FORT SMITH (KFSM) -- The River Valley Regional Food bank announced on Thursday (Sept. 8) that they will be partnering with OK Foods to help feed hungry kids in the region, with the help of a sizable chicken donation.
With the newly announced long-term partnership, OK Foods will be donating 500,000 pounds of chicken to the food bank over the next five years.
The donation is valued at roughly $1.5 million, according to an OK Foods press release. This will provide about 1.3 million servings of protein for people in the River Valley.
Sebastian County has a 30 percent food insecurity rate, and more than 6,500 children in Fort Smith alone are food insecure, the release states. Members in both organizations are hopeful that the donation will have a huge impact on families in the area.
The donation was the largest in the history of OK Foods.
“At OK Foods, we take seriously our mission to nourish the world,” said Trent Goins, president and CEO of OK Foods. “We are grateful that our parent company, Bachoco, is supportive in our mission and our efforts. There is a big need for nourishment in our community, and OK Foods is eager to support that need by partnering with the River Valley Regional Food Bank.”