Feeding the hungry City, school district collect food as demand heightens
Posted on Saturday, November 22, 2008
ANTHONY REYES Northwest Arkansas Times Student council members from Woodland Junior High School in Fayetteville load boxes of canned goods onto a truck Thursday at the school. The council collected more than 2, 500 nonperishable food items from students at the school as part of a districtwide food drive for the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. The school district collected more than 27, 500 pounds of food for the bank.
As one food drive ends, another one begins.
The Fayetteville School District wrapped up its annual districtwide food drive Thursday when the food collected by the students was picked up, and on Friday morning the city of Fayetteville held a press conference to announce a new food drive initiative.
Students collected 27,656 pounds of food for the school district food drive. The food was picked up by truck at the district’s 14 schools Thursday and delivered to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.
“I am so very proud of our kids,” Assistant Superintendent Dick Johnson said. “We have some schools where the families need some of that food.”
Johnson said the number of items collected beat last year’s food drive effort, which yielded 24,726 pounds of food. The district had hoped to collect at least 25,000 pounds this year, so it surpassed this goal.
Food banks and other nonprofit agencies have been reporting increased demand for assistance this year due to the economy.
Ernie Conduff, president of LifeSource International in Fayetteville, said they used to see three to five new people per week who would come in seeking assistance. LifeSource is a nonprofit that provides many services, including food assistance, to those in need.
“We’re now seeing 25 to 30 new people per week,” Conduff said. “Right now, we’re serving over 800 a month with food.”
Given the increased demand for assistance in the community, Johnson said he was very pleased that the amount of food collected exceeded last year’s amount.
Johnson said school children will often show great dedication to a cause when they are motivated and believe in it.
“If they get it in their hearts and minds at a young age, the world will be a better place down the road,” he said.
As part of the city’s food drive effort, a fire truck will be set up today along Block Street between Mountain and Center streets so residents can make donations. This will be in conjunction with the lighting of the annual Lights of the Ozarks on the Square.
The city will be setting up food drop-off points beginning Monday at its seven fire stations and City Hall, 113 W. Mountain. The locations of the fire stations are as follows:
• Station No. 1, 303 W. Center St.;
• Station No. 2, 708 N. Garland Ave.;
• Station No. 3, 1050 S. Happy Hollow Road;
• Station No. 4, 3385 Plainview Ave.;
• Station No. 5, 2979 N. Crossover Road;
• Station No. 6, 900 Hollywood Ave.;
• Station No. 7, 835 N. Rupple Road, and
• the Fire Marshall’s Office, 833 N. Crossover Road.
The city also recommends that residents who want to contribute directly to food banks or pantries can donate to LifeSource, 600 S. School Ave., Fayetteville; Salvation Army, 219 W. 15 th St., Fayetteville; or the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, 1378 June Self Drive, Bethel Heights.
Liz Hutchens, budget analyst for the city, said the city staff looks forward to doing something that will help the citizens of Fayetteville.
“As city employees, we’re pretty fortunate,” she said.
“The employees are also participating in the Salvation Army’s Adopt-a-Family program,” said Lesa Brosch, business systems analyst for the city.
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