Arvest Bank partners with local hunger relief organizations

YELLVILLE  — Arvest Bank, North Central Arkansas, will partner with the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas, Yellville Area Food Closet, and Good Neighbor Food Cupboard for its 11 annual Million Meals campaign, a two-month, bank-wide effort to provide one million meals or more to those in need within the bank’s footprint.

Launched in 2011, Arvest’s Million Meals campaigns have raised a 10-year total of 17,068,971 meals, which includes more than $3 million in funds given directly to the bank’s dozens of local food partners.

These organizations will receive monetary donations made in their respective counties from April 5-May 29. Residents can support Million Meals by making monetary donations at Arvest branches and drive-thrus throughout North Central Arkansas or by calling (866) 952-9523. Additionally, customers can donate via the Arvest Go mobile app and Arvest Flex Rewards credit cardholders can log in to arvestflexrewards.com to redeem and donate rewards points.

Every dollar raised through Million Meals provides the equivalent of five meals for local, hungry families. While Arvest is unable to accept food donations in branches this year, customers and community members can donate directly to the bank’s food partners.

Last year, Arvest proactively provided one million meals to its food partners in the form of direct monetary donations after suspending some aspects of its campaign to protect participants from the spread of COVID-19. This year’s effort benefits 90-plus organizations in the four states – Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma – Arvest serves.

In 2019 – the most recent year statistics are available – 10.5 percent of American households surveyed were food-insecure, meaning they had difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all their members due to a lack of resources. Additionally, Arkansas ranks 7 among the most food-insecure states in the nation, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.