Arkansas Food Assistance
Food Stamps * Food Banks * Food Pantries * Soup Kitchens * WIC
School Meals * Special Milk * Summer Food * Senior Nutrition
Arkansas food assistance programs and sources include the State run Arkansas Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens – all helping local residents in need to cope with hunger and food insecurity.
Food Stamps in Arkansas – The Arkansas Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
A cornerstone in Arkansas food assistance is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) run by the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS).
The SNAP in Arkansas is also known as the Food Stamp Program that provides Arkansas food assistance benefits to all eligible residents.
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Learn more about
SNAP benefits a.k.a. Food Stamps.
Who is eligible for SNAP benefits (Food Stamps) in Arkansas?
How to apply for Arkansas Food Assistance?
How does Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) determine eligibility?
Approved! When and how do I get the Food Stamps benefits?
How much Food Stamps benefits do participants receive per month?
How and where to use Food Stamps Benefits?
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Arkansas
If you are Arkansas resident and in need of food assistance find out if you qualify for food stamps in the State of Arkansas by contacting your local DHS office.
If you qualify and you are approved for SNAP assistance, you will start getting food stamps a.k.a. Arkansas SNAP benefits on a monthly basis.
Arkansas Food Stamp (SNAP) benefits help needy low-income Arkansas residents buy the food they need for good health. The SNAP benefits supplement their monthly food bill and allow to buy more healthy food.
The monthly Arkansas food assistance benefits are called allotments and are deposited in dollars into the Electronic Benefit Card (EBT) accounts of each beneficiary.
This is done each month on a certain date following the Benefits Issuance Schedule.
Each EBT account comes with a bank debit card that can be used at any of the Arkansas food stamps approved grocery stores.
Find more on what kind of food you can buy using your Arkansas SNAP Benefits…
Arkansas Food Stamps (SNAP) | Eligibility | Apply | Approval | Benefits
%
Approx. of the total Arkansas population received Food Stamp Benefits in 2018
Recipients in June, 2018 of Food Stamps (SNAP) Benefits in Arkansas
Arkansas Food Assistance Benefits
Find more on what kind of food you can buy using your Arkansas Food Assistance benefits…
Food Assistance Program | Eligibility | Apply | Approval | Benefits
Food Banks in Arkansas
Arkansas food assistance banks play an important role in the overall effort to end hunger and food insecurity throughout the State.
The food banks in Arkansas collect food from various sources like wholesale organizations, grocery stores, and farms that have food in excess and are willing to donate.
The food banks then sort store and distribute donated food to local soup kitchens, shelters, and food pantries.
The Arkansas Foodbank is such non-profit organization that works to alleviate hunger in Arkansas.
Arkansas Food Banks
Food Pantries in Arkansas
Arkansas food assistance pantries offer food directly to people that need it and who have means to cook it.
They usually receive food from local food banks and in turn distribute it to low-income individuals and households at no cost.
Food pantries are typically located in facilities where received food can be stored and handled in a safe and sanitary manner.
Each food pantry serves a designated local area and most of them require prior registration and approval before food can be distributed to a particular individual or a family.
Soup Kitchens in Arkansas
Soup kitchens serve cooked meals on site to needy people at no cost. Like the food pantries, they normally receive their food from local food banks.
Soup kitchens take care mostly of homeless people and people who do not have the means to cook for themselves.
They require storage, cleaning, and cooking equipment as they have to do food preparation, serving, and the cleaning after the meals.
Food pantries are typically located in facilities where received food can be stored and handled in a safe and sanitary manner.
Each food pantry serves a designated local area, and most of them require prior registration and approval before food can be served to a particular individual or a family.
WIC Program in Arkansas
Arkansas Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides healthy foods, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, health care referrals to Arkansas pregnant women, new mothers, infants and young children during times of important growth.
Arkansas Women, Infants, and Children Program
School Meals in Arkansas
Schools meals in Arkansas are offered mainly through National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The Arkansas school meals programs make nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free meals available to school children each school day in the year.
School meals nutritional standards are based on the recommendation from the Institute of Medicine and U.S. Government and teachers have reported that students perform better in class if they get regular meals. Children getting school breakfast also had significantly reduced absence and tardiness rates, according to a Tufts University study.
Arkansas School Lunch Program | Arkansas School Breakfast Program
Special Milk Program in Arkansas
Arkansas Special Milk Program offers milk to children in schools, childcare institutions, and eligible camps. Any child in a school or institution that participates in the Special Milk Program can get milk. Schools may elect to offer free milk to low-income children. To qualify for Arkansas Special Milk, the child must be a resident of the State of Arkansas.
Summer Food Program in Arkansas
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides free meals and snacks to help low-income Arkansas children get nutritious meals in the summer time. The SFSP is a federal program that provides grants to local sponsors who want to combine a food service with a summer activity program.
The funding provided by SFSP ensures that Arkansas children in low-income areas continue to receive nutritious meals during long school vacations when they do not have access to school lunch or breakfast.
Arkansas Summer Food Service Program
Senior Nutrition in Arkansas
Arkansas Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) provides low-income seniors with special checks to buy fresh, nutritious fruits, vegetables, and herbs from authorized farmers’ markets. To qualify for Arkansas senior nutrition special checks, the applicants must be 60 years of age or older and their gross household income must not exceed certain limits.
An application must be completed for each person in the household that wants to apply for the SFMNP benefits. Once approved, each beneficiary must reapply every year to continue participating in the Arkansas Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. Learn more about how senior nutrition program works.
Arkansas Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
Sources: State Agencies, FNS, USDA