Food Bank to distribute commodities in SFC next week

The Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas has scheduled a commodity distribution for St. Francis County for next week.

The drive-through distribution will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 9 a.m. until noon at the Forrest City Sports Complex, Hughes Community Center, Palestine City Hall and Wheatley City Hall.

"We served 385 households and 793 total people in September," said Keith Livesay, USDA Coordinator for the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas.

As normal the Food Bank will be bringing non-perishable boxes to distribute.

“We will not know what other items we'll bring until our trucks come in," said Livesay.

According to Livesay, at the time of the distribution, information cards will be filled out for all recipients. Recipients will need to provide the following information: name, address, family size and combined monthly income of the household. An appropriate form of identification such as a driver’s license, Social Security card or picture identification card must be shown.

Recipients will only be allowed to pick up commodity foods for themselves and one additional household. To pick up food items for a shut-in, elderly person or other qualified household, the person picking up the food must have a signed authorization slip with the following information on it from the person he or she is picking up for: name, address, family size and combined monthly income of the household receiving the food. Case workers picking up for large groups must make prior arrangements with the USDA coordinator.

Commodities are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information about the distribution of commodity foods, questions concerning eligibility for this program contact Livesay at 870-932-3663.

Once commodity boxes are received, if residents are not sure what to make with the items in the boxes they are encouraged to visit https://www.uaex.uada.edu/ for recipes or call their local county Extension Service office.