The following is an update on the River Valley Regional Food Bank’s COVID-19 Community Action Plan. While our plans still remain fluid, we do have a few more concrete things we can communicate to you. Here’s a breakdown:

Community Partnerships

River Valley Regional Food Bank Director Tracy Engel is working with Feeding America, local and state officials, the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, and the network of Feeding America food banks in the state of Arkansas as we continue to assess the needs of residents in our respective communities. The Food Bank will continue to work with each of these agencies and entities to ensure we are meeting the needs of hungry Arkansans.

We are also working in partnership with the United Way of Fort Smith Area to get some items we need to enhance our services to the general public. The agency has worked with us to get some additional vehicles, pallet jacks and volunteer groups to help us continue our work.

Member Agencies Continue to Step Up

Our member agencies continue to do great work and remain committed to offering their services to the residents in their respective communities. We are creating a living document of feeding sites around the area that will provide food to residents during this time of need. This document will be shared on our blog and social media channels.

Immediate Needs

As we continue our operations at our warehouse and distributions to the member agencies, we’re asking our community to help us address some of our immediate needs, listed below:

Financial Donations

The Food Bank is working hard to stock up on food in this time of need. To help support this endeavor, the public is encouraged to make a financial gift to the Food Bank. 100 percent of the funds will remain local and be used to cover costs associated with feeding our neighbors in need during the COVID-19 crisis.

No Volunteer Hours at This Time

Due to the evolving nature of the Coronavirus, we’re discouraging volunteer sign-ups at this time.

Continued Operations and Preparedness Procedures

As mentioned in our initial announcement, we continue to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and Feeding America to ensure that we continue to take proper precautions to protect our food supply, as well as our employees, volunteers and the public.

Our warehouse and executive operations will not be disrupted at this time so that we can continue to feed hungry families in West Central Arkansas.

#MakingPlatesPossible