First Security Bank will hold a special food drive during the summer months to benefit the Snackpacks for Kids program at Samaritan Community Center. You can donate money or non-perishable items during May, June and July.
Snackpacks for Kids is a nutritional support program that provides healthy snack food during the school year to more than 3,300 children who have been identified by school personnel as being at-risk for hunger or food insecurity on the weekends. The program is currently being offered in over 70 schools throughout the Northwest Arkansas area.
Food items needed for this vital program include the following (must be peanut free):
- 100 percent juice in single-serving unbreakable bottles, boxes or pouches
- Small boxes or bags of nutritious cereal
- Fruit cups
- Small boxes of raisins or dried fruit
- Microwave popcorn
- Nonperishable single-serve microwave kids meals
- Individually packaged crackers (peanut butter, cheese)
- Pudding cups
- Canned soup
- Canned vegetables
“Many children in Northwest Arkansas go hungry when other resources, such as school lunches and after-school meals or snacks, are not available,” said Jim Taylor, president of First Security Bank Northwest Arkansas. “Fortunately, the Snackpacks for Kids program is available to provide nutritious snacks to children who are at a greater risk for hunger.”
According to Shannon Green, Snackpack Coordinator for Samaritan Community Centers, over 35,000 snack items are purchased each week at an annual cost of about $150,000. “Food drives like our summer partnership with First Security is a great support. We are truly thankful,” she said.
The Snackpacks for Kids Drive is being held on the heels of a very successful coat drive for the Boys and Girls Club of Northwest Arkansas and Peace at Home Family Shelter. “The response received during the coat drive and last summer’s canned food drive for LifeSource International and Salvation Army was tremendous,” Taylor said. “We live and work in a very giving community.”
For more information:
Annette King, First Security Bank, 479.527-7013, aking@fsbank.com
Shannon Green, Samaritan Community Center, 479.636.4198, sgreen@samcc.org
