Page 38 - ATR 5 2014 web

“The Arkansas Food Bank had
called us about hauling a load out
of Ohio back to Arkansas. Garland,
my son told me a food bank in Little
Rock wanted us to haul a load back to
Arkansas, and I said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’
“we are a large logistical suPPly-chaiN And when my son asked, ‘For what kind
oPeratioN, aNd our major customers are of rate?’ I said, ‘Don’t charge ‘em.’”
the PaNtries that deal with the actual Rice started getting more calls, and
PeoPle iN Need.” he started working with the food bank
more and more, helping them get their
freight back to Arkansas, donating the
—kim aaroN, whole load or only charging for fuel.
PresideNt, arkaNsas rice dePot When the Arkansas Hunger Alliance
was formed in 2004, he was asked to be
a board member, and he’s been serving
since then.

logiSTiCS of fEEding
like the Arkansas Rice Depot and the from multiple food banks to keep their arkanSaS
Arkansas Food Bank have been around shelves full for the families who visit Feeding Arkansas isn’t an easy
for over 30 years, trying to solve the them. The other six food banks in task. “Logistically speaking, it’s a huge
logistical dilemma of how to provide the state, sister organizations to the problem,” Rice explains. “Any time you
access to nutritional food to hungry Arkansas Rice Depot, are part of Feeding work with a charity, you always want
Arkansans. America, a nationwide network of food to look at the administrative costs.
banks that negotiates contracts for seri- How much of my donation is going to
food BankS vS. panTriES ously reduced costs on national food the end user? When you are talking
You may be asking yourself what do brands. The Arkansas Feeding America about feeding hunger, it is so intense.
food banks have to do with trucking? food banks work under the Arkansas Transportation is expensive, and that’s
Food banks are often confused with Hunger Relief Alliance to address the why I help, because I know what a
food pantries, soup kitchens and other state’s hunger problem as well. struggle it is.”
organizations that feed the hungry. Food banks don’t have the option
Pantries are agencies that provide food arkanSaS HungEr rEliEf of charging more for their services
to people directly. Food banks, on the allianCE when the transportation costs rise
other hand, provide the warehouses and In 2004, six founding food banks because they don’t charge for their ser-
distribution operations to the agencies. incorporated the Arkansas Hunger vices in the first place. The American
Food banks are logistical nonprofit busi- Relief Alliance to improve the existing Transportation Research Institute
nesses—distribution facilities for food charitable food distribution system. (ATRI) just reported that the average
that has been donated or bought. The The Alliance helps coordinate the busi- marginal cost per mile in 2013 was
food banks solicit, collect or purchase ness efforts of its food bank members, $1.68, an increase from the $1.63 in
the food. Then workers or volunteers because even though no one is getting 2012, due in part to the ongoing driver
often repackage bulk quantities to dis- rich from food banks, they are business- shortage and the resulting wage increas-
tribute across several smaller agencies. es—non-profit logistics businesses. es by motor carriers.
Aaron explains, “We are a large Butch Rice, president and CEO of Because food banks run largely
logistical supply-chain operation, and Stallion Transport, serves as president on donations of food and funds, their
our major customers are the pantries elect on the board of directors for the operations are limited by the amount
that deal with the actual people in Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, offer- they receive of both. The primary task
need. The pantries come to us and tell ing his transportation expertise and of getting food to the agencies can be
us what they need, and we provide to sometimes his own trucks to the par- interrupted by any number of circum-
them. We are unique in that most non- ticipating food banks that need to move stances—low donation seasons (summer
profits directly touch the people they’re food products all around the state. He as opposed to holiday time), low funds
serving: we don’t. It’s the pantry that started helping hunger relief efforts over for unexpected complications (a broken
directly touches the need.” a decade ago before the Alliance incor- forklift) or a natural disaster (like the
Many of the pantries receive food porated. tornado that hit the state in April 2014).

38 aRkansas tRuCking RepoRt | issue 5 2014