Foundation Donates 70 Pounds Of Food Each

The Chase Family Foundation of Springdale has provided holiday food packages to homebound seniors in Farmington, Prairie Grove and Lincoln for seven years and 2016 was not any different.

“It’s amazing when you walk up and see all those bags,” said Linda Willkie, director of Prairie Grove Activity and Wellness Center. “It’s just an amazing thing to fill up their pantries.”

The Foundation collects food throughout the year and donates it to the smaller senior centers in Washington County to provide extra food to help homebound seniors during the holiday season and winter months. Food is also provided to homebound seniors in Greenland, Elkins and West Fork.

The food is collected and stored in the Bakker’s garage and volunteers show up each year to help take the bags of food to the centers.

Susan Chase-Bakker said the foundation gave 326 bags this year, with each senior receiving about 70 pounds of food. The bags included canned goods, such as soups and beef stew, tuna, fruit bars, peanut butter and jelly, oatmeal, cereal, hot chocolate and macaroni and cheese. The seniors also received nine rolls of toilet paper.

The foundation cared for the seniors’ pets by giving away 53 cases of dog food and 17 cases of cat food.

Chase-Bakker started the foundation in memory of her parents, Rex and Glada Chase. She said her parents taught her to give to others and she wanted to repay some of the blessings she’d received by helping others.

“The main focus of the Chase Family Foundation is to help feed the homebound elderly,” said Chase-Bakker. “I feel like the elderly are forgotten. It seems to me like everyone is too busy to show the elderly that people still care about them.”

Tina Batlle, director of Farmington’s senior center, was appreciative of the food on behalf of her seniors.

“It’s precious, so much food they give,” Batlle said. “Each senior received a green bag and a red bag and they were full of food.”

Chase- Bakker and her husband, John Bakker, personally delivered food bags to two ladies in Prairie Grove.

“John and I always try to meet a few of the ones that we help,” she said. “We always love talking to them and seeing their faces when they get the two large bags.”

COURTESY PHOTO Irene Day of Prairie Grove is one of many homebound seniors who received holiday bags filled with food and other items from the Chase Family Foundation of Springdale. Susan Chase-Bakker helped to deliver some of the gift bags.

COURTESY PHOTO Jewell Spears of Farmington sits next to the two bags of food she received from the Chase Family Foundation.

J.T. WAMPLER NWA DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Dr. John Bakker, left, of Springdale, hands food bags to Joe Batlle of Farmington on Dec. 11, 2016. The food was then delivered to homebound seniors served by Farmington Senior Activity and Wellness Center. The gift bags were provided by Chase Family...