Arkansas children face food insecurity amid back-to-school season

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — It’s back-to-school season for many Arkansans, a time when children are expected to learn and grow. But for nearly one in four children in the state, food insecurity remains a persistent barrier.

Sherri Jones, chief program officer at the Arkansas Food Bank, says the organization distributes about 42 million pounds of food each year, but estimates that meeting the state’s full need would require closer to 62 million pounds.

Jones, who has spent the last seven years addressing food insecurity, says she has seen more families post on social media about their struggle to put food on the table, especially during the summer months. She notes that poverty and lack of resources make it difficult for families to stay ahead.

To help fill the gap, the Arkansas Food Bank supports the Backpack Program, which started in 1995 after a Little Rock school nurse noticed students going hungry on weekends when school meals weren’t available. She partnered with the Food Bank to send home weekend food packs — a model that has since been replicated nationwide.

“It’s all about getting the kids the nutrition they need,” Jones said. “If they don’t have to worry about food, they’ll do better in school, their education is going to be better, and it’s going to be able to get them to the next level.”

In 2015, Cato Elementary in Sherwood launched its own version of the Backpack Program with donations from local churches.

“Unfortunately, in some of our more impoverished homes we have snacks and junk food and not a lot of healthy options,” said Stacy Bottoms, principal at Cato Elementary. “A weekend is a long time to go without a healthy meal.”

Bottoms emphasizes that students need proper nutrition to fuel learning.

“I tell kids, if your brain doesn’t have energy, it’s not ready to think and learn — and that’s so true. It’s just a basic need we have to meet.”

The school also participates in a state grant program that provides free breakfast and lunch to students — a program Bottoms says has a measurable impact.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that students who receive healthier meals have healthier minds, and a study in the Journal of School Health found that children who eat a nutritious breakfast perform better on memory, attention, and problem-solving tasks, leading to higher test scores and improved grades.

For Jones, Bottoms, and countless others working to feed Arkansas children, the mission is clear: When kids have the nutrition they need, they have the chance to thrive both in and out of the classroom.

More information can be found at ArkansasFoodbank.org.