The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance is hosting a reception for the sponsors of the organization’s 14th annual Still Serving Up Solutions event. The reception will be attended by event sponsors and members of the Arkansas legislature, including the Arkansas Legislative Hunger Caucus, and will be hosted at McLarty Volvo Cars of Little Rock by McLarty Auto Group on Thursday, June 10 at 6 p.m.Â
The reception is the in-person element of this year’s hybrid Still Serving Up Solutions event, which will also feature a virtual concert with performances by Dazz and Brie, The Going Jessies, Honey Collective, and Smokey and The Mirror, which premieres at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 17th. Still Serving Up Solutions also includes a virtual auction filled with exciting experiences, travel, artwork, sports memorabilia, jewelry, and more available for bidding, which launched online on Monday, June 7 and closes at 8:30 p.m. on June 17th. Tickets must be purchased to view the virtual concert, but tickets are not required to bid on the virtual auction. Tickets are available for purchase and items are available for bidding. Â
“This year, it’s critical to STILL be Serving Up Solutions — the tremendous need we saw across our state in 2020 has not subsided,” Alliance Chief Executive Officer Kathy Webb said in a statement. “Arkansas’s six Feeding America food banks, which serve hundreds of thousands of Arkansans each week, distributed over 95 million pounds of food in 2020, a 31% increase over 2019. Unfortunately, food banks and pantries, schools and out-of-school programs, SNAP outreach workers, and others report continued high need. And we know our Black and Latinx communities are disproportionately impacted and are experiencing staggering rates of hunger. One volunteer, who prepares care packages for weekly visits she makes to Arkansans in need, tells of arriving at homes to be greeted by more than one person in tears. The volunteer said people told her they had no food, no transportation, and more obligations to meet than money to go around.”  Â
“That’s why STILL Serving Up Solutions is more important than ever,” Kathy Webb continued. “It takes all of us to find the solutions: those we serve who know what they need, and policy makers and others who can make it happen. We salute the members of the Arkansas Legislative Hunger Caucus for participating in this event, and for the role they play in alleviating hunger. On behalf of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, we thank our sponsors for their continued support and their commitment to our work.”  Â
This year’s Still Serving Up Solutions Planning Committee co-chairs, Mica Strother and Greg Hale, have been hard at work on all elements of the event. Â
“We’ve been involved with fundraising events benefiting the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance in years past, and we’ve always been impressed with the organization’s mission, staff, and leadership,” said Mica and Greg. “When Kathy Webb, our dear friend and someone we hold in extraordinarily high regard, approached us about chairing Serving Up Solutions, we jumped at the chance to pitch in! This year has been especially tough on Arkansans struggling with hunger, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work on this event benefiting hunger relief in our state. We hope you join us for this exciting virtual concert to help the Alliance continue Serving Up Solutions in Arkansas!” Â
Hunger has been on the rise in our state this year, with an estimated additional 160,000 Arkansans now facing food insecurity, including approximately one in four Arkansas children. The Alliance has worked hard to meet this increased need along with our food bank and community partners, but continued support of the Alliance is crucial to ensuring Arkansans are able to get food on their tables as we recover from a devastating year.  Â
To purchase virtual concert tickets, bid on items in the virtual auction, and donate to the Alliance, visit one.bidpal.net/stillsus2021.
READ MORE: The Food Deserts of Northeast Arkansas
