The story began through a connection made by Brenda Williams, Healthy Foods Coordinator with CU’s Community Sustainability Team. Williams met Pastor Todd through the University of the Ozarks’ Town Square Collaborative, a regional initiative that supports rural congregations as they address local challenges.

As Williams and Pastor Todd talked, one need kept rising to the surface: food insecurity among elementary students in Stuttgart and the broader Arkansas Delta.

Pastor Todd shared that the church had already been supporting children through snacks and special events, but funding limited how often they could help. The church’s outreach — including back-to-school giveaways and Trunk or Treat events — revealed just how many families were struggling.