Entergy Arkansas employees are celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by rolling up their sleeves at the Arkansas Foodbank to fight food insecurity across the state.
Partnering with The Pack Shack for its Feed the Funnel initiative, volunteers put together 10,000 shelf stable meals designed to feed a family of four. Each bag included rice, black beans and spices that make a delicious meal once the ingredients are combined. These meals will remain in Arkansas and be distributed to food pantries statewide.
“We have come together across the enterprise, across all of the Entergy Operating Companies to put together meals in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service,” Entergy Arkansas Senior Public Affairs Representative Brandi Hinkle said. “We know we are doing something to really help our communities.”
Arkansas is number one in food insecurity. The work carried extra weight because of the need it addresses. As volunteers moved down the assembly line, each step represented something tangible — nourishment, stability and hope for families who may be facing difficult choices. Those families aren’t far removed from the volunteers themselves.
“These are our hometowns, these are our communities,” Hinkle said. “This is where we live, where we work, where our kids go to school. It’s important for us to give back to those communities because they give so much to us too.”
Entergy Arkansas Customer Service Manager Jay Hartman said the day reflected the values that Dr. King championed.
“Serving the community was what he was all about,” Hartman said. “Anytime I can do something to help somebody, it relates back to what he did for all of us.”
Employees from different departments worked shoulder to shoulder, reinforcing the idea that service — like electricity — connects everyone.
“We’re just excited to be able to come together and work as a team to make this happen,” Hartman said.
For volunteers, each sealed bag represented more than a meal — it was a reminder that showing up matters. When those meals reach families across Arkansas, the impact of a single day of service will carry far beyond the walls of the warehouse.
