New grant to fund food pantries on six college campuses

As food insecurity continues to be a concern at colleges nationwide, a new grant may help alleviate that worry on several campuses in southern Arkansas.

The Arkansas Foodbank will use the $50,000 grant—awarded by the Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation—to open two campus food pantries by next fall and four more in 2017, according to a news release from the nonprofit.

“We are so excited to expand our efforts in fighting hunger on college campuses,” Arkansas Foodbank CEO Rhonda Sanders said. “These new campus pantries will help students focus more on their studies as well as help them with high costs of living and tuition.”

The Foodbank will reach out to the colleges within the shared service area of the King Foundation and the Arkansas Foodbank to start implementing the pantries, according to the release. Currently, the nonprofit supports campus pantries at Pulaski Technical College and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.