Located in Ashley County, just north of the Louisiana border, Montrose is a tiny town of  316 residents, two-thirds of whom are African-American. It’s rural, agricultural country and job opportunities are scarce. There are no supermarkets, libraries, barber shops or gas stations in town.

According to 2022 census data:

• The median household income is $31,250
• 95% of children under 18 live below the poverty line
• 45.4% of people live below the poverty line
• 94% of owner-occupied housing units are valued under 100k

The Full Gospel Church Outreach Ministry, based in nearby Hamburg, is our local partner. The Ministry runs an emergency food pantry that helps about 300 families each month. The coordinator there — Ethel Woods, serves as our liaison, recommending families in need and distributing donated food. In addition to hunger relief, the Ministry has established a clothing assistance program, mentoring program to assist people leaving welfare (and those still receiving welfare), self-esteem workshops, an abstinence program for teens, and an abuse prevention program for troubled teens and families.

The Arkansas Foodbank Network provides groceries to the Full Gospel Church Outreach Ministry for our sponsored families.

Community Contact:
Ethel Woods
The Full Gospel Church Outreach Ministry
927 Hwy 82-B West
PO Box 164
Montrose, AR 71658

Data Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 American Community Survey

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