Memphis organization donates funds to help Region 8 flood victims

JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) - Help is still pouring in for victims of the spring flooding in Region 8 earlier this year.

Friday morning, members of the Memphis branch of B'nai B'rith International donated a $1000 check to the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas to help provide food to families impacted by the damaging floods that devastated parts of Region 8.

Mary Beasley, development officer of the Food Bank of NEA, said the donation will provide 4,000 meals and they'll work with local agencies in Randolph, Lawrence, and Clay counties to distribute the food.

'It's really great," Beasley said. "We got to talk to the representatives a lot and learn about what they do with disaster relief and to think that they're helping some of these smaller communities is just really unbelievable. I know in the past, they've helped the flood victims of New Orleans and the tornado victims of Vilonia. So, we're just thankful they're coming to Northeast Arkansas and helping all these people out."

Harold Steinberg, chairman of the B'Nai B'rith Disaster Relief Committee is a Region 8 native and grew up in Wynne.

"Being originally from Wynne, Arkansas, which is serviced by this facility, I was particularly interested," Steinberg said. "I made a suggestion to our committee that we make an allocation to this food bank."

Barbara Hellman, a member of B'Nai B'rith, also had a special connection to Region 8.

"This particular area is important to me on a personal level because my husband had business interests in the area and most of his employees were the wives of many farmers or someone in their community," Hellman said. "With the flooding, we thought this could be a great way to help and for me personally to give back to the community that was so good to him."

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