Arkansas PBS > Engage > Pressroom > AETN to collect non-perishable food items for CAPCA
Posted 12 Sep 2011
The Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) will kick off a public service campaign to benefit the hungry in central Arkansas as part of AETN Family Day Conway 2011, Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring canned and non-perishable food items to the event to benefit the Community Action Program for Central Arkansas (CAPCA).
The USDA estimates that 15.9 percent of all Arkansas households are food insecure, meaning they have limited or uncertain access to affordable and nutritious food choices. To help fight these overwhelming statistics, AETN is launching the food drive in conjunction with the Sesame Workshop Growing Hope Against Hunger outreach initiative.
During Family Day, local dietician Margaret Pauly will be discussing how families can eat delicious and healthy foods on a tight budget and will be providing nutritious snacks for visitors.
AETN Family Day Conway 2011 is a free public event to encourage community spirit through family-friendly fun and entertainment, educational activities and community service campaigns and will be held at the statewide network headquarters, 350 South Donaghey Avenue, Conway. This years theme is Find Your Inner Superhero. Donations are not required to participate in Family Day activities.
Beginning Monday, Sept. 19, members of the community may donate canned and non-perishable food items at local donation sites to help families in Central Arkansas. Donation sites in Conway include: AETN. 350 South Donaghey; Conway Corporation, 1307 Prairie Street; and the Faulkner County Library, 1900 Tyler Street. Donations may also be made in Little Rock on the first floor of the Arkansas State Capitol, 500 Woodlane Avenue.
Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street will air a primetime television special entitled Growing Hope Against Hunger, which is made possible by the generous support of the Walmart Foundation. Featuring Brad Paisley, Kimberly Williams Paisley and the Sesame Street Muppets, this one-hour special raises awareness of the widespread issue of hunger in the United States. It provides simple, empowering strategies to families who arent sure where their next meal will come from and to others who want to help. The special will air on AETN Sunday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m.
The food drive benefitting CAPCA will run through Tuesday, Nov. 1. Any organization interested in becoming a donation site should contact AETN at 800-662-2386.
CAPCA is committed to enhancing lives, expanding self-reliance and increasing community involvement with quality services to eligible participants. CAPCA believes that in order for citizens to succeed certain key ingredients, such as opportunity and resources, are essential. Statistics show that poverty touches a large proportion of Americans over their lifetime. Sometimes it is a chronic condition that persists over several generations. More often, poverty comes as a consequence of lifes unremarkable tragedies illness, job loss, divorce or disability that can destroy a familys ability to support itself. Regardless of the cause, most families struggle against their predicament, and many fight their way out of poverty. CAPCA can provide ways to assist in waging this fight against poverty.
The Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) is Arkansass statewide public television network that enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. AETN delivers local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers. AETN depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. For more information, visit www.aetn.org, or follow the AETN blog at www.aetn.org/engage. AETN is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), and KETZ (El Dorado).