HSV Pickleball Club held a summer food drive

The Hot Springs Village Pickleball Club has again stepped up to the task of feeding hungry children. Club member James Ingram said, “This group is really generous when it comes to donations. This is our third food drive.”

Prompted by a conversation on the Nextdoor website, the club became aware that area food pantries were having difficulty in meeting the food needs of the community. This scarcity in donations is just one of the many repercussions of COVID-19. Many people live paycheck-to-paycheck and due to job losses because of the pandemic, many are scrambling to provide their families with basic necessities in these uncertain times.

In Arkansas, over 521,000 people are struggling with hunger. Over 162,000 of these facing food insecurity are children.

Arkansas schools participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). This is a federally assisted meal program that provides nutritious low-cost or free lunches to children. In 1988, this program was expanded to include snacks. The NSLP also includes breakfast, a special milk program, and an after-school snack program.

These programs ensure that hungry children are at least receiving some sustenance during days school is in session. When school is not in session some needy children do not receive the necessary food to fuel their growing bodies.

Earlier this summer, members of the Hot Springs Village Pickleball Club began gathering non-perishable food for the Cedar Mountain Boys and Girls Club. The Boys and Girls Club is located at 5050 North State Highway 7 in Hot Springs Village.

Hot Springs Village Pickleball Club food drive

On Monday, July 6, 2020, industrious pickle ballers met at the Pickleball Courts to load up their vehicles with the many boxes of food collected and deliver the supplies to the Boys and Girls Club. HSV Pickleball Club members assisting in this task were Jim Bailey, David Eimer, Dan Rymer, James Ingram, Dennis Wild, Dan Botkin, Bruce Dale, Greg Allen, and Charlie John.

HSV Pickleball Club Food Drive for Boys and Girls Club

According to Jay Engle, “The HSV Pickleball Club has again responded to help the community and has gathered food donations for the Boys and Girls Club, who has been challenged with a supply shortage. What a wonderful group that always comes through generously.”