Harvest Regional Food Bank kicks off Hunger Action Month with annual luncheon
Harvest Regional Food Bank kicked off National Hunger Action Month with its annual Hunger Action Luncheon, featuring Arkansas State Representative Carol Dalby and honoring partners, volunteers and the 2026 Hunger Hero of the Year.
Harvest Regional Food Bank kicked off National Hunger Action Month on Tuesday with its annual Hunger Action Luncheon at Williams Memorial United Methodist Church, bringing together volunteers, sponsors, partners and elected officials to shine a spotlight on food insecurity across the region.
The luncheon featured keynote remarks from Arkansas State Representative Carol Dalby and recognized outstanding partners and volunteers, including the 2026 Hunger Hero of the Year.
September is a time to bring special awareness to food insecurity and inspire action throughout the year, said Harvest CEO Camille Coker Wrinkle.
“Both Texas and Arkansas have some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the nation, especially in children under the age of 18,” Wrinkle said. “These are our neighbors; the people we live with, work with, and attend school with.”
Susan Robbins, president of Harvest’s board of directors, said the annual event is a reminder of how far small contributions can go.
“It brings a spotlight to reminding everyone how important it is to help those that are less fortunate,” Robbins said. “What a lot of people don’t realize is that only a few dollars can go such a long way.” She encouraged donors to “always dig a little deeper.”
Carol Dalby, a member of the Arkansas Legislative Hunger Caucus, said lawmakers step up each year to pass legislation aimed at combating hunger in the state. She highlighted the caucus’s “Serving Up Solutions” event, where legislators compete as waiters for tips that are donated to hunger-relief agencies — including a $1,000 annual donation Dalby said she works to steer to Harvest.
Food insecurity nationwide has reached its highest rate in more than a decade, with over 47 million people facing hunger, including 14 million children. In the communities Harvest serves, food insecurity ranges from 14% to over 20% each year.
For more on Hunger Action Month, visit HarvestRegionalFoodBank.org/hunger-action-month.
About Harvest Regional Food Bank
Harvest Regional Food Bank is the Feeding America food bank serving Bowie County, Texas, plus Miller, Lafayette, Hempstead, Little River, Sevier, Howard, Pike, Nevada, and Columbia counties in southwest Arkansas. Formed in 1989, Harvest distributed more than 4 million pounds of food in 2025 through roughly 100 partner agencies, including over 35 Mobile Pantry distributions, backpack and school pantry programs on more than 40 campuses, and a Senior Food Box program.