FORT SMITH, Ark. — The Boy’s and Girls Clubs in Fort Smith continue feeding families during the COVID-19 crisis despite being closed, thanks to donations from Community Services Clearinghouse.
“I know a lot of things are reopening, but we are still here!” says volunteer Latavia Rollison.
All four clubs in Fort Smith continue handing out meals and snacks to anyone who stops by without any requirements.
It is curbside pickup so they ask that you do not get out of your vehicle. A staff member will come to your vehicle and assist you.
The Boys and Girls Clubs normally hand out snack packs on Saturdays from 12 p.m to 1 p.m., and sometimes extras depending on what donations they get that day.
Today (May 9), on top of their snack packs, Jeffrey's Boys and Girls Club will be handing out oranges, potatoes, watermelons, and more. All other clubs will only be serving snack packs. Their snack packs include things like, pudding, cheese crackers, cereal, juice boxes, Slim Jims, cookies, and nutrition bars.
They have also been handing out grab and go meals Monday through Friday. Breakfast meals are from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., and dinner from 4:30 p.m to 5:30 p.m. This will go on until further notice.
The Boys and Girls Clubs have been closed due to COVID-19, but have continued feeding families. Currently, they do not have a set date to reopen.
“We are not 100% sure when we will reopen because coronavirus is making it hard for us to reopen. Simply because we’ll have to follow CDC guidelines and with us working with kids, it’ll be hard to practice social distancing and require face masks,” said staff member Cinthia Olvera.
“We are happy to be part of the Boys and Girls Club and helping families in need. We’ve been trying our best to help our community during these desperate times,” says staff member Karla Palafox.
"As volunteers, we never know what another person is going through, so giving people just a little happiness is all that matters. We're not here to judge, we just want to provide what we can and catch a smile that may have been gone," says volunteer Latavia Rollison.
Below are the locations of each club offering meals in Fort Smith.
Jeffrey's Boys and Girls Club - 4905 North O St.
Goldtrap Boys and Girls Club - 8800 South Dallas St.
Stephen's Boys and Girls Club - 3101 North 6th St.
Evans Boys and Girls Club - 6015 Boys Club Lane
