Tue, 01/30/2018
Project HOPE Food Bank, Inc.
P O Box 39
Hot Springs
AR
71902
P O Box 39
5016233663
P O Box 39
26-1737554
Part II
Emergency Food Box Program
The program is designed to collaborate with schools and social agencies to identify families in food crisis. This provides a resource for these agencies to give immediate relief to a hunger situation. The boxes contain shelf stable products, this allows the agencies to have the boxes on hand to distribute upon identification.
The outcome is for the agencies have a resource to provide immediate relief to families struggling with hunger. The families are provided one weeks’ worth of food to allow time to seek more sustainable food sources. This allows families to close the nutritional gaps caused by food insecurity and maintain health while mitigating crisis.
The outcome is for the agencies have a resource to provide immediate relief to families struggling with hunger. The families are provided one weeks’ worth of food to allow time to seek more sustainable food sources. This allows families to close the nutritional gaps caused by food insecurity and maintain health while mitigating crisis.
$7,000.00
$7,000.00
Health & Safety
Project HOPE Food Bank’s mission is to provide healthy affordable food to food pantries and feeding programs that serve those at-risk of hunger. Project HOPE is in Hot Springs, Arkansas and serves west central Arkansas. We do not discriminate based on race, creed, nationality, gender or age. Project HOPE has four components: Food Subsidy, Emergency Food Box, Senior Emergency Food Box and School Backpack programs.
The program is designed to provide food for distressed families. This allows the family to have food on the table while they mitigate crisis and allows time to seek more sustainable food sources. Food items include: canned meats, soups - chicken noodle, tomato, vegetable and chili, fruits - peaches, pears and mixed fruit, readily prepared dinners – spaghetti pasta and sauce, ravioli dinner and tuna helper, vegetables -canned green beans, sweet peas, carrots, corn, pork & beans, diced tomatoes and mixed vegetables, dry products – macaroni, beans, rice, macaroni & cheese, potatoes, crackers and cereals. Peanut butter and jelly are also included along with shelf stable milk. There are 40 different food items that make up our 50-pound emergency food box.
Arkansas is second highest in the nation for food insecurity, according to the latest data released through Map the Meals Gap by Feeding America. Almost one-in-five (18.4%) struggle to some degree with food insecurity. Garland county is representative of the state with 18.1% of the population struggling with food insecurity. The most venerable groups facing with hunger are our children and seniors.
Child hunger is currently 27% in Garland County according to Feeding America’s latest data in Map the Meals. Child food insecurity can bring delayed development physically, mentally and emotionally. The families in which these children live report cutting portions in half and food rationing to make ends meet. Fifty percent of low-income families report not having the resources to afford food each month.
Child hunger is currently 27% in Garland County according to Feeding America’s latest data in Map the Meals. Child food insecurity can bring delayed development physically, mentally and emotionally. The families in which these children live report cutting portions in half and food rationing to make ends meet. Fifty percent of low-income families report not having the resources to afford food each month.
Arkansas is second highest in the nation for food insecurity, according to the latest data released through Map the Meals Gap by Feeding America. Almost one-in-five (18.4%) struggle to some degree with food insecurity. Garland county is representative of the state with 18.1% of the population struggling with food insecurity. The most venerable groups facing with hunger are our children and seniors.
Child hunger is currently 27% in Garland County according to Feeding America’s latest data in Map the Meals. Child food insecurity can bring delayed development physically, mentally and emotionally. The families in which these children live report cutting portions in half and food rationing to make ends meet. Fifty percent of low-income families report not having the resources to afford food each month.
Child hunger is currently 27% in Garland County according to Feeding America’s latest data in Map the Meals. Child food insecurity can bring delayed development physically, mentally and emotionally. The families in which these children live report cutting portions in half and food rationing to make ends meet. Fifty percent of low-income families report not having the resources to afford food each month.
Project HOPE Food Bank relies on a variety of sources to identify food insecurity in our area. The sources quoted are nationally organizations renowned in their fight against hunger and identifying areas where hunger is wide spread. Feeding America has a visible resource on the web “Map the Meals Gap”. Each county, parish or congressional district in the United States is analyzed and surveyed for the demographics that struggle with hunger.
The USDA has defined the standards for food insecurity. Basically, identifying three levels: threat of hunger, At-risk of hunger and facing hunger. Their responses to surveys identify the level of food insecurity faced by each demographic. Responses to survey questions regarding food rationing and reducing serving sizes to stretch their budgets designate their level of food insecurity. Mobility to access food is also examined as a contributing factor for senior hunger.
The USDA has defined the standards for food insecurity. Basically, identifying three levels: threat of hunger, At-risk of hunger and facing hunger. Their responses to surveys identify the level of food insecurity faced by each demographic. Responses to survey questions regarding food rationing and reducing serving sizes to stretch their budgets designate their level of food insecurity. Mobility to access food is also examined as a contributing factor for senior hunger.
The emergency food boxes are $28.50 per box and provide nutrition for a family of four for a week. The program is designed to provide food for distressed families. This allows the family to have food on the table while they mitigate crisis and allows time to seek more sustainable food sources. Food items include: canned meats, soups - chicken noodle, tomato, vegetable and chili, fruits - peaches, pears and mixed fruit, readily prepared dinners – spaghetti pasta and sauce, ravioli dinner and tuna helper, vegetables -canned green beans, sweet peas, carrots, corn, pork & beans, diced tomatoes and mixed vegetables, dry products – macaroni, beans, rice, macaroni & cheese, potatoes, crackers and cereals. Peanut butter and jelly are also included along with shelf stable milk. There are 40 different food items that make up our 50-pound emergency food box.
Project HOPE Food Bank will use one hundred percent of the funding to provide emergency food boxes to families in crisis. The combination of the large lot wholesale purchases allow the food bank to distribute a 436 food boxes.
Project HOPE Food Banks community support allows the food bank to efficiently and effectively use our funding to distribute food in our region. Mr. Jim Smith, Keith Smith Food Company, donates our warehouse. All our equipment has been obtained through grants including our refrigerators, freezers, fork truck, van, box truck and pallet lifts. Our manpower including Executive Director, Ted Thompson and Inventory Specialist, Charles Hood are volunteers. A very active volunteer board of directors spends time volunteering, thus can see and provide guidance to meet our goals. In 2017, Project HOPE Food Bank hosted over 8,000 volunteer hours. These assets allow us to use 100 percent of every grant and 95 percent of every donation to further our mission of distributing food.
Project HOPE Food Bank seeks the support of the United Way of the Ouachitas to provide fifty percent of the funding of the Emergency Food Boxes. Without their support half of the identified families would be at risk of hunger, putting their health and well-being in jeopardy. Before Emergency Food Box Program social agencies, schools and other partners were faced with giving families a list of pantries and hoping they found food. Through this program agencies have an active part of alleviating hunger and know the family in crisis has the nutrition to allow time to
The program has been in operation since 2010. Only once has the funding been low enough to limit the number of boxes distributed. The number of families in our area struggling with food insecurity has left the food bank in a continuous state of fund raising. We will endeavor to keep this valuable program funded and alive. The value of this program is easily apparent to anyone that sees families in crisis.
I believe the community will benefit from alleviating hunger. Hunger and food insecurity drive up healthcare costs. $160 billion, at the very least. That's how much this report estimates hunger costs the U.S. economy in poor health outcomes and additional health care every year.
The overall costs of hunger and food insecurity to society may well be incalculable. But this report argues that hunger and food insecurity are a health issue, and it is possible to produce a reliable, albeit conservative, estimate of the health-related costs. The estimates presented here are based on an extensive assessment of peer-reviewed research on the many ways that hunger harms human health, and the higher health care costs associated with them, updated to 2014 dollars. The graphic below breaks down America's $160 billion hunger health bill. This is according the Bread for the World Institute’s report The Cost of Hunger in the United States.
The main impact of the program will be the 436 families that have a reprieve from hunger while activating hunger.
Currently the United Way of the Ouachitas funds half of the emergency food boxes distributed. The remaining funding will be provide by Grand Avenue United Methodist Church. The boxes will also benefit from food drives and food received through the Arkansas Hunger Relief.
Project HOPE Food Bank does not distribute food to individuals. We rely on partner agencies to identify need and distribute the food boxes. Partners include: Arkansas Hospice, Arkansas Promise, CASA, Community Counseling Service, Cutter Morning Star School, Jessieville School Garland County DHS, Genesis Cancer Center, Habitat for Humanity, Hot Springs Housing Authority, Hot Springs School District, Mercy Cancer Center, Mercy Child Advocacy Center, Mountain Pine School, S.A.I.L.S., St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, United Way and VA Outreach.
The partners praise the program through its ability to provide instant relief to a family struggling with food insecurity. The program is designed to provide additional time for a family to find resources for a more stainable food source.
The partners praise the program through its ability to provide instant relief to a family struggling with food insecurity. The program is designed to provide additional time for a family to find resources for a more stainable food source.
Project HOPE Food Bank was specifically designed to partner with non-profits and agencies focused on alleviating hunger.
Part III
Project HOPE Food Bank has the resources to grow and maintain the Emergency Food Box Program. We purchase food wholesale to distribute through out our program area. This also allows the food for the Emergency Food Boxes to be affordable. Project HOPE Food Banks resources that allow this program to have no overhead include: volunteer work force, donated boxes, donated warehouse, debt free equipment and vehicles.
The food bank hosted 8,000 volunteer hours including those of our volunteer Executive Director, Ted Thompson and Inventory Specialist, Charles Hood. We have approximately 30 volunteers that assist with our daily operations including: stocking, filling and building boxes.
The food bank hosted 8,000 volunteer hours including those of our volunteer Executive Director, Ted Thompson and Inventory Specialist, Charles Hood. We have approximately 30 volunteers that assist with our daily operations including: stocking, filling and building boxes.
The program is designed to provide food for distressed families. This allows the family to have food on the table while they mitigate crisis and allows time to seek more sustainable food sources. Food items include: canned meats, soups - chicken noodle, tomato, vegetable and chili, fruits - peaches, pears and mixed fruit, readily prepared dinners – spaghetti pasta and sauce, ravioli dinner and tuna helper, vegetables -canned green beans, sweet peas, carrots, corn, pork & beans, diced tomatoes and mixed vegetables, dry products – macaroni, beans, rice, macaroni & cheese, potatoes, crackers and cereals. Peanut butter and jelly are also included along with shelf stable milk. There are 40 different food items that make up our 50-pound emergency food box.
The emergency food box is designed to provide nutrition for a week for a family of four. The focus is to allow these families time to resolve the crisis or find more substantial food sources. The aim of the program is never to grow the number, only serve those in need.
The boxes distributed provided approximately 36,700 meals to families in crisis. The foods included are easily combined to make nutritious meals to cook at home. I believe this is the most effective endeavor to strengthen the family and alleviate the challenges caused by food insecurity.
The boxes distributed provided approximately 36,700 meals to families in crisis. The foods included are easily combined to make nutritious meals to cook at home. I believe this is the most effective endeavor to strengthen the family and alleviate the challenges caused by food insecurity.
The Emergency Food Box Program provided nutrition to 436 families in crisis and struggling with food insecurity. Approximately 36,700 meals were distributed at a cost of $12,431.00, a cost of about .33 cents per meal. The program is efficient and effective in allowing families time to seek more sustainable food sources.
Each of the 436 families receiving the food boxes were allowed time to amend the crisis and find more sustainable food sources. Other options for receiving are our 30 area partnering pantries or a snap food program application. The program is extremely valued for providing immediate relief to a hunger crisis. All of the professional counselors and caseworkers value the program for the ease of administering the food. The program allows a family in crisis to be assisted without the red tape and government bureaucracy associated with other food programs.
To meet the goals of the Emergency Food Box Program with are continuously evaluating the success of our programs. The items we evaluate are the cost, nutrition, weights, cost by weight and the identifiers. These evaluations along with our analysis of our volunteer board of directors helps the food bank to meet its goals.
In October I received an email through our website requesting food assistance. The email address identified the person requesting assistance as a student at a local high school. I did not have any further information regarding the family or needs so I emailed her back and she explained currently was the oldest in the home and she had two younger siblings she was responsible for. Immediately I checked with her school resource adviser, they were aware of the current circumstances challenging this young girl. I ask if they had an Emergency Food Box available and they assured me they did. She picked up the food box and was able to have food on the table. Although being yet a young person herself they almost immediately was in need of food again. We were able to get her help through an area pantry in the area of the school that focuses on families in that area.
Part IV
Project HOPE Food Bank will use 100% of the granted funds to purchase food to fill the food boxes. This program has no overhead.
Project HOPE Food Bank has an amazing group of board members. Many of our board members are active in our daily operation and can provide essential guidance in meeting our goals. There is a quarterly board meeting headed by our Board President, L. Thomas Jones. Most meetings we have a full quorum and can vote on any changes needed to assist in operations.
The board of directors for Project HOPE Food Bank met a total of 4 times in 2017.
- Were you able to pay all regular operational expenses within 60 days of the due date?
- Have you been able to maintain your 501 (c) 3 Tax Exempt Status?
Ted Thompson
Part V
Part VI
I do not have any events planned at this time.
Part VII
We could use office supplies, thus allowing us to use more funding to put food in our community.