The Spirit of Volunteering is Alive in El Dorado
For over 15 years, The Salvation Army of El Dorado, Arkansas has been working with the community to provide meals during the week of Spring Break to ensure hungry children are fed. This year, The Salvation Army was notified by the public school system that lunch would not be provided for the duration of Spring Break, therefore leaving thousands potentially without a meal.
With one in five children in Arkansas food insecure and uncertain of their next meal, The Salvation Army of El Dorado made a goal to serve lunch to children out of school for the week. Donations and volunteers were sought to provide lunch meat, snacks, drinks, and more to help provide not only a filling lunch, but also one the kids would look forward to having each day.
Volunteers were the key to making this endeavor work. With over 100 volunteers providing over 330 hours preparing sandwiches and filling lunch bags, the mission to provide over 4,300 lunches in over 15 different locations and neighborhoods became possible. Bonnie Mears, a volunteer with El Dorado Connections said, “I love volunteering as it makes me feel good.” Jeanette Simmons, a volunteer from Immanuel Baptist Church, which also provides meals one time a month for the soup kitchen, stated, “It’s what Jesus wants me to do.”
Donations from the community were another key to ensuring the kids from El Dorado and surrounding communities were provided lunch. The Salvation Army is grateful for a grant from Union Community Foundation and one from United Way of Union County.
The Salvation Army’s mission is to meet human need in His name without discrimination. During Spring Break in El Dorado, a positive impact was made by carrying out our mission for hundreds of children who might otherwise have gone hungry.