FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — More than 89,000 people across the Northwest Arkansas region are not sure where their next meal will come from — an issue that continues to plague the Natural State.
In a recent report, the United States Department of Agriculture says Arkansas is the most food-insecure state in the nation.
But in Fayetteville just off of Willow Avenue and Mountain Street, one ministry is doing all it can to make a difference in an issue that has drastically impacted the entire state.
“What we see is individuals coming from all over that are just trying to bridge the gap between what they have left available after working, and what they don’t have left available,” Monique Jones, the director of outreach and community collaboration at the Historic St. James Missionary Baptist Church, said.
She says what most people struggle with is putting healthy and nutritious meals on the table.
Arkansas Rice Federation makes a donation to Arkansas Foodbank
“It’s not that they’re not working, it’s they don’t have enough left after their paying their housing, and utilities, and paying for their transportation, in order to buy food, and in order to buy fresh food, in order to buy fruits and vegetables and things that keep you healthy,” Jones said.