Since April 1, 2020, Answering the Call has been a secular mission managed by the Eureka Springs United Methodist Church that has now delivered more than 50,000 frozen meals to people who are food insecure. Originally, the weekly deliveries were to help people infected with Covid, people who were quarantined because of Covid, or those who had Covid-related loss of income.
“ATC was initiated as a response to the pandemic, and it remained that way a long time,” driver coordinator Bill Featherstone said. “It has very slowly grown into helping people beyond the pandemic, not that we are completely out of the woods with Covid. We also started out just serving the western district of Carroll County. As time passed and we witnessed first-hand the general need for food, ATC has evolved into serving the entire county.”
Using Feeding America data, ATC estimates there are about 1,000 people on the west side of the Kings River and 2,500 on the east side of the river who are food insecure. ATC is trying to fill a void that has not been served – specifically, the delivery of heat-and-eat complete meals to anyone in need.
“We provide and deliver food on an honor system,” Featherstone said. “Most people are honest. We don’t question and we don’t judge. We’re just trying to help people. The feedback we have gotten from day one has been inspirational to the point that it has driven all of us to keep doing this and wanting to do more.”
Featherstone said that once they got into delivering food countywide, it became obvious to all involved that the need for food in Carroll County was in place before the pandemic and was going to be there after the pandemic. The goal now is that everyone in Carroll County has access to food.
ATC is in the process of spinning off from the Methodist Church umbrella to become its own nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. That is expected to be a benefit for the group that heretofore has relied 100 percent on private donations.
“We have no administrative fees,” Featherstone said. “We are 100 percent volunteer. The only fees that have been administered are typical credit card service fees applied to any online donations. Our volunteers have some of the biggest hearts you will find anywhere. And donors have been amazingly generous, allowing us to continue doing this for over two years without holding our hand out.
“However, we will have to raise some new funds soon. We are spending in excess of $1,000 a week on food now and will have a fundraiser on Facebook in the near future. We will be doing other things, too, to get the message out about the need for money to continue the program.”
About three months ago, ATC started being a distribution center for monthly food boxes provided by the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Featherstone said the quantity and quality of the food has been exceptional. Boxes can be picked up at the Methodist Church on second Wednesdays of the month or delivered to those receiving the weekly meal packages using the same drivers.
ATC also encourages neighbors to help neighbors with the monthly food boxes. If someone you know could use some food, pick it up on the second Wednesday and deliver it to them.
Monthly food boxes consist of frozen meat, fresh produce, and an assortment of items with a stable shelf life. One food box is provided per household of one to four people.
“The feedback on the monthly food boxes has been outstanding,” he said. “Though the bulk of this food is intended for pickup, we will deliver it to anyone challenged by transportation in Carroll County, same as with the weekly bags.”
While operated under the auspices of the Methodists, service has never been limited to just Methodists. Volunteers are also not limited to just Methodists.
“Our volunteers are a very diverse group,” Featherstone said. “They reflect Eureka. A bunch of folks from all walks who just care.”
It is estimated that 13 percent of people in the U.S. are food insecure. The USDA defines this as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean they are all going hungry every day, although many are,” Featherstone said. “In those cases where they are not going hungry, they are not getting enough nutrition every day. The cumulative impact of that over time is malnutrition. Not getting enough quality in food can be just as devastating as not getting enough quantity.”
The recent inflation surge has also spiked the need for food in Carroll County.
“Our deliveries are ticking up every week due to inflation. Hopefully, we don’t go back to the levels seen at the peak of the pandemic, but we need to prepare for that.” he said. “You hear stories about people making tough choices such as what food to eat or paying the rent. Filling up the car with gas or eating. There are way too many people employed in Eureka who don’t make a living wage, so it has become extra tough for them.
“I’ve heard of a couple of people employed downtown who are homeless. We are delivering to someone right now who lives in a small storage building. These folks may have a job, but not enough money to cover all their expenses, one of which is food. It is not just elderly or disabled people, but working people in restaurants and shops who are having a hard time making ends meets. These are among the people ATC is serving. Awareness is the key. This is what people need to consider when thinking of making donations to help.”
ATC can always use more volunteer drivers. To volunteer or request help with food, please contact Martie at (479) 253-8987 or email her at esumcoffice@lovespokenhere.org.