In the summer of 2023, the team from No Kid Hungry visited Sevier County to document the powerful community effort behind the Seamless Summer meal program.
Over the course of two days, their team captured how schools, libraries, and local organizations in Horatio, Lockesburg, and De Queen worked together to ensure children had access to nutritious meals and more.
When a community-led research effort identified food insecurity as a major barrier to child well-being — affecting 18% of children under 18 — the Excel by Eight Sevier County Alliance mobilized. With support from a No Kid Hungry grant, the Seamless Summer meal program has expanded dramatically. Horatio and DeQueen School Districts collaborated to scale meal distribution, and Sevier County Libraries served as sites for both meals and summer reading activities.
The results from the summer of 2024 speak volumes:
- 28,736 meals distributed in 2024 — a 1,642% increase over 2022
- A 62% increase in participation at library sites
- More than 240 books read by children 12 and under in just two months
Read more: Meals During Summer Help Families Like Mine
The story goes deeper than summer meals. The Sevier County Alliance works year-round to strengthen systems that support young children and families, with a focus on healthy food access, early literacy, early care and education, and behavioral health.
These efforts show what’s possible when a community aligns around shared goals. Watch the video above to see Sevier County’s impact in action, and read the blog post from No Kid Hungry to hear from one of the families behind the numbers.
