From shelves to facility: Pair build a food pantry

Part of the charm of New Hope Outreach Food Pantry is the home-like atmosphere created with the help of volunteers including the fireplace behind Tim and Linda Jordan. In addition to it being a place for clients to wait, the space has been used for community programs including movie night and a community Christmas.
Part of the charm of New Hope Outreach Food Pantry is the home-like atmosphere created with the help of volunteers including the fireplace behind Tim and Linda Jordan. In addition to it being a place for clients to wait, the space has been used for community programs including movie night and a community Christmas.

BISMARCK -- Point Cedar is a tiny community -- not much more than a spot in the road -- in Hot Spring County. An aging population, lack of jobs and a stagnant local economy have had an impact on the area.

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When Tim and Linda Jordan were given the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance’s Out Against Hunger Award a few years ago, the nomination letter by Lynn Sudderth noted the couple were “striving to meet, not only the needs of those with food insecurity, but the needs of their entire community.”

"We've seen a need in the community," says Tim Jordan, who, with his wife, Linda, grew up in Point Cedar. Both are ministers of New Beginnings Church. "There's a lot of need here. A lot of people hurting."

The couple oversee New Hope Outreach Ministries, a food pantry. With the help of Glen and Barbara Shuffield, who manage the day to day operations of the food pantry, and other volunteers, they provide boxes of food three times a month to local residents.

"This area has never recovered from the 2008 economic collapse," Tim explains. "There are no jobs here. There used to be a saw mill at Glenwood. It closed. Different major manufacturing plants over in Hot Springs have closed. The plants in Arkadelphia have closed, and Hot Spring County is not a manufacturing county to begin with."

The closest grocery store for this small community used to be in Bismarck, which is 12 miles away. "Now the closest full-service grocery store, such as Wal-Mart or Kroger is in Hot Springs, and that's 25 miles away," Tim says.

New Hope Outreach started with a thrift store that kept a couple of shelves of canned goods for people in need. The Jordans soon realized that wasn't enough. They built a 400-square-foot food pantry next door. "We were swamped that first day," Linda says. "We had people come and spend the night that first night to get in line."

And even that wasn't enough. "It was kinda like we were already behind," Tim says. "As soon as you drive the first nail, you're already behind."

"People had to wait outside," Linda says. "There was no place for anyone to wait. We had one lady collapse from heat exhaustion, and when it was cold, people would start fires to try and keep warm." Traffic and parking were also a problem.

They knew they had to build a bigger building, but weren't sure how. Help came in the form of philanthropist Dorothy Morris of Hot Springs. Tim and Dorothy met at an Arkansas Hunger Alliance workshop and soon discovered they are related.

Morris wanted to help the Jordans better serve the needs of the community. Tim had received some state grants, and Morris helped round up more grant money through nonprofits.

"So between the two, we pulled it together and built all this with a lot of volunteer help," says Tim about the new food pantry, built in 2015. The 4,000-square-foot building has a commercial kitchen, a warehouse, bathrooms and a dining area. The couple don't owe a dime on the building. Men from the community came together to erect it.

"Those trees come out of our neighbor's yard," says Tim, pointing at the wood walls. "Most of the lumber came out of her yard, and we cut it up at our sawmill."

"The benches and the curtains are all hand-made. The only things we bought were the two fans. Everything else was made or donated," Linda says.

Clients can now come in and wait their turn in the dining room, a homey place with overhead lights made with Mason jars hanging from wagon wheels, a fireplace and stained concrete floors. "We can give them coffee and cookies and give them something to do and get them out of the elements," Linda says.

They figure they feed 200-250 families a month. They serve those living within a 10-mile radius of the food pantry or in the Bismarck School District.

"We've never turned anybody away. If we find out that they are out of our area, we give them food and then tell them where their closest pantry is," Linda says. "The only thing we ask for is where they live. We don't ask them anything financial. They need food. It's hard for some people.

"A lot of people in need won't come because of pride. We try to make it as discreet as possible. We don't dive into how much money they have. We say just 'come,'" she adds.

Other churches participate, as well. On the first Saturday of the month, Bismarck First Baptist Church serves breakfast at the pantry. Bismarck United Methodist Church pitches in with funding. Still others provide much-needed volunteer help.

At one time, New Beginnings Church was buying the food they were distributing, but now donations come from various sources including the Arkansas Foodbank and Kroger. They even have a greenhouse and garden where they grow vegetables to supplement the donations.

Food insecurity is a problem everywhere, Tim says. "It is an ongoing struggle in small communities."

The couple hope to build another greenhouse to provide more fresh and nutritious food, build a loading dock and get a generator so that if their electricity goes out, they don't lose food.

It's all donation based, says Tim about their funding, "You've got to watch what you're doing and try to figure out best where money can go to help folks."

For more information about New Hope Outreach or to make a donation, contact the Jordans at (501) 865-6426.

High Profile on 05/28/2017

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