Food pantries across Jonesboro are grappling with a significant shortfall in donations ahead of Thanksgiving, leaving many in need of assistance as the holiday approaches. Workers at local pantries are urging residents to step up and help bridge the gap.

At the Helping Neighbor Food Pantry, staff are struggling to provide turkeys to all their clients. According to pantry coordinator Elizabeth Ivener, there have not been enough turkey donations to meet demand. To manage the shortage, the pantry is conducting a drawing during every distribution shift, which takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, to determine which families will receive a turkey.

“It’s just been a really difficult year for food pantries as well as for our clients,” said Ivener. “We have had some turkeys donated, and so we’re doing a drawing each shift and giving a few turkeys away.”

In previous years, the pantry was able to provide full Thanksgiving meals to families in need, but Ivener noted that cuts to federal food assistance programs have reduced the supply available to food pantries.

“We’re a USDA agency, and unfortunately, USDA got hit by budget cuts a couple of years ago,” Ivener said. “And we’re now sensing that. They plan two years in advance.” High inflation has further strained families’ ability to put food on the table, she added.

“I mean, some of them don’t have any income, or they don’t have sufficient income,” Ivener explained. “And they basically are just grasping for whatever they can find in order to, you know, to feed their families.”

The Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas is also gearing up for its annual Thanksgiving giveaway, which provides food boxes to qualifying households. Rebecca Hendrick, chief development officer for the organization, said one of the food bank's partner agencies, Mississippi County Union Mission, is coordinating distribution.

“If they are a person who qualifies for food assistance, they will just give them a call at that food pantry and hopefully be one of the first people in line to be able to get a box like this,” Hendrick said.

Hendrick encouraged anyone in need to visit the organization’s website at foodbankofnea.org, where they can use an interactive map to find the nearest food pantry.

“They can go to foodbankofnea.org and they can click on the map that says find food, enter their address, and then they can see all of the places that are closest to them that they can get food assistance and get a little bit of help during the holiday season,” Hendrick said.

To further combat food insecurity, the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas will host its 19th annual “Fill the Food Bank” drive on Nov. 20. Donations of nonperishable food items will be accepted from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Walmart on Highland Drive in Jonesboro. Additional collection sites will be available at 16 other locations across the region.

“We need help now more than ever,” Hendrick said. “I think a lot of people are struggling, like I said, with rising grocery prices, rising fuel prices.”

For more details on food assistance or to find donation opportunities, residents can visit foodbankofnea.org.