H2O Food Pantry Closes After 15 Years as Host Church Ceases Operations

The Help to Others Food Pantry, known as H2O, has closed after 15 years of serving the Centerton community. The nonprofit, which was housed at the Living Waters United Methodist Church at 424 N. Main St., announced its closure on Facebook on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, following a final distribution on September 19. During its existence, the pantry distributed more than 1.8 million pounds of food to over 92,000 individuals in Northwest Arkansas.

Amy Prime, the director of H2O, described the closure as “very disappointing,” noting that “life does have its ways of closing in chapters.” The pantry was established in 2011 as an outreach ministry of Living Waters United Methodist Church. According to volunteer Elizabeth Dumas, the organization originally operated from a storefront on Centerton’s Main Street before moving into the church in 2013.

Dumas explained that the pantry lost its physical space after the church closed last week due to an inability to support itself amid a declining congregation. She stated that the organization could not continue operations because of the high costs of renting alternative space in Centerton. The pantry’s stated goal was to provide supplemental groceries to residents who could not afford enough food to sustain themselves.

The closure marks the end of a long period of community engagement, with many volunteers having developed close relationships with the families they served. Dumas noted that staff will miss the people they served “tremendously,” recalling moments of shared celebration, such as new births, marriages, and job placements. These interactions highlight the personal dimension of mercy work, where practical aid often intersects with the daily realities of those in need, echoing the call to care for neighbors with both resources and relationship.

Sabrina Thiede, director of programs for the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, expressed sadness at the pantry’s closure. She described H2O as a “faithful” agency partner that had served neighbors for the past 15 years. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank had relied on H2O as an excellent partner in distributing food to the local community.

In the absence of H2O, Jason Maxwell, founder and directional leader of Food2Families Food Pantry, anticipates that families previously served by H2O will turn to his organization. Food2Families operates a pantry in Centerton where people can order items online and pick them up on Wednesdays at 110 Hailey Drive. Maxwell recalled that Prime had provided advice and guidance that helped Food2Families start its first pantry in Centerton in 2018.

The transition of food support services in Centerton reflects the ongoing need for sustainable structures in community outreach. While H2O’s specific ministry has concluded, the practical need for food security remains, and other organizations are stepping in to continue the work of feeding neighbors. This continuity of service aligns with the biblical principle of bearing one another’s burdens and providing for those in need, ensuring that the practical care of the community persists even as individual ministries change form.

Source: Read the original report