Deyonka Hickey, who grew up in Ada and raised her kids in Bluffton, is featured in a recent issue of the weekly magazine People. The article “Hero Veterans Are Stepping Up to Feed Fellow Vets Suffering from Food Insecurity” details how difficult it was for her to accept help from a Lima food pantry when she ran out of money to feed her family after leaving the Air Force.

The profile also shows how Hickey went on to found the non-profit food pantry Feed Arkansas Veterans in March 2018. Based in Cabot, Arkansas, the pantry served some 600 veterans in 2020. To see the complete article and video interview, visit this link. 

Hickey is the daughter of Tom and Diann Holbrook, who have lived in Ada and Bluffton.