Hunger Relief Alliance shows interest in launching local effort

State agency addresses Quorum Court on possibility of county feeding program

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Kay Kay DeRossette, associated with Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and a Little Rock campaign that connects children and teenagers to federally funded meal programs, appeared before Crittenden County Quorum Court Justices last Tuesday to see if there is an interest in initiating a similar federally funded campaign in Crittenden County.

DeRossette said the Little Rock initiated began in 2018 and with the financial assistance from a federal grant the campaign organizers were able to make young children and teenagers in the Little Rock area aware of where they can go to get free meals.

In 2018 alone the impact was significant in that we were able to provide 30,000 meals citywide at various locations such as schools, libraries, community centers and other locations,” DeRossette told justices.

From local information regarding free meal programs for children and teens in Crittenden County, DeRossette said she is aware of as many as 18 meal sites throughout the county and 31 after school locations.

“From the information I have been able to gather you might want to adopt a similar campaign here,” DeRossette told justices.

Accompanying DeRossette was Terry Hunter with the Arkansas Depart- ment of Human Services in Little Rock, who told justices DHS is very active in providing free meals to needy and at-risk children in Crittenden County during summer feeding programs that are conducted annually.

But, he said, establishing a similar program to what DeRossette is suggesting would be very beneficial to children in need of healthy meals.

The Little Rock program, called Be Mighty Little Rock, works to expand access to meals by increasing the number of sites serving meals and increasing the number of participants.

DeRossette said recruiting new sites, providing support to sites, and raising community awareness of meal programs have been key areas of focus for the project.

She said there are grants available and that if there is an interest in establishing a similar program in Crittenden County that she would be willing to help get it organized and up and running.

Anyone or organization willing to establish a federally funded meal program in Crittenden County can go to www.bemightylittlerock. org.