Extension of funding for the Statewide School Food Pantry Program

Jonesboro, Arkansas – The Statewide School Food Pantry Program’s funding has been extended through the end of the year, according to a statement released by the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas.
The Food Bank was notified in July that financing for the program will expire on Tuesday, September 30.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Arkansas Department of Human Services jointly provide funding for the school food pantry program.

The statewide program, which allows 51 school districts in Arkansas to offer emergency food assistance to families with children under the age of 18, is administered by the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas.

CEO Christie Jordan claims that DHS notified the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas that program changes were necessary since the amount of TANF monies allotted to Arkansas had been reduced.

She stated, “I was obviously disappointed that the School Food Pantry Program would not receive funding for the new program year, even though I understand that DHS had to make some difficult decisions regarding decreased funding.” “We anticipated that the loss of these food resources would be difficult for many of the families served through the School Food Pantry Program, so we informed our school partners to allow as much time as possible to communicate the changes with families who receive supplemental food through the program.”

According to a press release, Arkansas has a significantly higher proportion of kid food insecurity than the rest of the country (17.5%), at 23.2%. More than 163,000 children in Arkansas, according to Feeding America, experience food insecurity.

“On August 23, DHS said that they might provide the School Food Pantry Program with a funding extension through December 31, 2024. In an effort to keep the program going until 2025, DHS is also looking into alternative financing sources, according to Jordan.

Participating schools were informed on Tuesday, August 27, that the program can go through the end of the calendar year, the news release said, after working out certain process specifics for the funding extension.