The 3W Podcast
From the people that bring you 3W Magazine, welcome to the 3W Podcast! We aim to serve our community by promoting awareness of Northwest Arkansas’ thriving philanthropic movement; To provide a guide of dates to help coordinate events so every nonprofit gets the coverage they need and deserve; To give financially to local charities each year.
The 3W Podcast
The 3W Podcast: Julie Damer - Part 2
Ever wondered how food banks actually work? In this enlightening conversation with Julie Damer, Director of Marketing and Communications at Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, we pull back the curtain on the complex system that feeds 89,000+ food insecure neighbors across four counties.
Julie shares the crucial distinction between food banks (which function like distribution centers) and food pantries (where individuals actually receive food). We explore innovative programs like Feed Rogers, a client-choice pantry that revolutionizes traditional food assistance by allowing people to schedule appointments and shop with dignity for items that meet their specific dietary needs. This approach replaces the old model of pre-assembled boxes that might contain foods someone can't eat or doesn't know how to prepare.
The conversation takes us through the stark reality of food insecurity in Northwest Arkansas — including the shocking statistic that over 22,000 local children don't know where their next meal is coming from. Julie explains how anyone can suddenly find themselves food insecure: "It could be a job loss, a huge medical expense, or even just a car breaking down unexpectedly." These situations highlight why the food bank's work remains crucial even in a seemingly prosperous region. Whether you're curious about how donated food reaches those in need, looking to support local hunger relief efforts, or simply want to understand the mechanics behind food security initiatives, this episode offers meaningful insights into the systems working tirelessly to ensure everyone has enough to eat. As Julie powerfully reminds us: "When I go to work, I can come home and know that even if I had the worst day ever, I've still helped feed somebody."
Hey everybody, welcome to the 3W podcast. I'm your host, Kasie Yokley. I've got my friend here from the food bank, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank to be exact Julie Damer. Yes, welcome back. Thank you so much, because we are part two, so I hope you all caught part one. It was all about the summer cereal drive, but now we're going to dive into who Julie is and what the food bank is. So, Julie, yes, what is your title?
Speaker 2:my title is director of marketing and communications, which is a little deceiving, and you're kind of my end-all, be-all out of the food bank.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, yes, I, and have been for years actually I try but my job is to spread the word about the food bank, to let people know that we're here, and ways you can donate, ways you can volunteer, ways you can find food. So really it's just a little bit of everything, but it's yeah, it's a good job.
Speaker 1:And when I met you, I feel like I met you before COVID, correct, okay, just making sure. Yes, and I met you at a neighborhood market, ironically, and you had come at a neighborhood market ironically and you had come from a bank and you're like, oh, I thought I'd never work in banking again. And I'm like hilarious, because now you're at a food bank. I did. It was the funniest little one-liner to me because you're not in banking but you work again at a bank. I never thought that.
Speaker 2:I would go from a for-profit bank to a nonprofit bank and talk about completely different roles. Yeah, and with this job one of the great things about it and I think anybody at the food bank will tell you as well we're not there for the money. No, we're not there for the glory, we're there to do a job and it's nice to be able to know that when I go to work, I can come home and know that if I had the worst day ever, I've still helped feed somebody that day. So it's a feel good job I call it a feel good job.
Speaker 1:It is a feel good job. Yeah, and I think, kent, I can bury your boss or fearless leader who likes the word boss? Yes, you're fearless leader. We'll call him that he opens up every mic because he hates a mic, but every time he's like because of you out in the community, somebody will eat today and that's the chair. Blind yeah.
Speaker 2:And so every single person there has a job to do, and we all work together to make it happen, and that's how food comes into the building, that's how food goes out of the building, and ends up on somebody's table that night and the food bank is a bank, so you will like it is.
Speaker 1:Nobody comes to correct me if I'm wrong. Okay, you don't come shop at the food bank, that is correct. Shop at a food pantry yes, that has been serviced by the bank.
Speaker 2:Yes, which is a very Right Kind of so kind of think of it as this I kind of, since we live in the Walmart area, think of it. We're kind of like the Walmart DC. Our partner agencies are like the stores. So we source and buy food that goes into our Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Distribution Center and then that food goes out to our agency partners that serve our neighbors in need so let's pick an agency partner to use as an example, be the 479 okay, so it's a bring seven based out of springdale uh, there's one in springdale.
Speaker 1:Yes, okay, I'm like I've driven by it, so that to me that's the only one, but obviously there might be more, I believe it's a part of cross church okay, yes, I correct.
Speaker 2:I mean I could be. I think you're right. I think you're right.
Speaker 1:I think you're right-ish and we're just totally right-ish in this podcast. That's just how this podcast rolls Absolutely 100%. Yes, correct, they have. You all have a website and I'm sure they have like a portal login. They do. They place an order, a very specific order, with y'all.
Speaker 2:They go on just like you would place your Walmart order. You would go online, pick your items and then those items are picked, put on pallets, put on a truck and delivered to Feed the 479. Then on their distribution days, people go in to Feed the 479 and they shop and that's how they get the food I mean.
Speaker 1:I just I love that. And then what about Feed Rogers? Does it operate similarly?
Speaker 2:Feedgers is a unique, I love special place. Yes, that's actually the food banks.
Speaker 1:That's our pantry that's your pantry all right, and if y'all don't know about the uh feed rogers. It's kind of on the edge of downtown rogers, caddy corner, from the saint vincent and depaul catholic school, 13th street, 13th yes, 13th and poplar or cypress one of them, correct, because I'm like I don't know which one. But yeah, somewhere around there you can absolutely find it and it is set up like a mini grocery store with carts and everything, and if you're I don't know, I guess anyone can just walk in there. I don't know the details on that the feed rogers is a unique property.
Speaker 2:Like I said, that's something that we own and operate. So, um, clients set up appointments to come in there, so we make appointments online. They have a login with a password, they go in and they make their appointments when it's convenient for them and then they actually come in and shop. We only allow a certain amount of people into the store each day and there's a limited number of spots that are available. So, pick their day and their time. They come in and they actually shop for the items that they want, instead of receiving a box of pre-made food that we assume that you're going to want and use.
Speaker 2:Right, you know, there's a lot of people that have dietary restrictions or allergies, things like that, or maybe it's something that they just don't like, you know, but it, yes, it is, and it makes it's another level of humility. You know. Yes, we give it's dignity to go get your own food, yes, and we want people to feel like they are very important when they walk in there. We want them to feel like, you know, they're welcome. We don't want anybody to feel uncomfortable, and so that's why we do it like that. We have them make the appointment on their schedule. They come in and shop for their family. They check out um to the checkout counters, we bag it and they take those free food home to their family. So it's, it's a really how many years. Oh, but are we three to four years?
Speaker 1:I believe this is the fourth year.
Speaker 2:Okay on feed rogers, yeah, um, super successful it is and we would love to open up more like that. If we had some special funding, that would come in for that would be great. If you want to sponsor that, yeah, get ahold of me. But there's, we're trying to get a lot of our agency partners to go to the client choice process because it is so much more dignified for somebody to come in and actually shop for their family, absolutely.
Speaker 1:And it feels like it's more organized because they're booking the appointment, so your staff knows exactly what's happening for the day, versus like a pantry distribution in a parking lot, for example. Right, you know what's coming.
Speaker 2:Yes, we know what's in inventory and we know that this inventory can feed this amount of families. The drive-thru model is wonderful for people that don't have a building, as fortunate as we are with FeedRogers, and that's their only way to distribute Right Obviously still successful, Correct and necessary Right. But you know it's our goal to get as many to go to the client choice in some way as possible and our programs and client services teams are really doing a good job trying to help agency partners convert to that.
Speaker 1:Well, let's talk about agency partners. So we service four counties. We do Benton, carroll, washington and Madison. Okay, and if you're not from Arkansas or like me, tell me a town that is in the Sebastian and the Madison County. Or did you say Sebastian? Sebastian is the River Valley. River Valley Considered the River Valley. Yes, fort Smith, correct, okay. And then Madison is Madison. Give me a town in Madison, oh goodness.
Speaker 2:You put me a little.
Speaker 1:I know I'm sorry because I have to ask, that's all. I believe. Okay, I have to ask Hasnell, I believe. Okay, yes, yes, like going out towards Branson, towards the lake area, right, that's.
Speaker 2:I believe that would be Carroll County, but Madison is more to the west. Okay see, oh my God.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So Greenwood, I believe I've heard of that. Yes, that area. Okay, ask me anywhere in Benton and Washington.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, I've been in Washington County. I'm not from Arkansas either, I'm still in the learning process. Four counties, I'm like. Is that a county or a city? I don't know what if somebody tells me those are counties.
Speaker 2:So four counties.
Speaker 1:So that's what our food bank services?
Speaker 2:Yes, and there's more than 89,000 food insecure people in those four counties the latest data that we got from Feeding America, who we are a partner. As from Feeding America, who we are a partner, as there's 22,230 children in the four counties that we serve that are considered food insecure. Okay, and food insecure means you do not know where your next meal is coming from. Okay At all At all. Okay. So it could be something that you know. Loss of a job it could be. You know you had a huge medical expense that arose that you weren't expecting. It could be something that you know. Both parents work, have children go to school. Maybe one of them loses their jobs. That's half their income that's coming in. Let's say, their car breaks down. That's something unexpected, absolutely All of a sudden. They're in need. So that's where our agency partners come in and that's why our donations and our support for the North West Arkansas Food Bank is so important. So crucial.
Speaker 1:We talked about this in part one for just a second, but we do hope that you're unemployed by one day, correct, because that means food security is eradicated. Yes, we've solved the problem, yes, yes, but it's not solved yet. So keep donating, and we're going to touch on events, but let's give it one more shout out, just regardless of when this airs, because you can still donate anytime, all day, any day. Yes, there is a summer cereal kickoff or drive going right now, and it kicked off officially on the first, but we just shouted it out to the public a week ago, correct? But um, cereal is so important because kids can make it themselves and it's very accessible and it lasts right.
Speaker 2:They don't have to cook, they don't have to light the stove, they don't have to put in the microwave.
Speaker 1:They actually open the box portable, put some milk in and the meal's done right, and so that's a huge source, and it was a food in your pantries, I'm sure.
Speaker 2:Yes, shelf-stable items are very important because they go a long ways. If you think of like a can of green beans, you can get four or five servings out of a can of green beans even, and they all sit there and last it will Right. And cereal is so important. So our cereal drive is June 1st through the 30th. All the information is on our website, nwafoodbankorg, so you can go on there and learn all about it and also ways to donate, you can just donate.
Speaker 1:You don't even have to go buy the cereal, correct, but if you're going to obviously go buy the General Mills cereal, just tell them. Casey sent you because they're a partner of ours. But all the partners at the food bank are amazing, all of them, all of them, they are. So that was June, so we're going to back up to April really quick, because we just had the third annual Game Show Battle. Yes, and that is super unique and I feel like it is family feud driven. It is Right Between the vendors.
Speaker 2:It is Okay, and that is a copyright. So that's why we call it Game Show Battle, nwa. But it is Family Feud style. We have a host with competing teams. I feel like is Jacqueline House the host? She's our emcee, emcee, okay, kim Daniels is on our development team. She's amazing. She does the actual host part of it and it does the actual host part of it. And it's where vendors compete against each other like families. So there'll be a round one and the winner advances, the loser goes home. Uh, round two, the winner, and then it's bracket play. So at the end of the night we award a huge trophy to the winning team.
Speaker 1:it is a huge trophy, it is a huge trophy and I feel like they're centerpieces by the vendors as well.
Speaker 2:Yes, tables yes, it's always hilarious, yeah it's, it's a good time, creative, it's a very. You can get some really creative people thinking when they're thinking about things like this. Um, and this is a concept that has grown over the years. We started out I believe it was eight and we've actually turned people away, like we have a waiting list that's amazing, because we can't have a game show all day and all night, right?
Speaker 1:Although people want us to, we're not sure. Maybe we do it twice a year, so I don't know, but that's hilarious, I love it and that's fun, because these vendors are super competitive, and rightfully so they are some of them actually hold competition tryouts in their office to see who is going to be the five members of their team. This is amazing. Yeah, I love this. We need to do like some Instagram on that leading up to that, because that's hilarious.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's good time I can give you the teams for next year. I love that.
Speaker 1:So that happened in April this year, I feel like in the years before might have been in May, but this year I feel like it was in April. So are we gonna stay with spring next year? April, may that year I feel like it was in april. So are we gonna stay with spring? Next year, april? Yes, that's the plan. Okay, perfect. And then let's jump ahead to september, and it's not necessarily a an event heavy month, but it's an awareness month, it is september is hunger action month and hunger is um hunger.
Speaker 2:action month is a concept of Feeding America and the color orange represents hunger.
Speaker 1:Which is why.
Speaker 2:I wore this today. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I noticed you had that on. I appreciate that. So we encourage everything. Orange in September we have special shirts that we're going to be selling this year. We encourage people to wear orange as much as possible, so people ask them about it. People to wear orange as much as possible, so people ask them about it. Businesses we ask them to light up their buildings, their outside, lighting their fountains in orange, which several have done that over the years. That's awesome. We have special events. This year on the 18th of September, we're hosting the Rogers Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce Networking with a Purpose event. That is so many words. That is so many words. That is so many words. It's going to be 5 to 630 at our location at 1604 Honeysuckle Street in Rogers Perfect. And it's where nonprofits can come and set up a booth. They have to go through the chamber to get registered for the booth space, but then when people come in they can learn about those nonprofits, including the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.
Speaker 2:But that's a collaborative effort for you all inviting more nonprofits into your space than it is, because we don't want to work against anyone. We want to help and collaborate with as many nonprofits as possible, because you're not only. Our theory is you're not only feeding somebody, but you're going to help them get out of that situation if you can. So it might be something like resume writing, or it could be something like dress for success, where you could give them some clothes to go on an interview, or it could be something that it's a health issue, where we can hook them up with a medical service that can help them. So it's a great opportunity to learn about nonprofits. The Rogers Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce will be glad to give you more information. Ask for Shelly Summers, a friend of mine. She'll have all the details for you and it's going to be a great night, that's awesome and I feel like you'll always put a calendar out.
Speaker 1:We do Of September, of different ways you can engage. We do Hunger action. We give some gestures for each day.
Speaker 2:I love it give some gestures for each day. I love it, whether it be, you know, try to eat on allotted SNAP meals, whatever. That is for the year. I believe last year it was $5.74 a day. So we ask every person in our office to try to eat on $5.74 a day, which is what is SNAP was allowed. You know things like that. That's hard, it's very hard. You can to go through a drive-thru for that. People are actually doing this okay in your life, so they have to be creative. Um, so it kind of gives you a reality of how people are actually living, which we are struggling. Yeah, so it kind of humbles you a little bit, absolutely, because when you try to you, you just said drive-thru, you can't, they're, they're not going to drive-thru, because if they have more than one person, they're done.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's just they're out of money, then yeah, absolutely so.
Speaker 2:We're trying to, you know, make aware. It's more of an awareness month for us, just letting people know that the struggle is real. It's here in Northwest Arkansas, even though we live in a very wealthy community. You know there's lots of activities and nice things around here, but there's also a lot of hunger too.
Speaker 1:And we don't see it. You don't, you can drive around it. It's not like a big city where you might see it on In a more pedestrian walking city. Exactly, I've always 3WLB. I mean, we're going to put out the 18th issue in January and so I remember like 15 plus years ago when we started this, somebody was talking to us about prom dresses and homelessness and doing dresses for kids at Fayetteville High School and they're like you don't not you, casey, but like we as a community don't understand homelessness because you can drive around it and you don't have to see it if you don't want to see it.
Speaker 2:And I wasn't even aware of it when I moved here. I knew that there was some and reduced lunches. There's several of them in our service area of the four counties that we serve that are 98 99 percent free and reduced mind-boggling. So that just tells you that those families are struggling. Yes, so we're here to help.
Speaker 1:yes, we definitely have a gap in high and low. Yes, yes, and it is mind boggling to see what schools are 90 plus percent free and reduced. There's a lot. It's painful, there's a lot.
Speaker 2:So September we call it Hunger Action Month.
Speaker 1:I call it Hunger Action Awareness Month. I always put an extra A in there. I love that. It's like, hey, I love it. That's how I say it, we might change that, don't we do Tweak it a little? I absolutely do. And I was like, oh yeah, my God, I put an X in there. I like it, I like it. But yeah, you all engage and really energize the community for 30 days of orange and all the things yes, okay, and so then October.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about this because this is fun, because I had it wrong on my notes. I had to fix it, but we are retooling per se jewels of giving and it's going to be flavor of giving, and I will throw 3W under the bus because it is September TBD, not TWA. That is an old airline from 100 years ago, tbd. So 3W is wrong. It's October 9th. Now it is, and it's not completely your 3w school.
Speaker 2:I will take partial blame on that because we had to adjust the date after we submitted that fair, no worries. So magazines are printed extremely early because of the printing um, but it's not completely your fault so we'll take.
Speaker 1:We'll take partial. Thank you, I'm like it's okay, we're up, it's already updated online and all the social media will be out and about. But October 9th, the newly unveiled Flavors of Giving it is.
Speaker 2:Flavor of Giving is a new concept. It's my baby. Now I'm also in charge of events that involve either employees or fundraising, so this is our biggest event. Like you said, it used to be called Jewels of Giving. We completely rebranded it to flavor of giving. It's going to be at the osage house, october the 9th, at four o'clock to seven o'clock, so it's a come and go come when you want, stay as long as you want, leave when you need to, and we're hoping that this will give a fresh new look to an event that the food bank does. We are limiting the amount of people that can get in there, so tickets are on sale. You get the information on our website. Uh, we've got some great sponsors. Unilever is our presenting sponsor again this year, so thank you, unilever, um, but it's going to be a fun, unique evening.
Speaker 1:Are you giving up any details yet?
Speaker 2:I can give you one detail of the main highlight of the event is going to be called the Giving Market. I don't want to tell you too much, but it's going to be a unique shopping experience that will allow you to help others put food on their table at night.
Speaker 1:You know what it's emulating to me. I'm not going to try, I'm not going to give a bunch. Just think about the little kids shopping market at the Amazium. That's perfect. That perfect hint to me is what it's emulating and it's going to be so hands on it is and so unique and so fun and create conversation. It is.
Speaker 2:And one of the things that I will tell you we are going to have flavor stations around the venue with different small plates for you to enjoy, and those are going to be a take on our sponsors. So Tyson Foods is going to be one of our sponsors. They're going to sponsor the protein, so one of the flavor stations will be a Tyson food item. Okay, yes, that you can enjoy. It's not going to be the typical food that you find in events. It's going to be no banquet value, a little bit more of a mystery sauce. No, no banquet value, but the mystery sauce. These are things that you're going to actually, uh, want to go and enjoy, and I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised. Uh, there'll be a huge bar in the middle for people to enjoy beverages. We will have a signature cocktail and our um, we'll have a few more surprises.
Speaker 2:So I don't want to give too much away. Do you have your chairs locked in? We have bulging them. We are not going to divulge that. Those are still secret. Uh, we do have some surprise guests coming. Um, it's going to be fun. Surprise, there will not be a program which everybody is thrilled about, absolutely so, um, it's going to be a good time. I sound like oh, thank goodness, but I don't Absolutely, so it's going to be a good time, I sound like oh, thank goodness, but I don't mean it like that.
Speaker 1:It's just because I know what you do. I think the people coming know what you do and you know what the need is, and let's just create conversation and give and do good.
Speaker 2:We want your money, but we want you to come and have a fun, enjoyable time.
Speaker 1:I love that you started with. We want your money. We do. Money pays the bills they do. I love it when people are like I'm not here for the money. I'm like we're all here for the money because money pays the bills and money helps us do good.
Speaker 2:We distributed in 2024 over 14.9 million pounds of food. That's insane. So that food was not all donated. We had to purchase that food with donations. So we do need money and this is our largest fundraiser and we're hoping that we will have an enormous amount of money at the end of the night to purchase more food to help our neighbors in need. I love that.
Speaker 1:So great, so October 9th tickets are on sale right now.
Speaker 2:We're limiting those to 400 tickets total, which is really small, it is.
Speaker 1:I love that. It's exclusive. That makes the event intimate. It's exclusive, yes, well, congratulations to you. Thank you, it's going to be great. Yes, that's going to come a long way.
Speaker 2:I'll definitely be there. 3w is one of our sponsors, so thank you very much.
Speaker 1:I appreciate that. We love you guys Love. I think that might be it on events. Oh, there is a corporate food drive. Sorry, I didn't have it listed. It's the corporate food drive challenge sponsored by Spectrum in November.
Speaker 2:The brands will be in October-ish, November-ish. I lied again. More details to come on that. We're still working out some of the final details on that, but that will happen this year.
Speaker 1:But that's a fun one because it's another challenge. Our vendors love challenges.
Speaker 2:They do, and they compete against organizations and companies that are their size. So if you have 50 people in your office, you're going to compete against a company that has 50 people in your office. We're not going to put you against a company that has 5,000. So there's categories, so it's all equal, fair play, and there's some great trophies for that as well, and we will have a huge celebration.
Speaker 1:I was going to gonna say I feel like usually there's a commencement to go with it, there will be and it will be. Um, it'll be a good time too. I love that more detail, so many exciting events and I love that it's been super creative. You never stop reinventing the events. That's the goal a lot of people do and that's okay too, because there's a place for everyone and you can't beat a classic. Yes, but it's okay to reinvent and retool and constantly move forward on things. I love it. Yes, thank you, and especially as somebody and I'm sure if Ashley was sitting here she would attest to it as well as somebody who goes to many of the events she does, and she goes to more of them than I do, so I will put her front and center. Yes, it's front and center.
Speaker 2:yes, um, it's nice to see a change, thank you.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, kudos to you and your team. Thank you very much. Times are changing, I know right, the only constant is change. Yes, that's true. Yes, okay, well, I will put myself under the bus one more time because I forgot in part one to shout out our sponsor, kershey salty snacks, home of skinny pop, dots homestyle pretzels, which, again, I say this every time I hope you are trying those dots homestyle pretzels, cinnamon sugar and if you are not, let me know, because they are freaking divine, they're amazing. They're amazing. And the pirate booty. So you can't go wrong with some pirate booty. Um, special shout out and thank you to them. They're the official 3w podcast sponsor. So anything else you'd like to add?
Speaker 2:about the food bank.
Speaker 1:No, if you want a tour, buy some cereal and buy some cereal. Buy some cereal. Go, grab a tour, find a lot of orange so that you can get ready for September and we'll see you next time. So thank you, Julie, thank you, appreciate it. I don't know what I'm trying to say, but just thank you and keep inspiring the culture of giving. See y'all.