Enrā is a woven food dish shared among villagers to ensure no one is left hungry, so it’s a fitting name for the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese’s food pantry that opened in late August. ACOM and the Enrā Food Pantry are helping make sure families don’t go hungry during the holidays by hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner Drive-Thru Giveaway tomorrow.
ACOM will hand out free turkeys to local residents in the parking lot at the Center for Nonprofits at The JTL Shop in Springdale beginning at 4 p.m. ACOM has partnered with local organizations and businesses to organize this event. Cargill, for example, donated 300 turkeys and Blue Pacific Mart helped collect and store them.
During the giveaway, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will provide free flu shots. State health officials have stressed the importance of getting a flu vaccine this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccinations can help limit the number of Arkansans who contract the flu and end up in the hospital, which can strain hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. Arkansas set a record Sunday with 965 patients hospitalized due to COVID-19.
In addition to administering flu vaccines, volunteers will be accepting donations of diapers as well as new or gently used coats. The giveaway begins at 4 p.m. Nov. 24 at 614 E. Emma Ave. in Springdale. Food will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. More information is available by calling 479-365-6625.