Funding will support fresh produce distribution and school markets serving families across 33 Arkansas counties
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (July 16, 2026)— Arkansas Foodbank is proud to announce it has received a $225,000 grant from the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas to support two critical hunger-relief initiatives: the Fresh Produce Initiative and School Markets program. The investment will help increase access to nutritious food for children, families, and seniors throughout the Foodbank’s 33-county service area.
The three-year grant will strengthen the Foodbank’s ability to purchase and distribute fresh fruits and vegetables through its network of partner agencies while also expanding innovative school markets that provide groceries and other essential food items to students and their families.
"We are incredibly grateful to the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas for this generous investment in our mission," said Sherri Jones, Chief Programs Officer of Arkansas Foodbank. "At a time when Arkansas continues to face some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the nation, this support will help us connect more families with healthy food while building long-term solutions that strengthen communities."
Through this investment, the Foodbank will expand access to healthy food for children, families, and seniors by strengthening connections between local farmers and food pantries. This work will create more direct and efficient pathways for distributing fresh, nutritious food across Arkansas communities. Additionally, it will cover fresh produce purchases, transportation costs, and food credits for five school market pilot locations in Gurdon, Hot Springs, Batesville, Little Rock, and Searcy—and will expand to more counties over time. Together, these programs are expected to help improve food security and nutrition outcomes for thousands of Arkansans each year.
“The Foundation is excited to provide this grant because of the way the Arkansas Foodbank’s plan involves communities in the work,” said MFA President & CEO the Rev. J. Wayne Clark. “Our Grant Administration Committee saw and appreciated the plan’s innovation and its potential for creating long-term benefit, so they decided to make a significant gift from our Transformational Impact Fund. We make this investment because we believe this work will help thousands of people live more healthful, abundant lives right here in Arkansas.”
This project was funded by a grant from the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas. The Foundation's mission is to establish and manage charitable funds that strengthen and expand Methodist ministries across Arkansas and support transformative work in communities across the state.
About Arkansas Foodbank
Arkansas Foodbank is the state's largest hunger-relief organization, strategically sourcing and distributing food through a network of more than 400 partner agencies and feeding programs serving 33 counties in central and southern Arkansas. Through food distribution, child hunger programs, senior nutrition initiatives, and community partnerships, Arkansas Foodbank works to provide food and resources to families in need while pursuing a hunger-free Arkansas. For more information about Arkansas Foodbank, visit arkansasfoodbank.org.
About Methodist Foundation for Arkansas
With a mission to establish and manage charitable funds to strengthen and expand Methodist ministries across Arkansas, the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas manages over $280 million in endowment funds and other charitable assets that benefit local churches and other Methodist ministries. Founded in 1963, the Foundation has grown into one of the largest Methodist foundations in the country, managing more than 800 funds that support Methodist ministries. To learn more, visit methodistfoundationAR.org.
