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Arvest Bank was scheduled to launch its annual two-month Million Meals initiative to fight hunger in the four-state region the bank serves on Monday.

Instead, Whitney Watson, the Sales Manager for Arvest in Bartlesville, said the bank announced that it will proactively provide one million meals in the fight against hunger. She said Arvest's mission is "People Helping People," and they find that, in all different kinds of communities, especially in this unprecedented time, folks need help.

Even though Arvest is unable to do the fundraising events that they normally do due to COVID-19, the bank wants to offer support and help in any way possible.

Watson said they decided to go ahead and provide meals to their partners that serve our communities so well. She said Arvest is providing funding assistance to Mary Martha Outreach, Living Word Family Church Loaves and Fishes Food Bank, Craig County Neighbors Helping Neighbors, and Caney Valley Agape Network, Inc.

Arvest says it is part of our local communities. Watson said they are there to help provide financial assistance, but they are also there to be your neighbor. She said Arvest is there for you during any circumstance to help you through uncertainty.

In this, its 10th year, Arvest’s Million Meals campaign has raised over 17-million meals, which includes more than $3-million in funds given directly to the bank’s dozens of local food partners.

Given the circumstances with COVID-19, Watson said Arvest will be doing monetary donations to their food partners in Northeast Oklahoma and Southeast Kansas.

Due to the effects of COVID-19, local food partners likely will see an increased need for the help Million Meals provides. Arvest encourages anyone who usually supports the Million Meals campaign through in-branch food contributions or fundraisers to donate directly to their local food bank or other appropriate organization if they are able.

“‘People Helping People’ has been part of Arvest’s mission for more than 20 years. That’s why we have decided to provide one million meals – in the form of direct monetary donations – to our 80-plus food partners as quickly as possible,” Kim Adams, President of Arvest Bank said. “The 2020 Million Meals campaign was scheduled to begin March 30 and last for two months, but we are providing this funding assistance because we believe our food partners need it now.”

The bank’s decision to provide one million meals was based on the fact hunger is an issue in every community it serves. In 2018, 11.1 percent of American households were food-insecure, meaning they had difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all their members due to a lack of resources.