Time to Give Thanks

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, Arvest and Kye Masino will be honored at annual Arkansas Rice Depot Luncheon.

Each November, Arkansas Rice Depot takes time to thank its supporters and volunteers. Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, the organization will hold its Thanks-for-Giving Luncheon on Tuesday, November 22 at Embassy Suites in Little Rock. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is being honored with the Allison Stroud Humanitarian of the Year Award.

As the state's top consumer advocate and top law enforcement officer, McDaniel and his team are committed to the issues that matter most to Arkansas families, including the fight to end hunger. In April, his office provided more than $140,000 to Arkansas Rice Depot. The funding was from proceeds of a 2010 settlement with The Dannon Company. "The funds were truly an answer to prayer, helping feed thousands of Arkansas children, families and seniors facing hunger every day," says Dani Martin, director of development for Rice Depot.

The award was created last year to honor the legacy of Allison Stroud, who died last year from a rare form of lymphoma, Dani says. She was the Food for Kids director and worked tirelessly until her death, ensuring that her 30,000 "adopted" children could depend on Arkansas Rice Depot. "A few months prior to her death, Allison said she wanted her death to make a difference, just as she tried to make a difference with her life," Dani explains. "She asked that we use her death to remind people that God calls us to feed the hungry and that children are depending on us every day for food. This award is presented to the individual, who like Allison, has demonstrated an extraordinary passion and commitment to improving the lives of Arkansans."

In addition to McDaniel, Arvest Bank is being honored as Outstanding Corporate Citizen of the Year for donating a total of 1.2 million meals in need during a two-month campaign. Arvest's donation of food and dollars equals more than $15,000, Martin says.

Kye Masino, who is just 10 years old, is being honored as Volunteer of the Year. Kye founded KYE-YAC International, a philanthropic organization created by kids, for kids. KYE-YAC focuses on improving health care, education and exposure to the arts so that children can be safe, enjoy life and succeed. In 2011, KYE-YAC selected Arkansas Rice Depot as its charity of choice. Kye currently serves as the very first Food For Kids Ambassador, helping spread the word about childhood hunger and giving a voice to those who can't speak for themselves and raising money for the Food For Kids program.

Arkansas Rice Depot is the only statewide food bank, distributing more than 8 million pounds of food each year. In operation for 29 years, the organization has four main programs in place, each working toward its core mission to end hunger. Those programs are Food For Families, Food For Kids, Food For Seniors and Disaster Relief. The organization recently launched Arkansas Diaper Depot, which is aimed at providing struggling parents with diapers for their infants.

For more information, visit www.ricedepot.org.