Food to be given to government staff
First Ward Living Grace Pantry, 1201 Commerce Road, will give food to employees affected by the government shutdown. This emergency food giveaway will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 13.
To ensure that assistance reaches those most impacted, attendees will be required to present a valid government identification at the time of pickup. This initiative aims to provide essential relief to government employees living anywhere in Arkansas, including Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, and surrounding areas, who are currently without pay due to the shutdown, according to a news release.
“We understand the immense pressure and uncertainty that government employees and their families are facing during this shutdown,” said Debra Strickland Allen, executive director of First Ward Living Grace Pantry. “Our community is here to help those in need, and we want to ensure that no government employee in Arkansas goes hungry during this challenging time.”
Details: (479) 301-1096 or https://firstwardpantry.wixsite.com/fwlgp.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Students to pledge non-violence
Students at Watson Chapel High School will take the pledge against gun violence for the Day of National Concern at 9 a.m. Oct. 15. Watson Chapel’s Wildcat Society Gentlemen’s Club will host an all-school assembly where students will perform original raps, poetry and artwork addressing gun violence.
Independent judges from outside the school will evaluate the entries based on theme, clarity, spelling and originality, according to a news release. The Rev. Jesse Turner, executive director of Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration Inc., will help facilitate the pledge. Other officials, school administrators and community leaders will participate.
UAMS fundraiser to aid cancer patients
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Partners Card fund-raising campaign is expanding in 2025, with 18 new merchants joining the effort, including retailers in Stuttgart. About 180 shops and restaurants across Arkansas will offer 20% discounts Oct. 24 through Nov. 2, though the program, which benefits patients at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, according to a news release.
Thanks to sponsors covering the program’s costs, 100% of card sales go directly to helping cancer patients in Arkansas. Details: uamspartnerscard.com or (501) 686-8286.