Gov. Sanders grants additional $500K to aid Arkansas food banks

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Saturday that she is allocating an additional $500,000 in state funds to support Arkansas food banks as the federal government shutdown continues.

The funding, drawn from the state’s Restricted Reserve funds, was approved through emergency action by the Arkansas Legislative Council chairs, Sanders announced in a Nov. 8 press release.

The funds will be distributed Monday, Nov. 10, to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, which will allocate the money to the six Feeding America member food banks across the state:

Sponsored
class="wp-block-list">
• Northwest Arkansas Food Bank at Springdale
• Food Bank of North Central Arkansas at Norfork
• Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas at Jonesboro
• River Valley Regional Food Bank at Fort Smith
• Arkansas Foodbank at Little Rock
  • Arkansas Foodbank Lexa Branch
  • Arkansas Foodbank Warren Branch
• Harvest Regional Food Bank at Texarkana

The Alliance said the funding will prioritize areas with the highest number of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients.

The announcement follows a similar $500,000 allocation made last week, with the governor saying she will reassess the need for further assistance if the shutdown persists.

“I handed out food at a food pantry earlier this week and saw this crisis with my own eyes: struggling Arkansans are hurting every day the Schumer Shutdown continues,” said Governor Sanders. “We need Senate Democrats to step up, reopen the government, and fully fund programs like SNAP, but as the shutdown continues, my administration will stand with our partners in the legislature, at churches, and in food banks to help Arkansans stay fed.”

Arkansas’ SNAP program serves about 250,000 residents through more than 2,700 retail locations, according to the release.

Sanders encouraged food banks to buy Arkansas-grown products and directed residents to HelpArkansas.com for updated information on food assistance during the shutdown