Food share celebrates 10th anniversary

By Staff, 04/30/18 1:59 PM

PRESCOTT – Food Share celebrated its 10^th anniversary Monday morning with a community coffee.

As part of the celebration, the Tri-Service Club donated $500 to the Food Share. Vicki Duncan, manager, said the community has been good to the Food Share and without the public’s help, it couldn’t do what it’s done.

Brian Burton, founder of the local Food Share, said 10.5 years ago he was running a food pantry in Dallas, but wanted to do something in Southwest Arkansas. His first attempt was in Stamps, but it didn’t get off the ground. From there, he came to Prescott, where he met with Mary Russell, who had the vision for the pantry as being one that served those in need all over the county, not just in town.

The two teamed up and an organizational meeting was held on Feb. 2008 at the Nevada County Library. This proved to be great timing, he said, as Potlatch closed that March, leaving a lot of people out of work. Initially, the pantry was housed in a small building on Hwy. 371 across from Potlatch, but moved to its current location a few years ago. Burton said the board does most of the work, and the clients are treated well, not looked down on. Everyone at the pantry, he continued, is a volunteer worker.

“You see people feeling better when they leave here,” he said. “They get their hearts filled. It’s a joy being part of this.”

Howard Austin, a member of the board, said the goal is to do what they can for the community. Prescott, he added, is a unique community as the people come together and work, trying to do things beneficial to the citizenry.

Patricia Blake, another board member, recognized the volunteers, saying they’re the ones who do the hard work.

The Tri-Service Club also donated $200 to Project Graduation at the coffee.