501-918-3025
calsfoundation@cals.org
calsfoundation@cals.org
Mission Statement
Be Mighty Little Rock is a city-wide anti-hunger campaign aimed at connecting kids, teens, and families to free meals, cooking and nutrition education, food security resources, and opportunities to eat, play and learn.
Contact Us
Our History
Be Mighty began in 2018 with the goal of providing healthy food and lifestyle choices for kids within Little Rock and the Central Arkansas Library System. Our office is housed in the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library and Learning Center, but much of our work is facilitated offsite as well. Since its inception, we have pivoted our program to include a broader intergenerational lens for our work. With the support of the Central Arkansas Library System, the City of Little Rock, the National Recreation and Parks Association, the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, and other partners, we have been able to add programs and help more members of our community. Currently, our team is comprised of a Be Mighty Coordinator, Be Mighty Specialist, and a Be Mighty Outreach Facilitator.
Funding
Be Mighty is funded by the City of Little Rock and the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS).
Our Team
Jessica Frazier-Emerson, Be Mighty Coordinator
jdfrazieremerson@cals.org, 501.320.5775
Andie-Kate White, Be Mighty Specialist
akwhite@cals.org, 501.978.3874
Hailey Squires, Be Mighty Outreach Facilitator
hpsquires@cals.org, 501.978.3872
Free summer meals for kids and teens at your local library June 3, 2024 – August 14, 2024. No Registration, ID or library card required! For children 18 and under. Children under 11 must be accompanied.
Summer 2024 Meal Sites and Schedules:
- Children’s Library & Learning Center 4800 W. 10th Street, Little Rock | M-F 11:30am-12:30pm
- Dee Brown Library 6325 Baseline Road, Little Rock | M-F 1pm-2pm
- Main Library Library Square, 401 President Clinton Ave, Little Rock | M-F 11:30am-12:30pm
- Maumelle Library 10 Lake Pointe Drive, Maumelle | M-F 12pm-1pm
- McMath Library 2100 John Barrow Road, Little Rock | M-F 12pm-1pm
- Nixon Library 703 W. Main Street, Jacksonville | M-F 11am-12pm
- Rooker Library 11 Otter Creek Court, Little Rock | M-F 12pm-1pm
- Sanders Library 10200 Johnson Drive, Sherwood | M-F 11am-12pm
- Terry Library 2015 Napa Valley Drive, Little Rock | M-F 11:30am-12:30pm
- Williams Library 1800 S. Chester Street, Little Rock | M-F 1pm-2pm
Bridge 2 Success, a local vendor in Southwest Little Rock, prepares and delivers every free meal to the meal sites. Be Mighty Little Rock works with Bridge 2 Success to discuss popular menu items, dietary restrictions, delivery concerns, and the overall success of the afterschool meal program. CALS branch staff designs enrichment components that are offered alongside meals; activities range from “draw and describe your dream house” to “write something kind that you’ve done today” activity sheets.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides funding for the programs and sets nutrition standards that programs must meet to receive reimbursements. Meal patterns for breakfast, lunch and supper require providers to serve fruits, vegetables, meat or protein alternatives, grains, and milk.
Find A Meal Map
Community Fridges
- Williams Library 1800 S Chester St, Little Rock, AR 72206
- McMath Library 2100 John Barrow Rd, Little Rock, AR 72204
- Nixon Library 703 W Main St, Jacksonville, AR 72076
Community fridges are judgement-free spaces to take what you need to feed yourself and your family. Supplemental meal efforts made through little free pantries and community refrigerators support not only children, but their caregivers and patrons.
Community Refrigerators were funded through the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, the National Recreation and Parks Association, and Tyson Foods.
Be Mighty Little Rock works with Potluck Food Rescue to stock fridges once a week. We have also received grant funding to support community refrigerators through the Arkansas Community Foundation and the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance’s Hunger Reduction Initiative.
Want to donate? Bring your refrigerated items to any of the listed locations during library hours and help to feed those in need.
Need ideas? Here is a list of donations we most often need:
- Meats (chicken, hamburger meat, etc.), Juices, Milk (dairy and non), Cheese, Creamers and heavy whipping cream, Eggs, Fruits, Vegetables, Mixed and Cold Salads (potato salad, tuna salad, pasta salad), Yogurt, Raita, Herbs, Soups, Miso, soy paste, Dips (hummus, etc), Jello and pudding, Protein shakes, Condiments
Little Free Pantries
- Children’s Library 4800 W 10th St, Little Rock, AR 72204
- Dee Brown Library 6325 Baseline Rd, Little Rock, AR 72209
- Fletcher Library 823 N Buchanan St, Little Rock, AR 72205
- McMath Library 2100 John Barrow Rd, Little Rock, AR 72204
- Millie Brooks Library 13024 AR-365, Wrightsville, AR 72183
- Nixon Library 703 W Main St, Jacksonville, AR 72076
- Terry Library 2015 Napa Valley Dr, Little Rock, AR 72212
- Thompson Library 38 Rahling Cir, Little Rock, AR 72223
- Maumelle Library 10 Lake Pointe Dr, Maumelle, AR 72113
- Rooker Library 11 Otter Creek Ct, Little Rock, AR 72210
- Oak Forest Community Garden 2600 S Monroe St, Little Rock, AR 72204
These pantries are stocked weekly by Be Mighty Little Rock and community members. With the aid of several different grant sources, we purchase goods in bulk and build donation bags for each branch on a weekly basis. We encourage community members to stock the pantry with nonperishable goods in addition to our weekly deliveries.
A longstanding tenant of the Be Mighty program has been to provide avenues to free food for families in Central Arkansas. To create an even more direct path to food, we modeled this program after the nationwide Little Free Pantry project. Pantries are either made of wood and cement outside of the library or made of upcycled metal newspaper stands and located on library grounds or in the library lobby.
Want to donate? Bring your pantry-stable donation items to any of the listed locations and help to feed those in need.
Need ideas? Here is a list of donations we most often need:
- Applesauce, Canned Veggies, Canned Beans, Canned Meats (Fish, Chicken, etc.), Crackers, Dried herbs & spices, Dry rice and pasta, Canned or Dried Fruits, Granola Bars, Meals in a Box, Nuts, Peanut Butter, Shelf-stable & powdered milk, Whole Grain Cereal, Oatmeal
Non-food items are also acceptable and encouraged!
- Soap/ Deodorant, Toothbrush/paste, Sanitary products, Diapers & wipes, School Supplies, Socks and gloves, Sunscreen, Can openers
BMLR trains CALS library staff to provide SNAP assistance to patrons by appointment, providing one-on-one assistance with applications and /or information on SNAP, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), TEA (Transitional Employment Assistance), Double-Up Food Bucks, and Voter Registration.
- Appointments can be made to talk with one of CALS social workers for assistance with SNAP applications. Ask the front desk of your library about this resource!
- Email/Call any Be Mighty staff and we would be happy to arrange an appointment as well.
Additional Resources
What Is Be Mighty METRO?
This program provides families free transportation. Participants will receive a metro ID card and monthly passes to use in the pass reader.
Who is eligible for a bus pass?
Caregivers & their children 18 and under who are patrons of the CALS library system (a library card is required).
Where can I apply?
Patrons can visit one of the 5 participating CALS library branches listed to apply for the program. Children 18 and under must be present at the time of registration but are not required to be present to use the metro pass.
- Children’s Library & Learning Center 4800 W. 10th Street, Little Rock 72204
- McMath Library 2100 John Barrow Road, Little Rock 72204
- Williams Library 1800 Chester Street, Little Rock 72206
- Dee Brown Library 6325 Baseline Road, Little Rock 72209
- Fletcher Library 823 N. Buchanan Street, Little Rock 72205
Additional Resources
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteering with Be Mighty allows you to see the impact of our programs and the difference they make for the kids and patrons we serve. You can volunteer as an individual or with a group. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old.
Ways You Can Be Involved (Placement Based on Ability and Personal Preference):
- Build Be Mighty Resource Bags
- Deliver Donated Food to Little Free Pantry Sites
- Stock Community Fridges at Participating Library Branches
- Aid in Food Drives
- Assist at Outreach Events
- Serve Fresh Meals for Library After-School and Summer Meal Programs
- Pack Recipe Kits for monthly Community Cook-Along
- Assist with SNAP Application Navigation
Complete a volunteer form below (Be Mighty can be found in the “Outreach” section of volunteer duties) or call/email the Be Mighty Outreach Facilitator Hailey Squires (hpsquires@cals.org, 501.978.3872) to get started!
