Entergy Arkansas is a longtime sponsor of the Arkansas Foodbank, contributing thousands in grants dollars and employee contributions, and hundreds of volunteer hours, over the years.

The Arkansas Foodbank network spans 400 local pantries across 33 counties in central and southern Arkansas and serves 280,000 people each year. It is one of six founding members of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, which includes all six Feeding America food banks across the state and focuses on a coordinated approach to connecting families with nutritious food, resources and education.

Beginning in 2023, Entergy Arkansas began donating specifically to the KTHV11 Summer Cereal Drive and working collection sites across the service area. This provided a way to help Arkansas children – and families – have adequate food during the summer, when many underprivileged kids were unable to get healthy meals from their school.

“Unfortunately, Arkansas ranks number one in the country for food insecurity,” said Brandi Hinkle, senior public affairs representative for Corporate Social Responsibility. “That doesn’t just mean food is scarce for these individuals, but it also means that affordable, nutritious foods are often unattainable.”

That equates to 1 in 5 households, 1 in 4 children and 1 in 8 seniors in the state who lack access to healthy foods as a result of household income, transportation barriers and employment opportunities, among other factors.

Last year, the Arkansas Foodbank lost federal funding that was used to supplement the cereal and other shelf-stable foods with fresh fruits and vegetables. To help combat the loss, Entergy Arkansas increased its annual donation of $30,000 to $50,000 – specifically to balance out those meals through “Produce Power” and support a healthy, active lifestyle.

“The Summer Cereal Drive is so important to feeding hungry kids,” Hinkle said, “and we knew this was an opportunity to fill a need that would help ‘power’ kids the way we produce electricity and power the grid. And I love a good pun!”

Every dollar donated can be used to purchase three breakfast produce items. In its first year, the initiative delivered an impressive 189,655 apples, oranges, bananas and more to families across the state – each one helping to provide a healthier start to the day and contributing to stronger communities. This work supports the Foodbank’s long-term goal of making one-third of all distributed food fresh produce.

Last year, Entergy Arkansas donated more than $2.1 million to nonprofits in community across the state through the Entergy Charitable Foundation, employee giving and those grants ranged from $500 to $50,000 in the areas of education, poverty solutions, workforce and more, and are part of the company’s commitment to making the communities where we live and work better through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Investing in those communities immediately impacts those who we serve now, and many will benefit in the future.

Supporting organizations like the Arkansas Foodbank is one of the many ways Entergy Arkansas advances the Affordable Power pillar of Next Generation Arkansas. By partnering with organizations that help families access nutritious food and other essential resources, Entergy Arkansas is helping ease financial burdens and strengthen the communities it serves for generations to come.

“While we’ve been supporting opportunities to grow and improve quality of life for Arkansans for many years, these actions directly support Next Generation Arkansas with a brighter future for everyone,” Hinkle said, “and we want to set the standard as a corporation for giving back and being a good partner to our communities.”