BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. - For the past six months, Feed Blytheville has been responding to the food crisis of area families.
"The project started by delivering a hot meal once each week to area families, but we quickly saw the need was greater than one meal a week," according to Keith Michaels, Feed Blytheville coordinator.
"Now, we're delivering daily meals and snacks to kids 18 and under, courtesy of Word of Truth Global Ministries, as well as delivering monthly food boxes from the Mississippi County Union Mission," said Michaels.
"As we have come to know the families along the way, we helped with additional needs like furniture, beds, refrigerators, couches, space heaters, chairs, household good, sheets, shoes and clothes," according to Michaels. "We are helping the most vulnerable in our community. Most of these folks have no transportation and no way to go get a food box or even apply to get help like food stamps or unemployment."
"Feed Blytheville is doing what we can through the pandemic to make sure these folks have the most basic necessities," said Michaels.
Feed Blytheville is now serving over 50 families, or around 200, people in the Blytheville and Gosnell areas. "We are currently operating on donations from individuals and businesses," said Michaels. "The difference between what we're doing and what the folks who are handing out food boxes are doing is the fact that we are delivering this food right to the houses of the people who need it most."
If you or someone you know is experiencing a food crisis, you can message the Feed Blytheville Facebook page, and we'll walk you through what we need to be able to help. There are no income restrictions.
"You can also find us at the Mississippi County Public Library Monday through Friday from 3:30 p.m. till 4:30 p.m. We're in the parking lot in a black truck," said Michaels. "Just drive up and we'll bring food right to your car." The daily program is for children up to age 18.
"We've received emergency food requests late at night and have been able to respond immediately with a food box," said Michaels. "We were able to get most of our families equipped with space heaters when the last cold snap came through. We do still have several families without water, a stove or refrigerator. So, basically, they have no way to store food, cook it or clean up or wash their hands or use their bathrooms."
There are several ways to help, including the Feed Blytheville Facebook Fundraiser, or you can donate on CashApp or Venmo by using $feedblytheville. Also, if your business has extra inventory of items people can use, Feed Blytheville will pick it up and deliver to a family who can use it.
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