Matthew 25 Food Pantry receives $1,000 grant from Entergy Charitable Trust

02 Sep 2024 Matthew 25 Food Pantry receives $1,000 grant from Entergy Charitable Trust

Posted at 5:42 PMh in News by 501 LIFE

LITTLE ROCK – Oak Forest United Methodist Church’s Matthew 25 Food Pantry recently received a $1,000 grant from Entergy Charitable Foundation to purchase toilet paper to distribute to citizens in Pulaski County in need.

In 2022, the food pantry decided to offer toilet paper and adult incontinence products to neighbors seeking assistance. With these items being supplemented with financial and in-kind donations, the food pantry was able to make the initial investment in these hygiene products last more than a year. Now, the pantry will be able to replenish its supply of toilet paper for almost another year.

“The neighbors we help are, generally, retirees who are raising or helping to raise their grandchildren,” said Kelli Reep, president of the food pantry board of directors. “Being able to access necessities like toilet paper and adult diapers in addition to the food items they receive allows them to use what funds they have for school supplies, utilities, medical bills and other needs.”

Reep says the idea to offer these hygiene products came after several people inquired about their availability. “We had one lady who was a retired school teacher, and she had been incredibly active in the community,” she said. “Her incontinence was such that she couldn’t leave home because she didn’t have the products necessary because she had to use what funds she did have on other needs. When we got a supply, she was able to drive again, and she went back to volunteering and tutoring. If it’s one thing that stands in the way of a person being able to live a full life, and we can help fill that need, we will do it.”

The goal of the Entergy Charitable Foundation is to support initiatives that help create and sustain thriving communities. The focus areas for foundation funding are education/workforce development, poverty solutions and environmental programs. Entergy’s focus on poverty solutions is rooted in the economic reality of the region it serves. Its service territory encompasses areas some of the highest poverty states in the nation. The Entergy Charitable Foundation seeks to support programs that provide innovative and measurable poverty solutions and tools that help break the bonds of intergenerational poverty. Such programs may include, but are not limited to: