Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry Receives $50,000 Gift From Hellmann's and IHeartMedia

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The Full Circle Food Pantry receives a $50,000 gift from Hellmann's and iHeartMedia Impact at the Homecoming Game.

The Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Campus Food Pantry serves the entire campus community, helping feed those who experience food insecurity. During the Homecoming game on Oct. 21 the pantry received its largest single gift since it opened in 2011.

Hellmann's and iHeartMedia came together to make a $50,000 donation to help support the pantry's mission of "Nourishing Bodies, Empowering Minds, and Building a Community of Compassion." The check was presented to the Pantry students and staff on the field before the recent Homecoming game.

"$50,000 is a full year's budget for the pantry and will allow us to keep serving the University of Arkansas/UAMS community for years to come. It may also allow us to increase our serving capacity and better serve our clients," said Lauren Zoghlin, Full Circle Pantry special projects coordinator.

This donation will allow the pantry staff to Increase their clients' accessibility to fresh produce and foods reflective of their cultures. Create more variation in product availability. "It will also allow our Pantry Executive Board the ability to pursue new ideas to improve the client experience specific to their overall goals of being paperless and client-choice focused," said Claire Allison, director for the Center for Community Engagement.

"We're inspired by the commitment that the University of Arkansas and Hellmann's have to addressing food insecurity and hunger within the U of A community," says Taylor Tomczyszyn, director, iHeartIMPACT. "We are proud to stand alongside Hellmann's to contribute funding and resources to help continue this critical work, and hope this partnership helps to reach as many people as possible in need of support." 

The iHeartIMPACT team is running the following Public Service Announcement on iHeartMedia radio stations across the state now through December 17.

"Hellmann's and iHeartMedia congratulate the U of A's Jane B Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry. Serving more than twelve hundred students, faculty and staff every month, U of A works year-round to address hunger in our community by providing well balanced meals, non-perishables and fresh produce to support those in need. Thanks to Hellmann's, we're providing fifty thousand dollars to help grow the Pantry even further. Join us! Visit fullcircle.uark.edu to learn more. Together we're creating a community of compassion."

Through August and September this school year the pantry has served more than 1,800 individuals. During the entire 2022-2023 school year the pantry served more than 10,623 individuals and had 129 volunteers.

"This incredible donation is a meaningful investment in the work that student leaders have poured into Full Circle over the past 12 years and will help to ensure that Full Circle can continue to grow and provide services to our campus community," Allison said. "We are so grateful to Hellmann's and IHeartIMPACTfor this funding and recognition of Full Circle's mission."

"When we talk about student success and well-being, it's important students have access to food. The food pantry provides a solution for students who may be facing food insecurity challenges." said Jeremy Battjes, vice chancellor for student affairs. "This generous gift from Hellmann's and iHeartMedia will go a long way in serving the thousands of clients the Full Circle Food Pantry cares for each semester." 

You can give to the Food Pantry in several ways, through the online giving page, or dropping off needed items at the pantry, or using the Amazon Wish List to have items shipped directly to the pantry.

About the Division of Student Affairs: The Division of Student Affairs supports students in their pursuit of knowledge, earning a degree, finding meaningful careers, and connecting with the global community. We provide students housing, dining, and health care and wellness resources, create innovative programs that educate and inspire, and offer inclusive support for a diverse student body. We enhance the University of Arkansas experience and help students succeed, one student at a time.

About iHeartMedia: iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, reaching over 90% of Americans every month, and has a portfolio of unmatched consumer brands and industry-leading events. iHeart's broadcast radio assets alone have more consumer reach in the U.S. than any other media outlet; twice the reach of the next largest broadcast radio company; and over four times the ad-enabled reach of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to Podtrac, with more downloads than the next four podcast publishers combined; has the number one social footprint among audio players, with seven times more followers than the next audio media brand; and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts.  The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.