Food Banking

Harvest Texarkana Regional Food Bank is the food bank responsible for distribution to Bowie Co Texas and the 9 southwestern most counties in Arkansas including Miller, Lafayette, Columbia, Little River, Hempstead, Nevada, Sevier, Howard and Pike.  The food bank serves partner agencies throughout this area to provide hunger relief to the residents of this service area where recent US Census data indicates that more than 49,000 residents live below the poverty line.

The Food Bank works to warehouse a variety of foods that are made available to our partner agencies by the case.  We are able to bring in and store bulk amounts of items and redistribute in more manageable quantities depending on the agency's size, client size, and programs.  The food bank operates out of a 20,000 sq ft warehouse with two walk in freezers totaling over 1,000 sq ft.  Items regularly stocked include canned vegetables, peanut butter, frozen meals, rice, pasta, meal kits, hygene products, bottled beverages, crackers, cleaning supplies, cereal, frozen meats, fresh produce, and other staple food items. 

The Harvest Texarkana Regional Food Bank is also responsible for warehousing and distributing USDA TEFAP (Commodities) to authorized distribution partners.   Through the USDA, supplies of hunger relief food items are provided to TEFAP certified food pantries.  Agencies wanting to become a TEFAP agency must complete a special application and training process and agree to maintain the required service documentation, submit to state inspections, and comply with the TEFAP regulations.  Harvest Texarkana can only provide TEFAP provisions to agencies in Arkansas for service to citizens of Arkansas.  (Similar programs are available to Texas agencies and citizes through our partner food banks in Texas).