and distribute food to the hungry in our community.

“And 100% of donations will go directly to the Food Bank,” Sandy noted, “there’s not a penny taken out of it.”

Donations will be accepted through 12/31/20; however, in order to have names listed on the Christmas Day Community Christmas Card, your donation and name submission must be received no later than 5 p.m. Friday 12/18/20. You may also choose to donate anonymously.

This year, Sandy thinks the paper will see more online donations than in years past, because the paper’s Fayetteville office is closed due to the pandemic. In previous years, donors could drop off donations at the office if they wished. Without that option this year, donations have to be made in other ways.

There will be a link for online donations at www.nwaonline.com, or donations can be mailed to Sandy at the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette office, where she will pick them up two to three times per week:

Sandy Robinson - Community Christmas Card

C/O Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

P.O. Box 1607

Fayetteville, AR 72702

Donations can also be made to the Food Bank directly, but donors will only get their name(s) on the Community Christmas Card if they make donations through the newspaper.

“We are really excited to be partnering with the Food Bank this year,” Sandy said, “there’s never been a more important time for our generous community to come together to help each other.”

For questions about the project or help with donations, contact Sandy Robinson (479)466-8773 or srobinson@nwaonline.com.