Harvest Regional to distribute 1,000 emergency food boxes

TEXARKANA — Harvest Regional Food Bank will distribute 1,000 emergency food boxes to Texarkana area residents Wednesday at the Four States Fair Arena, 3700 E. 50th St.

The event will be the largest one-day distribution the organization has done, said Camille Coker Wrinkle, CEO and executive director of Harvest Regional Food Bank.

The distribution will start at 8 a.m. and will last until noon or until all food boxes are given out. Recipients are directed to enter from the 50th Street entrance at Highway 245/Four States Fair Parkway in front of Bobby Ferguson Park.

Distribution is limited to one box per household and two households per vehicle.

“With the recent rise in hunger, it’s more important than ever that Harvest meet the needs of our food-insecure families where they are,” Wrinkle said. “This is by far the largest one-day distribution we’ve ever hosted, but our goal is to continue making sure families have the food they need, even during this challenging time.”

With CDC precautions and recommendations against COVID-19 still in place, Harvest is taking every measure to ensure the safety of its staff, volunteers and recipients. Mobile pantries are now operating as drive-through distributions, with food boxes being loaded directly into vehicles. Recipients will not be allowed to exit the vehicle or park to pick up food.

In 2019, Harvest distributed 3.2 million meals and served more than 60,000 people in Southwest Arkansas and Northeast Texas. Both states consistently rank in the top 10 for the highest incidence of hunger. Nearly 20% of local residents miss meals because of food insecurity, including one in four children, Wrinkle said.