The Gathering Place
The Gathering Place
Growing healthy food, preparing delicious meals, and sharing our bounty with others has always been a part of Meadowcreek's tradition. And thanks to the dedicated efforts of residents Aliza and Tim Cummings, food is being distributed beyond the valley to others in our region.
The Cummings witnessed many individuals and families who were going hungry. The biggest problem was that even though this is a rural area, it is a virtual food desert in one of the poorest counties in Arkansas. Illness, disability, addictions, lack of job opportunities, economic decline, and aging often compound that challenge.
Tim and Aliza decided to help by creating an organization called The Gathering Place Food Pantry @ Meadowcreek. They gather produce, shelf-stable products, and commodities from different resources and then distribute the goods to local people in need.
As they worked to disperse the goods and volunteered at other area food pantries, they found that many residents had no means of picking up the supplies. Hundreds of folks live in the mountains without running water, indoor toilets, electricity, or transportation. Several families often rely on one vehicle just to get to work. Children and parents are left without ways to go to the doctor, school, activities, church, or get groceries. These are grave situations that many of us have never faced.
What makes The Gathering Place different is the ability to draw from so many amazing volunteers who help in all kinds of ways. Some take the groceries straight to the communities, homes, places, and people where there is a need.
Then, once a month, Aliza parks our truck and trailer outside Meadowcreek's Exchange in Fox where our food pantry is now located. There local volunteers quickly sort and pack boxes to load into a long line of waiting vehicles. The groceries provide vital supplies to at least 500 families.
We believe there is no reason anyone should be hungry in our region on our watch, especially when we are one of the most food-rich countries in the world.
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Aliza and Tim recognize that unplanned circumstances may prevent individuals and families in our region from achieving enough revenue to care for themselves. The biggest problem is living in a
rural food desert and in one of the poorest counties in AR. A myriad of other reasons including illness, disability, addictions, lack of job opportunities, economic declines, and aging.
For that reason, The Gathering Place developed a food pantry that picks up produce, shelf-stable products, and more, from different resources and distributes what they gather to people in need over
our region. What makes our pantry different is the ability to draw from so many amazing volunteers who
help in so many ways. Some of them can take the food straight to the communities, homes, places, and people where there is a need.
One of the first problems we found when we helped with another pantry in the area was the lack of transportation, the rough terrain, and the lack of resources here. There are hundreds of people in these
mountains without running water, indoor toilets, electricity, and/or transportation.
Many communities have one vehicle that several families share just to get to work. Children and parents are left without ways
to go to the doctor, school, activities, church, or get groceries. Many of us never even consider these grave situations or circumstances.
Once a month our truck and trailer are set up outside Meadowcreek's Exchange where our food pantry is now located in Fox, to distribute to at least 500 families. Local volunteers load groceries into the
lined-up vehicles and other volunteers pick up items to supply people in their neighborhoods.
We believe there is no reason anyone should be hungry in our region on our watch when we are one of the most food-rich countries in the world.
