Groceries a ‘blessing’ in Bella Vista

Anonymous customer helps stock local food pantries

BELLA VISTA — A secret buyer completely wipes out all of the blessing bag display at least once a month or so, helping two Bella Vista food pantries stock their shelves.

It’s a blessing — and a mystery that Harps Grocery Manager Tanner Le can’t even solve.

“I still don’t know who it is,” Tanner said.

The anonymous customer comes in at least once a month to buy every bag of the display. When fully stocked, the shelves hold 36 bags.

The blessing bag program, which is instituted companywide across Harps stores, is back full-steam. The program was on hold during the beginning of covid-19 but has been back in operation now for quite some time and embraced well by customers, Le said.

The bags are sold for $10 or $15 each and are stocked with non-perishable food staples such as peanut butter, oatmeal, chicken noodle soup and tea.

Here’s how the program works: The customer purchases a bag, then Harps staff members take the bag and put it in a cart, setting it aside for one of two food pantries in Bella Vista. The two Bella Vista food pantries that benefit are Oasis Food Pantry, housed at the Village Bible Evangelical Free Church, and the Shepherd’s Food Pantry at the Bella Vista Lutheran Church.

Pickups are conducted weekly. Customers also have the option to purchase the bag, then take it to their local church for food pantry needs, said Deborah Beichel, Harps staff member.

Those involved say the blessing bags are great to give — and to receive.

In a handwritten thankyou note, the Shepherd’s Food Pantry volunteers say the bags “truly make a difference.” “Thank you for your partnership and your commitment to helping those in need.”

Likewise, Beichel said customers are “extremely grateful” for the opportunity to help the community. “It’s everything you need. It takes the pressure off trying to figure out what to buy,” she said.

“It makes giving a lot easier.”