Jonesboro, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — July 17, 2025 — Neighbors in Need NEA is joining forces with other local nonprofit organizations to help those less fortunate at the Neighbors in Need Community Picnic next weekend.
The picnic will be Saturday, July 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Bernards Auditorium, located at 505 E. Washington Ave. In addition to barbeque, the picnic will feature various NEA nonprofits hosting giveaways. Neighbors in Need NEA founder Brad Dillon said the picnic is open to everyone and that everyone is invited.
“We don’t turn anyone away. Anybody that comes is welcome to get food,” Dillon said, noting there will be bouncy houses for kids again this year.
Among the nonprofits to be at the picnic are the Northeast Arkansans for Animals (NAFA) Rescue, which will be giving out free cat and dog food as well as information on pet vaccination clinics; the St. Bernards Medical Center, which will do free blood pressure screenings; and the McCullough Watkins Youth Foundation (MWYF), which will be holding its second annual Back to School Giveaway at the event.
Although it is their second year to do the giveaway, MWYF founder Jamyra Dority said this is their first time partnering with Neighbors in Need NEA. The organization will give away backpacks, school supplies, hygiene kits and more. The giveaway is “first come, first served,” and children must be present for supplies.
“We just want to provide resources to undeserved and minority kids in our community,” Dority said, noting the group’s goal is to give away at least 200 backpacks this year.
She added that the organization is aiming to have more things for middle- and high school-aged kids, as she feels many school supply drives stop at the elementary level.
“I just want kids to feel like any other child. We allow kids to pick out the backpacks. I want them to feel like they’re going to Walmart and picking out their backpack. I want them to be excited about school and have all the stuff they need just like any other child. I want all the kids to feel equal when they go to school.”
Neighbors in Need NEA began when Dillon, his fraternity brother Adrian Everett, and a group of Facebook friends decided to volunteer to feed more than 1,200 first responders, volunteers and victims after an EF-3 tornado devastated Jonesboro in 2020.
The group has since continued to provide hot meals after natural disasters across Northeast Arkansas, including after the tornadoes that hit Trumann, Wynne, Lake City and Cave City. The group began hosting free community picnics in 2023.
“We started the picnic because we wanted to feed the people in the community that had food insecurities, such as the homeless and other people who don’t have guaranteed food every day,” Dillon said.
While the picnic has been a yearly event, Dillon said that is changing, with the group planning to now host a picnic twice a year. The next picnic will be Dec. 13 at St. Bernards Auditorium.
To make a donation or for more information about Neighbors in Need NEA, click here or email bradley.dillon.strive@gmail.com. To donate to the MWYF or for more information, click here or email mwyfoundation@gmail.com.