ABOUT US

ABOUT US


BUILDING BRIDGES FROM HUNGER TO HOPE

OUR MISSION

Our mission of Building Bridges from Hunger to Hope goes beyond providing meals to those in need. We believe that when our entire community comes together around issues of poverty and hunger, we are better able to provide resources and education to meet the long term needs of those we serve.

 

At the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas we endeavor to meet immediate needs by providing food and grocery items through a network of partner hunger relief organizations. Then, through an intentional effort of education and training, we endeavor to care for individual's long term needs. Classes include Cooking Matters at the Store, Cooking Matters, and Getting Ahead in a Just Getting by World. In addition we provide Bridges Out of Poverty training and Poverty Simulations to community leaders.

FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS TO FUTURE GROWTH

OUR HISTORY

The Food Bank of North Central Arkansas had humble grassroots beginnings as the Norfork Community Care Program. In 1982, a devastating flood crippled the area, and thousands were displaced and in need of food and shelter. To meet the immediate need, Alice and Hubert Ayers established a soup kitchen out of their home in Norfork. With the help of many volunteers and the Salvation Army, they served flood victims and rescue workers. Today almost 3 million pounds of food (appoximately 2.5 million meals) are distributed annually throughout our nine-county service area as a Partner Distribution Organization of Feeding America.

OUR FACILITY

The campus of the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas is approximately 1.5 acres and is located on Highway 5 South in Norfork, Arkansas. The building was the former Norfork Public Schools and was built circa 1950's.


The Food Bank of North Central Arkansas is currently exploring opportunities for the growth of our organization. Over the past five years (with an average annual distribution growth of 13%) we have outgrown our current facility, and now depend on the generosity of warehouse owners in Cotter and Harrison, as well as other Food Banks across the state who allow us to warehouse items for short, and sometimes extended periods of time. While we are grateful for these gifts of space, warehousing our product in multiple locations across the state means added expenses of fuel, staff time, and wear/tear on vehicles. In addition, we estimate that we are turning away as much as 100,000 pounds of otherwise free food each month due to lack of space and the right kind of space.

OUR NEED

Feeding America estimates that to bridge the meal gap in north central Arkansas we would need to distribute approximately 4.6 million pounds of food annually. During 2018 we distributed over 2.7 million pounds of food, and estimate that we will distribute nearly 3 million pounds of food in 2019. Having enough warehouse space and the right kind of space (refrigeration and freezer), would allow us to accept the donated foods mentioned above which could all but close the meal gap in our service area while reducing the amount of funds we spend on food purchases each year.

STATEMENTS

MISSION STATEMENT

Building Bridges from Hunger to Hope

VISION STATEMENT

Creating Communities without Hunger

BELIEF STATEMENTS

WE BELIEVE ...

No child should go to bed hungry.

 

No senior citizen should have to choose between food and medication.

 

Parents should not have to decide between paying rent and feeding their children.

 

Families who are trying to do the right thing deserve a hand up.

 

A community working together can solve its problems.

 

PATHWAYS TO PROSPERITY

We believe the first pathway to prosperity is what we can do for ourselves, and what we can learn from one another to do for ourselves.

 

We believe the second pathway to prosperity comes through connecting our clients to the resources available to them.

 

We believe the third pathway to prosperity comes through the emergency food relief provided through the Food Bank’s network of hunger relief organizations.

OUR HISTORY

The Food Bank of North Central Arkansas had humble grassroots beginnings as the Norfork Community Care Program. In 1982, a devastating flood crippled the area, and thousands were displaced and in need of food and shelter. To meet the immediate need, Alice and Hubert Ayers established a soup kitchen out of their home in Norfork. With the help of many volunteers and the Salvation Army, they served flood victims and rescue workers. Today approximately 4.5 million pounds of food (approximately 3,750,000 meals) are distributed annually throughout our nine-county service area as a Partner Distribution Organization of Feeding America. In addition to the distribution of food, the Food Bank focuses on education for the people and communities we serve.

OUR FACILITY

The campus of the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas is located at 1042 Highland Circle in Mtn. Home, Arkansas. Remodeled in 2019, this facility provides 19,500 square feet of food storage, offices and training space.


The Arvest Training Center and Peitz Conference Room are available to the community for daily rentals.

OUR NEED

Feeding America estimates that to bridge the meal gap in north central Arkansas we would need to distribute approximately 4.6 million pounds of food annually. During 2020 we distributed approximately 4.5 million pounds of food.

STATEMENTS

MISSION STATEMENT


Building Bridges from Hunger to Hope


VISION STATEMENT


Creating Communities without Hunger


BELIEF STATEMENTS


WE BELIEVE ...


No child should go to bed hungry.


 No senior citizen should have to choose between food and medication.


 Parents should not have to decide between paying rent and feeding their children.


 Families who are trying to do the right thing deserve a hand up.


 A community working together can solve its problems.


 PATHWAYS TO PROSPERITY


We believe the first pathway to prosperity is what we can do for ourselves, and what we can learn from one another to do for ourselves.


 We believe the second pathway to prosperity comes through connecting our clients to the resources available to them.


 We believe the third pathway to prosperity comes through the emergency food relief provided through the Food Bank’s network of hunger relief organizations.

“Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.” — Nelson Mandela


WHO WE ARE

Jeff Quick

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Jeff Quick is a past President of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Chairperson of the Mtn. Home Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, is a Rotarian in Mountain Home, and a member of the Mtn. Home High School Career Academy’s Business Advisory Board and District Wellness Committee, Board of Directors for the Fairview Cemetery, Reppell Diabetes Learning Center Advisory Board member, and is a member First United Methodist Church in Mtn. Home.

 

 Jeff has spent the last decade of his life working to create communities without hunger across north central Arkansas. Prior to his work with the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas, he enjoyed a career in Real Estate where he served as President of the North Central Board of Realtors. As a young adult he worked with United Methodist churches across Arkansas and Texas as a Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries. During his time serving the church, Jeff served as Chairperson of the denomination’s Global Initiative on Youth and Young Adults, as a member of the denomination’s General Council on Ministries, and was elected as a delegate to the denomination’s top legislative body for twelve years.

 

 Jeff began his work at the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas as a child while volunteering with his grandmother. As a young adult, Jeff continued to volunteer at the Food Bank by bringing teams of youth and young adults to the organization for summer mission trips. After moving back to Mountain Home in 2007, Jeff began serving on the Food Bank’s Board of Directors. In 2011, Jeff was hired as the organization’s Development Director and was promoted to CEO shortly afterward where he continues his work today.

FROM THE CEO

The Food Bank and it's mission of Building Bridges from Hunger to Hope has always been close to my heart. Our organization has a rich heritage of humble servants who have guided and directed our work for almost four decades. I am humbled by the opportunity to serve our communities in north central Arkansas through my work with the Food Bank. I can't imagine a better organization to be affiliated with.

 

As we look forward to the future of the Food Bank, we know that there are an estimated 38,000 residents of our region that suffer from food insecurity. We know that the Food Bank should be distributing approximately 4.6 million pounds of food annually to meet the need. And more than anything, we know that we can only accomplish this when we work together.

 

I hope the legacy that I can leave the Food Bank is that during my tenure we can work together to provide the Food Bank the facility needed to meet the needs of our communities, that together we can endow the facilities of the Food Bank in a manner that undergirds its work for decades to come, and most importantly that we can bring hope to the lives of children, youth, adults, and our seniors that suffer from food insecurity.

 

I've always enjoyed working on projects that are larger than myself. Projects that require me to look beyond myself to my community and my God to be able to succeed. The work of the Food Bank is one of those projects! We have an incredible need in our region. Together, we WILL be able to Build Bridges from Hunger to Hope, and Create Communities without Hunger!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Rev. Randy Ludwig - Chairperson

Jewell Pendergrass - Vice Chairperson

  Mark Bertel – Second Vice-Chairperson

Scott Copeland - Treasurer

Janice Fletcher - Secretary

MEMBERS

 Sara Bing

  Ashley Hambleton

  Paulette Hill

    Mark Meyer

Doug Richards

 Emily Reed

  Dr. John Scribner

  Libby Seftar

  Don Sharp

  Kandie Walker

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