FORT SMITH, Ark. — The River Valley Regional Food Bank (RVRFB) and Panera Bread, along with the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization Feeding America, have partnered to deliver packaged meals to residents in the River Valley.
The delivery program began Friday (April 24) with Panera Bread delivering 105 meal packages to the RVRFB for the distribution. Each package has four meals inside, enough to serve 420 individuals.
The RVRFB Street Team on Friday delivered the Panera Bread meals to residents in low-income housing areas and senior living centers in Alma, Barling, Fort Smith and Van Buren.
In addition to delivering meals to residences in these areas, the RVRFB Street Team also assisted the Boys & Girls Club of the Alma Area with their hot meal delivery program. These meals were delivered to families with children that aren’t of school age and don’t receive meals from the Alma School District.
Panera Bread — through its #SeeAPlateFillAPlate program with Feeding America — and the River Valley Regional Food Bank have committed to continue the meal delivery partnership every weekday over the next three weeks.
The RVRFB’s meal delivery partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of the Alma Area will also continue over the course of the next three weeks.
River Valley Regional Food Bank
The intention of the meal delivery program is to deliver nutritious meals to residents living in low-income housing areas and senior living centers in cities across the River Valley Regional Food Bank’s eight-county service area.
“We are so blessed to have the community support and the national support of Feeding America during these trying times,” said Food Bank Director Tracy Engel. “We hope by partnering with Panera Bread, that the nourishment provided during this time with these meals also provides comfort for their souls. Through this program, we hope to reach families in each of our eight counties.”
The program will resume Monday (April 27) when the street team distributes food to residents of Briarwood Apartments in Fort Smith at 10 a.m. The media is invited to attend.
