Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Pantry opens with Purifoy as new director

FoodShare Arkansas, a food

bank located in Prescott to serve

Nevada County and the Gurdon

area, has a new director.

Fay Purifoy, a resident of

Clark County with experience

in management, took over the

operation Oct. 1. According to

FoodShare founder Brian

Burton, Purifoy is a good addition

to the team.

She is very warm, very professional,

Burton said during a

recent interview. I think shes

the perfect person to take us to

the next level.

Purifoy worked for Twin

Rivers Health and Rehab in

Arkadelphia for 17 years. She

said she was assistant administrator

there, which gives her a

background in management and

in caring for those in need.

Her retirement from that

position put Purifoy in the perfect

position to take on a new

project. She heard from a fellow

church member who works in

Prescott that the food bank was

searching for a new director.

Burton said the fact that the

food bank had been closed for

about three weeks created a

great flurry of activity on the

day they reopened. He said

there were a great number of

families in line on the day of the

reopening, and that Purifoy handled

it well.

For her part, Purifoy said the

first days were immensely

rewarding and that even that

flurry of activity left her with no

doubts about her decision to

take on the task.

The best part of the job,

according to Purifoy, is simply

the ability to play some minor

role in the lives of people. The

fact that those are typically people

in need makes that small

role more important, Purifoy

said.

The biggest challenge, she

said, is the need to play a role in

so many lives.

Purifoy said the organization

cannot function without community

support.

With these economic times,

the demand is going to be even

greater, she said.

Burton said the community

food drive, held recently at the

football game against Hope,

brought in some badly needed

donations. The need, however,

never ends. Donations of nonperishable

food and personal

toiletries are always welcome.

Cash donations are also welcome.

Burton said cash can be

used to buy in bulk, meaning the

money usually goes farther than

an individual can stretch the

same amount.

an individual can stretch the same amount.

Purifoy said the most important thing the community can do is

to help spread the word.

Were here to serve and anyone is welcome to come by, she

said. Even if its just to visit.

Purifoy said that while shes anxious to offer whatever help is

available to those who need to draw on the food banks resources,

shes also happy to meet anyone interested in the food bank.

The food bank is open Monday and Friday, 9:30 a.m.  2:30 p.m.