United Way of North Central Arkansas and its partners have launched a food drive to help stock the pantries of local organizations providing meals and food items to individuals in the community. The food drive, which will run through the Friday (Feb. 1) before the Super Bowl, will benefit the local school backpack programs, which puts food in backpacks of needy children to ensure they have food each weekend, local food pantries, and groups providing hot meals to those in need.
In an effort to encourage community support and maximize donations, United Way has turned this food drive into a competition and is calling it the Tackle Hunger Food Drive.
“We are so excited to be holding the third annual Tackle Hunger Food Drive to help local groups that are feeding those in need,” Kimberly Tucker, executive director of United Way of North Central Arkansas said. “Local businesses participating as drop-off locations will compete against one another to score the most points. At the end of the contest, the business with the most points will win the Super Bowl of Caring Trophy, which is a Lombardi replica, and bragging rights.”
The drive is requesting a multitude of items, some worth more points than others, so there is something to fit everyone’s budget, the agency notes.
United Way’s most needed items include: Ramen noodles, Vienna sausages, Easy Mac, canned vegetables, canned pasta (preferably with the pop tops), gummy snacks, coffee filters, granola bars, peanut butter crackers, animal crackers, napkins, Pop-Tarts, instant oatmeal, apple juice, cranberry juice, coffee creamer, plastic spoons, fruit cups, peanut butter, individual boxes of cereal, coffee, or monetary donations to purchase food.
The donations will be picked up and points tallied weekly by a representative of United Way. The winner will be announced on Monday, Feb. 4 via press release and the United Way of North Central Arkansas’ Facebook page.
Current drop-off locations (and competitors) are:
Bank of Cave City, 1141 E. Main, Suite 100, in Batesville
Centennial Bank, 1895 Harrison St.
Citizens Bank, 655 St. Louis St.
First Community Bank, 1325 Harrison St.
FutureFuel, 2800 Gap Rd.
Las Playitas Mexican Restaurant, 1600 Batesville Blvd.
Lyon College Athletics Department, 2300 Highland Rd.
Merchants & Planters Bank, 3801 Harrison St.
Southern Bank, 1583 S. St. Louis St.
White River Medical Center, 1710 Harrison St.
