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 2016 data:

• 38% of children under 18 live below the poverty level
• 30% of all families live below the poverty level
• 56% of families have an annual income of less than $25,000
• 18% of families have an annual income of less than $15,000
• 25% of adults over 25 never finished high school.
• 76% of Montrose homes are valued at less than $50,000.

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, 2017 American Community Survey; Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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