Rogers senior-living community organizes food drive for neighbors without power
ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A senior-citizen residential community rallies together to help one another while it struggles with power outages.
Laurel Phillips was in Oklahoma when Sunday morning’s storms hit Rogers, knocking down trees and discarding debris.
When her daughter called her at 3 a.m. telling her the storm hit, she returned to Rogers to find — like many Northwest Arkansans — her neighborhood was without power. The difference from most communities, though, is that she exclusively lives within a senior-citizen community at The Meadows of Rogers.
“There are people in here 95 (years old), one’s 105,” Phillips said. “They’re scared to death. They don’t know what they’re going to do.”
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The power outages can be more difficult on seniors, as some are struggling to stay fed. Laurel Phillips, as well as other residents, are banding together to get food and water to those in need, transforming The Meadows of Rogers’ community center into a makeshift pantry.
Phillips is running a generator and has opened up her home to her neighbors who need to come in and charge their phones.
She said people sometimes take having power for granted.
“We have people that just come down here and say, ‘I need some ice,'” Phillips said. “They said, ‘We don’t know how good ice tastes until you don’t.'”
Angela Connolley has a friend who lives at The Meadows of Rogers. She’s been pitching in to help as well, making calls to local organizations to try and get food donated to the community.
She’s had some success, as 5 Minute Gourmet in Bentonville brought over salmon, quinoa, cod filet, shrimp stir fry and vegetables for Monday night’s dinner. Connolley said The Salvation Army in Rogers has pledged to give some food to The Meadows of Rogers, as well.
Steele Sikes with 5 Minute Gourmet said seeing the community members helping each other during the crisis brings “so much hope to your heart.”
“You’re like, ‘Hey, I’m here to help,’ and then you see all these people showing up and they’re all so kind,” Sikes said. “They’re willing and ready to serve as well, and it just brings a lot of hope to know there’s so many great people who also want to help the community.”
Phillips, her grandchildren and Connolley, among others, carried the Styrofoam crates of food door to door, asking people if they needed a meal.
Phillips thinks this effort will bring the neighborhood closer together long after the power is restored.
“I think we’re going to be more of a family,” Phillips said.
The community will be gathering food and other resources to help people for the duration of the power outages at The Meadows of Rogers. If there are excess food totals after power is restored and the residents can get groceries on their own, then Phillips said they’ll begin giving the food to nearby neighborhoods also affected by the storms.
Phillips and Connelly both reiterated that donations of food, water or other essential items are always welcome.
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