Arvest Bank launched its annual ‘Million Meals’ initiative to fight hunger across the four-state region the bank serves two months ago. On Thursday, 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 announced 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 during our Million Meals campaign and this year is no different,” said Jim Cargill, president and CEO of Arvest Bank in Central, Northeast and Southwest Arkansas. “Helping our neighbors in need is part of who we are at Arvest. We could not do it on the scale we do without the help we receive from our customers, community members and associates. We thank everyone involved for their hard work and generosity.”
In Central Arkansas, Arvest partnered with Arkansas Foodbank for the campaign. The organization received all local donations, and this year 167,343 total meals were provided in Central Arkansas. All money raised through the campaign directly benefited more than 75 organizations feeding communities in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
The bank said it’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.
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