Since 1980, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma has been working with partner agencies and the community to fight hunger. Last fiscal year alone, the nonprofit distributed more than 486,031 pounds of food to help hungry Kay county residents.
“Thanks to generous support from the community, volunteers, donors and board members, we are able to provide food to children, seniors and families struggling with hunger year-round,” said Dawn Burroughs, vice president of marketing at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. “As long as there is a need, the Regional Food Bank will be here to feed our hungry Oklahoma neighbors.”
Last fiscal year, the Regional Food Bank distributed 52 million pounds of food and products throughout 53 central and western Oklahoma counties.
In Kay County, the Regional Food Bank works with 13 partner agencies to fight hunger. Partner agencies include: Agape Church of Christ, Associated Charities, Domestic Violence Program of North Central Oklahoma, Friendship Feast, House of Prayer of Blackwell, Marland Children's Home, McCord Senior Citizens Center, Northern Oklahoma Youth Services and the Opportunity Center.
The nonprofit also runs hunger-fighting programs in Kay County, including Food for Kids. Last school year, the Regional Food Bank provided the equivalent of nearly 3 million meals to chronically hungry children through Food for Kids childhood hunger programs, which includes the Backpack Program and School Pantries.
Through the Backpack Program, children receive a backpack full of kid-friendly, non-perishable and nutritious food on Friday to sustain them over weekends and school holidays.
Last school year, more than 18,800 students in 512 schools participated in the Backpack Program. In Kay County alone, 406 students in eight schools participated in this program. Schools included: Blackwell Elementary School, Garfield Elementary School, Kildare Elementary School, Liberty Elementary School, McCord Public Schools, Ponca Tribal Head Start, Tonkawa Elementary School and Trout Elementary School.
“I am a single mother, a teacher’s assistant and my child is 7,” shared Tiffany, whose son is on the Backpack Program. “He has a medical condition as well that costs us a lot of money every month, so this really helps offset that cost and stress. I don’t have to worry about snacks and food.”
The School Pantry Program provides chronically hungry middle and high school students with food to sustain them after school and over weekends. The School Pantry Program ended last school year serving more than 5,100 students in 152 middle and high schools.
In Kay County alone, 160 students in five schools participated in this program. Schools included: Ponca City West Middle School, Ponca City East Middle School, Teen Pep and Wildcat Academy.
Oklahoma is one of the hungriest states in the nation, where one in four children struggles with hunger every day. Most of the clients served by the Regional Food Bank are children, seniors living on fixed incomes and working families who cannot make ends meet.
To make a donation, or for more information, visit regionalfoodbank.org or call 405-600-3136.
