With the holiday season coming quickly, the impact of poverty in our community becomes even more prevalent.
In 2019, 15.9% of Sebastian County families lives in poverty, according to the United States Census Bureau.
Spread holiday cheer and help your community, here are a few different ways you can help give back this Christmas
Donate to a food pantry
Contact your local food bank or food pantry to see what they may need.
The River Valley Regional Food Bank has a list of 40 needed items and different ways to get involved. https://www.rvrfoodbank.org
Some go-to items can include: Peanut butter, canned goods, cereal, oatmeal, sugar, flour, personal hygiene products, and many other basics. While it is a kind gesture, many food banks are unable to accept any homemade goods, fresh produce, or any meat that does not have a USDA label on it.
Serve/ Deliver Meals
Fort Smith and surrounding areas provide great resources for locals in poverty to find meals on a daily basis. These places can always use volunteers to help pass out food, cook, deliver, and clean. Below is a list of agencies in need this season.
Boys & Girls Club of Van Buren
Crawford County Senior Citizens Center
Next Step Homeless Services
Sebastian Retired Citizens Association
The Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army offers many different ways of holiday help in the region
Angel Tree Christmas Gifts are located in many Walmart stores and the local Mall in our area. They have many different local children who need Christmas gifts, toys, and clothes this holiday season.
Adopt A Family allows donors to adopt an entire family that may be struggling this Christmas and give them free games, books, gifts, and food boxes.
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