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Friends,
September is Hunger Action Month, and this month serves as a reminder that we have more work to do when it comes to fighting food insecurity in Little Rock and across the country. Arkansas is second in the nation for food insecurity. About one in six Arkansans do not consistently have access to nutritious food.
We're working with community partners like the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and Arkansas Foodbank to take action in Little Rock. At the same time, I've assembled a task force to identify how we as a city can eliminate food deserts -- a key factor related to food insecurity. Food deserts are areas with limited or no access to affordable, nutritious fresh foods.
My Food Desert Task Force has been meeting since January to discuss the issue, identify what areas of our city should be considered food deserts and make recommendations for us to implement. The Task Force has learned about best practices in other cities across the country and their efforts to address the issue. It has also prioritized input from Little Rock residents through a comprehensive survey directed toward members of neighborhood associations, community groups and others. This is critical feedback as we shape our policy priorities.
That Task Force is led by Vice Mayor Kathy Webb, who is executive director of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and was co-chairwoman of the Governor's Food Desert Working Group in 2022. I'm eager to hear the group's final recommendations soon. We are directing more than $1 million from American Rescue Plan Act funds to this issue, and it will remain a focus even past Hunger Action Month.
Last week, the City partnered with the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield and Hope Credit Union for "Addressing Food Access in Arkansas: Solutions to Food Deserts," a summit of stakeholders from the City, state and region.
This summit was an excellent opportunity to hear about best practices and to talk about innovative ideas. At the summit, we learned that solutions should be community driven, and that it may take time to get things right. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to fighting food deserts, and some conventional approaches, like brick-and-mortar grocery stores only, may not necessarily be the best way to bring fresh food to a community.
Below you'll find a recording of the event, and I hope you'll take the time to listen to some of the great speakers and ideas that were generated.
As we all strive to end food insecurity once and for all, I'm encouraged by the efforts of our Task Force, community leaders and all of us working this Hunger Action Month, and every month.
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Recording of "Addressing Food Access in Arkansas: Solutions to Food Deserts"
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Attendees participate in the "Addressing Food Access in Arkansas: Solutions to Food Deserts" summit
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A Reading Roadtrip
KTHV's Craig O'Neill and I may be fairly well-known around town, but the stars that shined brightest to both of us last week were the phenomenal readers at the Little Rock School District's Wakefield Elementary School.
It was an honor to be able to join Craig to read with second graders at Wakefield as part of KTHV and Craig's "Reading Roadtrip" series. While at Wakefield, I witnessed bright, engaged students who excel in literacy and are ready to conquer the world.
Wakefield has been repeatedly recognized by the Office for Education Policy for growth in math and literacy. Consistently, the school is in the top 10 among high-poverty elementary schools in math and English Language Arts. Last year, it was the best in Central Arkansas for English Language Arts growth. That's a testament to the hard work of the administrators and faculty at Wakefield and the dedication of the students they serve
Literacy opens the door to a whole new world of opportunity for our students, which is why I remain committed to making sure Little Rock kids stay on track from cradle to career. From the City's investment in ensuring more Little Rock children have access to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to LRPD's efforts to put books in the hands of schoolchildren, we continue to identify ways to impact lives through learning. Education is an important way to help unite, grow and transform our city.
My appreciation to Craig O'Neill and everyone at Wakefield. Watch Craig's segment here.
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Volunteers Needed
Over the last six weeks, our partners at Heart of Arkansas United Way have been accepting applications for individual assistance from Little Rock residents affected by the March 31 tornado. The City is distributing more than $400,000 from Little Rock Cares to residents who need help covering expenses for storm-related unmet needs. Heart of Arkansas United Way serves as the third-party administrator for Little Rock Cares funding.
As we move to the next step in the grant process, we're seeking volunteers to review and evaluate the grant applications. Little Rock residents without any conflicts of interest are being asked to serve on the Disaster Recovery Grant Committee. The committee will be comprised of several subcommittees that will review funding requests and make recommendations.
Volunteers will be asked to commit about 15 hours during the month of October, including an orientation session and online evaluations of about 20 to 25 applications. This is yet another way neighbors can help neighbors in the aftermath of the devastating March 31 storm.
The application for volunteers can be found at heartaruw.org/recovery-volunteer. For additional information, email the United Way or call (501) 435-3194.
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Innovation Takes Center Stage
As a regional hub of technology and innovation, it's no surprise IEEE-USA selected Little Rock to host its Innovation, Workforce and Research Conference. According to the organization, the conference brought together the tech industry, government officials and academic leaders to promote innovation, especially in rural America.
I was glad to have a chance to visit with conference participants and remind them of Little Rock's commitment to innovation and emerging technologies. We are the cradle of FinTech, and we just announced a major expansion of the Tech Park downtown, a place for startups in the tech ecosystem to grow and thrive.
The main topic for last week's conference was the CHIPS Act, a $56 billion directive from Congress to accelerate chip manufacturing in the United States and make sure funding is allocated across the country. The conference brought in federal agencies and innovators to learn about how those CHIPS Act investments can be made right here in Arkansas.
According to IEEE-USA, the event included discussions about research grants, technology transfer programs, start-up funding, intellectual property and more that inspired and empowered "true innovation in the Heartland and Delta Regions."
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The Week Ahead
- The Little Rock Board of Directors will meet Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. at The Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St. All board meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock Facebook and YouTube pages. To view the agenda, click here.
- "Zoo Brew and Cocktails, Too!", a fundraiser for the Arkansas Zoological Foundation to benefit the Little Rock Zoo, is Thursday, Sept. 21, starting at 6 p.m. at the Zoo, 1 Zoo Drive. The event features a variety of beers and cocktails, live music and food trucks. For more details, and to purchase tickets, click here.
- The City's Board of Adjustment meets Thursday, Sept. 21, at 4 p.m. at the Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center, 3805 W. 12th St . The Board of Adjustment considers requests for variances from the City's Zoning Ordinance.
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As always, stay up to date with what's happening in the City on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram via @citylittlerock. You can also email me at mayorscott@littlerock.gov or call my office at 501.371.4744.
I appreciate you!
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