[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 36 (Thursday, February 25, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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  TRIBUTE TO CHAROLETTE TIDWELL AND RECOGNIZING ANTIOCH FOR YOUTH AND 
                                 FAMILY

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the hard 
work and dedication of Ms. Charolette Tidwell and her organization, 
Antioch for Youth and Family, in Fort Smith, AR. This nonprofit, all-
volunteer organization has played an important role in feeding local 
families for several years, but its efforts in 2020 made it a critical 
lifeline for thousands of people in western Arkansas.
  Last year alone, Antioch distributed more than 3.5 million pounds of 
food, including almost 1 million pounds of fresh produce, milk, dairy, 
and cooked meats provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. By hosting regular drive-up events 
at Martin Luther King Park in Fort Smith, Ms. Tidwell and her team 
provided help to families who needed it most during the COVID-19 
pandemic. In 2020, their efforts meant more than $6 million worth of 
food went to local residents, making it one of the largest food 
assistance efforts in the State. More than one in six households in 
Arkansas is food insecure. In Fort Smith, that number is one in five. 
Unfortunately, the current crisis has only increased those needs.
  I have been honored to visit with Ms. Tidwell and see her impressive 
efforts to fill the gap in her community in action. Before the 
pandemic, she was already hard at work with a food pantry, a community 
garden, and mobile food deliveries to low-income elderly and disabled 
residents and other struggling families.
  She has been an inspiration whose work has been recognized 
nationwide. L'Oreal Paris honored her in 2017 as one of 10 Women of 
Worth and in 2020 with the L'Oreal Paris Karen T. Fondu Impact Award 
for her tireless efforts to address the area's hunger crisis. Last 
year, she was featured on bags of Lay's potato chips as part of the 
company's initiative featuring ordinary people who do extraordinary 
things.
  Those awards and acknowledgements speak to the nature of her impact 
and the vital role she plays within the community. Fortunately, she has 
once again dedicated herself to meeting a tremendous need with the same 
compassion and care she brings to every challenge.
  I am grateful for Ms. Tidwell, the entire team at Antioch for Youth 
and Family, and their wonderful partners. With support from the River 
Valley Regional Food Bank, Feeding America, local businesses, and many 
volunteers, Antioch continues to make a difference and set an example 
for organizations across the State and the Nation.

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