Arvest Million Meals campaign helps raise more than $16,000 to benefit local food partners

Arvest announced the bank’s 13th annual Million Meals campaign helped raise more than $16,000 to benefit four food partners in Comanche, Grady and Stephens counties.

With the understanding that $1 can provide the equivalent of up to five meals through local food pantries, the annual Million Meals initiative raises money through special events and donations collected across the bank’s four-state footprint with the goal of providing at least one million meals to feed those in need. The money helps local non-profit organizations stock their community food pantries, which is especially important during the summer months when children are no longer receiving free or reduced meals at school, according to a press release.

Lawton Food Bank, Elgin Community Food Bank, Chickasha Emergency Food Pantry and Christians Concerned in Duncan benefited from this year’s campaign.

“We continue to be amazed by the outpouring of support from customers, community members and associates,” said David Madigan, CEO/President Arvest Bank Southwest Oklahoma, “Through their help, we are now seeing contribution levels not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful for their role in fighting hunger throughout our communities and for helping us once again exceed our ‘million meals’ goal.”

During the eight-week campaign, which ended May 27, Arvest collected a total of $459,658 to benefit 84 local organizations in the four-state region. The fundraising total equals 2,298,291 meals — the second largest total ever and nearly 20 percent more than the previous year. Since its launch in 2011, the initiative has raised 22.9 million meals, which includes more than $4.1 million in funds given directly to local community food partners.

The campaign also included $41,759 in donations collected through the Arvest Go mobile banking app, which has helped customers donate $197,299 directly through their mobile devices since the feature launched in 2018.

Arvest launched Million Meals based on the continued need to fight hunger across the communities it serves. According to the most recent data provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Arkansas (2nd) and Oklahoma (5th) ranked among the most food-insecure states in the nation, based on average rates from 2019-2021, while Missouri (10th) and Kansas (24th) ranked above or at the national average for most food-insecure states.