Delta Grassroots Caucus Events

Credit Michael Hibblen/ KUAR News, Arkansas Public Radio; Former President Bill Clinton speaking to the Delta Grassroots Caucus on May 2, 2013, at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, Little Rock

U. S. Senator John Boozman, Arkansas, at a Delta Grassroots Caucus meeting at the US Capitol

Brad Cole, Executive Director of the Municipal League of Illinois; previously a senior aide to former Republican US Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, earlier Mayor of Carbondale, Illinois, veteran Delta regional advocate, speaking at the Delta regional conference in West Memphis, Arkansas on April 26, 2019.

President Bill Clinton makes a comment to Delta Caucus Director Lee Powell at a meeting in Blytheville, Arkansas (in the northeast Arkansas Delta) on Nov. 2, 2014

The Delta Caucus would like to pay tribute to the late, great U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, a powerful force in the US Senate for decades and a champion for the Delta. Sen. Cochran passed away on May 30, 2019. He spoke to the Delta Caucus on many occasions over the years (he is pictured above speaking to a Caucus event on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC) and his thoughtful, courteous and bipartisan leadership will be sorely missed.

Marcie Lawson, Executive Director, Sikeston, Missouri Regional Chamber and Area Economic Development Corporation, speaking at the Delta regional conference in West Memphis, Arkansas on April 26, 2019.

Alan Gumbel, Greater Memphis Alliance for a Competitive Workforce, Memphis, Tennessee, speaking at the Delta regional conference in West Memphis, Arkansas on April 26, 2019.

Mayor Shirley Washington of Pine Bluff, AR, speaking to the Delta Caucus at the Arkansas Capitol Rotunda in 2017.

Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance's Constructive Work in Promoting Nutrition (Summary of 2023 Impact)

Posted on June 25, 2024 at 12:07 PM

The Delta Caucus would like to recognize the achievements of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance with this summary of their 2023 impact from Lance Whitney of the Alliance, who has spoken at several Delta Caucus conferences over the years. Thanks–Lee Powell, Delta Caucus

ARKANSAS HUNGER RELIEF ALLIANCE 2023 IMPACT

DID YOU KNOW: The Alliance cultivates gardens on 15+ acres across Arkansas.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) team answered 12,331 calls in 2023, a 6% increase over 2022.

Alliance applications resulted in 62,764 meal equivalent and a $1.7 million boost to local economies.

ARKANSAS GLEANING PROJECT– Over 1 million pounds of food grown & gleaned in Arkansas!

772 SNAP Applications Taken in 2023

SOURCED over 4 million pounds of food, providing 3.5+ million meals.

DISTRIBUTED $37,300 in emergency gift cards to Arkansans in need. ADVOCATED to eliminate reduced-price meal copay, providing 49,000 Arkansas students access to no-cost breakfast & lunch.

• $56,250 in stipends for classes, equipment and transportation assistance.

94.5% of every dollar donated goes straight to our mission and vision. The program is to increase fresh fruit and vegetable consumption of patients diagnosed with obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Participants are offered nutrition education to build confidence in preparing healthy, low-cost meals.

We implemented the inaugural ARKANSAS FRUIT & VEGETABLE PRESCRIPTION program funded by a federal USDA grant in partnership with Baptist Health and UAMS. This accomplished key goals:

$771,868 AWARDED TO HUNGER RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS IN 2023.

496 VOLUNTEERS gave 5,448 hours

ADVOCACY Every member is an advocate. This year we connected with members of Arkansas’s Congressional delegation and the majority of the Arkansas Legislature through Serving Up Solutions, Lobby Day, and other advocacy efforts in D.C. and across the state.

We pushed for an increase in SNAP asset limits and advocated for the elimination of the reduced price co-pay for Arkansas families. The Farm Bill was a priority this year. The bill, vital for SNAP, also funds The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) that provides commodities to food banks, and the National School Lunch Program.