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Arvest Bank launched its annual Million Meals initiative to fight hunger in the four-state region the bank serves two months ago. Today, the bank announced that with the help of customers and community members, it has exceeded the campaign goal by raising more than 1.92 million meals.
Launched in 2011, Arvest’s Million Meals campaigns have raised a 12-year total of 20,677,340 meals, which includes more than $3.7 million in funds given directly to the bank’s dozens of local food partners.
This year’s campaign total of 1,927,460 meals was made possible through donations from the bank, Arvest associates, customers and community members from April 1-May 28. Arvest also is pleased to announce it raised a record amount of donations – $50,416 – via its Arvest Go mobile banking app.
The success of the campaign is especially meaningful as summer approaches because many children will be without the meals they ordinarily receive at school.
“We are always humbled by the support we receive from our customers, community members and associates during our Million Meals campaign and this year is no different,” Jaren Beavers, vice president and marketing manager of Arvest Bank in North Central Arkansas said. “Helping our neighbors in need is part of Arvest’s DNA and we could not do it on the scale we do without the help we receive from all these groups. We thank everyone involved for their hard work and generosity.”
In Baxter, Boone, and Marion counties, Arvest partnered with the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas, Mercy Mall of Harrison, and Yellville Area Food Closet, respectively, for the campaign. The organizations received all local donations, and this year 241,889 total meals were provided in North Central Arkansas. All money raised through this campaign directly benefitted more than 75 organizations feeding local communities in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
The bank’s decision to provide one million meals was based on the fact hunger is an issue in every community it serves. In 2020, the most recent year statistics are available, 10.5 percent of American households were food-insecure, meaning they had difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all their members due to a lack of resources.
