Charities keeping up with flood victims’ needs

By Nick Nesler

LITTLE ROCK — There are times when disaster strikes and charities step in to help those affected by nature’s force. Then there are times when the community or someone else has to help the charities.

Flooding in Independence County and much of the surrounding area has been prevalent over the last month, causing many to leave their homes and their way of life, but charities like Batesville Help and Hope and the Newark Food Pantry stepped in to provide clothing, food and in some cases cooking utensils to those affected. Yet community members have had to come to the aid of flood victims as well, providing groceries and things to help meet the need.

“The community has been overwhelming,” Help and Hope board member Carolyn Wilson said. “They’ve brought in food, clothes and anything else we’ve needed.”

Help and Hope is also fundedby the United Way, which has helped to keep food on the shelves as more than 50 people have taken advantage of the wares provided by the establishment.

While the United Way provides most of the food on the shelves, Wilson noted that the community has continued to bring in food and supplies since the flood.

Wilson said the support has been so large that the charity has had to ask others to hold donations until room could be foundinside the establishment.

While the Batesville area has seen flood waters recede in recent weeks, the Oil Trough area is still dealing with flooding, so some of those who have been assisted by Help and Hope are coming from Oil Trough, but those affected in that area are also able to go to the Newark Food Pantry.

The pantr y, which usually helps about 200 families a month, served 100 families in the first three days it was open after the floodwaters first began to rise on March 17.

The pantry is only open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, andit has received extra supplies from the Arkansas Rice Depot and the Arkansas Food Bank. The Rice Depot provided the pantry extra food for flood victims.

“On April 1, we had our normal trip to the Rice Depot, and they gave us all the flood buckets that we could hold in our trailer,” said Mary Holcombe, a food pantry volunteer.

During the flooding the food pantry had to help 150 people who were stranded in the area by the rising waters.

While the pantry itself never took on water, several homes and businesses did. The food pantry provided bleach, trashbags and boxes to those affected and also cooked seven dozen hot dogs for those stranded that first night. Then the pantry provided canned vegetables for soup to feed those in need over the next few days.

The food pantry services all of the Cedar Ridge School District and receives help from the district as well.

“This school district is just so giving,” Holcombe said. ‘It all comes around pretty good.”

But Holcombe also noted that it takes some divine intervention to keep up with the need.

“With God’s grace we will [keep up],” she said.

Three Rivers, Pages 54, 56 on 04/17/2008