The idea of developing a food drive for the holidays came to me during the fall of 2010 and when I shared the idea of hosting a food drive the board of directors agreed that we could pull it off! Needless to say we have just completed our 2nd year of this 
outreach and it’s just amazing what we have been able to accomplish.
In my own personal life I never cease to offer thanks for the many blessings I have known. I truly know how fortunate my family and I are. We always have enough food, and most of the time too much, our waist lines are proof of this fact. Others on the other hand are not as fortunate and often find it difficult to make ends meet. Many people living with HIV have basic nutritional needs throughout the year and find it even more difficult to manage good nutrition much less a holiday meal during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. This time of year can become a depressing time for many and the lack of good food combined with decreased sunlight can create an unpleasant experience. Our goal in creating the outreach of the food drive was to eliminate this unnecessary burden. In 2010 we began what is now known as a signature event for HIV Arkansas, the Annual Food Basket Give-a-way. I must say though, this dream wouldn’t and couldn’t be a reality without the dedication and perseverance of Dietrich and Kristy Bengs who came on board with this organization in the fall of 2010. They have been instrumental in gathering food items, making contacts with sponsors, and have spent countless hours sending emails and making phone calls to secure donations. Most all collections have been made in person by the Bengs and delivered to a central location for where they are assembled, packaged, boxed, and labeled for distribution.
In 2010 we were able to give away 20 food baskets containing approximately $30 worth of food which was enough food to make a nice Holiday Feast with all the trimmings. This give-a-way was conducted for Thanksgiving and Christmas making the basket give-a-way grand total of 40! Recipients of the Thanksgiving baskets received a nice turkey breast inside and those receiving the Christmas baskets received a nice ham. Several people sent thank you notes and voice mails to HIV Arkansas for the food baskets. The baskets were delivered to the Northwest Arkansas Regional HIV Clinic for distribution.
In 2011 the challenge of supplying food baskets to the Ft. Smith area was added to our current basket need. Again our board of directors were supportive and we decided we would provide food baskets for the Ft. Smith area as well. I am pleased to report in 2011 HIV Arkansas provided a total of 50 food baskets, 40 went to the Fayetteville area and 10 went to the Ft. Smith area, all containing approximately $50 worth of food which was enough to make a nice Holiday Feast with all the trimmings, plus have several meals during the week. This give-a-way was again conducted for Thanksgiving and Christmas and recipients of the Thanksgiving baskets received a nice Turkey Breast and those who received the Christmas baskets a ham.
Our sincere thanks to the Dietrich and Kristy Bengs, Michael Burks, Heath Lance, Brian Crane, Gail Crane, Tommy Crane, Jerry Cook, Mark Pitts, Ross Pitts, and Kari Coffman for their help in assembling/delivering the baskets of food. Without your help this dream could not have become a reality. Also we want to thank the staff of the NWA Regional HIV Clinic and Dr. Linda McGhee for once again partnering with us to provide this service to needy clients again this year.
