Charlotte Tidwell is a longtime resident of Fort Smith, Arkansas. In 1965, Charlotte began her studies in nursing and became the first black woman to complete the nursing program at Sparks Hospital. For over thirty years she servered her community as a nurse and hospital administrator. Upon retirement, Charlotte Tidwell founded the non-profit Antioch Youth and Family. Her organization distributes nutrituous food to needing families throughout Western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma and has grown to be the largest food pantry throughout the region. While retired, Tidwell considers that she is still following her calling as a nurse by addressing food insecurity in the community. She says,"The work has nothing to do with Charlotte. It's not about me. It has everything to do with knitting back communities to be whole."
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