USDA food distribution set for Crittenden County

West Memphis VFW to serve as hub, qualify prior ot Mar. 19 event

By Ralph Hardin

news@theeveningtimes.com

The Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas will host drive-thru a USDA food distribution in Crittenden County on Wednesday, March 19, from 9 to 11 a.m., or until food runs out at the VFW Post 5225 406 S. Avalon St., in West Memphis.

Households receiving USDA foods must reside in Crittenden County and are eligible to receive USDA foods once per month. Recipients must meet the income guidelines that have been set for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Recipients can self-declare the following information to determine program eligibility: name, address, family size, and combined monthly income of the household.

Recipients will only be allowed to pick up USDA foods for themselves unless previously designated as an authorized representative for another qualified household. To pick up food items for a shut-in, elderly person, or other qualified household, the person picking up the food must have signed authorization with the following information from the person they are picking up for: name, address, family size, and combined monthly income of the household receiving the food. Case workers picking up for large groups must make prior arrangements with the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas.

USDA foods are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The Food Bank of Northeast and the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Food Bank staff/volunteers will utilize a translation app to accommodate persons with limited English proficiency.

For more information about the distribution of USDA foods or questions concerning eligibility for this program, contact Natalie Neal at the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas by calling 870-9323663. This institution is an Equal Opportunity Provider.

To receive USDA foods, attendees mustlive in the county of distribution and meetincome guidelines based on household size. Households may only receive USDA foods once per month.

Rules for acceptance and participation in the program are the same for everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), age, or disability.

For more information, contact Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas at 870-932-3663 or usda@foodbankofnea.org.