The Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry has a new walk-in freezer and expanded locker system to better serve clients! These improvements were made possible through financial support from Hellmann’s Walmart Team, iHeartMedia and the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.
On average, the pantry receives around 400 visits per month, and also supports mini-pantries, specialized basket programs, and deliver orders to express locations across the campus community. This is made possible by nearly 80 volunteers each semester, along with the dedication of 11 student leaders who combined contribute more than 2,300 volunteer hours each semester.
The pantry strives to provides clients with items they truly value and that are culturally reflective. With the new walk-in freezer, pantry staff are more confident than ever to do this!
“We can now accept large donations of frozen products and purchase frozen goods from the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank,” said Delaney Farris-Dyer, assistant director, Center for Community Engagement and Full Circle Food Pantry advisor. “By increasing our supply of frozen proteins and vegetables, we further our mission to create a community of compassion that centers on the client’s choice.”
Along with client choice, the pantry aims to be accessible beyond the weekly open hours and uses lockers for clients to place orders that can be picked up at any time, improving accessibility.
“The new locker system doubled the number of lockers available, increasing the number of clients we can serve in this way,” said Caroline Wilson, chair of the pantry last year when this project. “Orders are placed online, volunteers fill them during open hours, and clients receive emails to access their orders after hours.”
The Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry is a student-led emergency food assistance program striving to serve clients with balanced meals. All students, faculty, staff, Chartwells employees and temporary employees at the U of A or UAMS can receive up to two orders a week. The Full Circle Food Pantry is dedicated to nourishing bodies, empowering minds and creating a community of compassion.
To learn more about pantry services, email pantry@uark.edu.
To host a donation drive benefiting Full Circle, email fcdrives@uark.edu.
You can also make a donation online.
A version of this story previously ran in Arkansas News.
