Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – No student should have to choose between pursuing an education and having enough to eat.

On Thursday, Oct. 29, the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance hosted the 2026 Arkansas College Hunger Summit at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, bringing together students, campus leaders, and community partners from across the state to strengthen solutions to college hunger.

The Summit provided opportunities for participants to exchange ideas, build partnerships, and explore practical approaches to improving food access for Arkansas college students.

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“Hunger on college campuses is a challenge we can solve together,” said Sylvia Blain, Chief Executive Officer of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. “The Summit is an opportunity to share strategies, resources, and partnerships to fight hunger and support students across Arkansas.”

The program focused on helping campuses strengthen their response to student food insecurity through collaboration, resource sharing, and sustainable support. Highlights included a Scholarship Lottery video, a spotlight on the A-State campus pantry, advocacy training, and a fundraising panel, “Fueling a Hunger-Free Campus,” that explored ways to engage supporters and secure resources to sustain campus pantries. Participants also toured the host campus pantry.

Campus pantries received $500 mini-grants to support their work helping students access food. Colleges and universities receiving the grants included:

  • Arkansas Northeastern College, Blytheville 
  • Arkansas State University, Jonesboro 
  • Arkansas State University Mid-South, West Memphis 
  • Arkansas Tech University, Russellville 
  • University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, Little Rock 
  • Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia 
  • University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 
  • University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, Little Rock 
  • University of Central Arkansas, Conway 
  • Williams Baptist University, Walnut Ridge 

The 2026 Arkansas College Hunger Summit was made possible through generous support from the Arkansas Minority Health Commission, Lotto.com, Jackpot.com, the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University, Arkansas State University, and the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. 

The Alliance encouraged participants to build on the connections and strategies shared during the Summit to help ensure every Arkansas college student has access to the food needed to learn and thrive. 

To learn more about the Alliance, visit www.arhungeralliance.org.

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