Big move. This week, it’s the drive to feed Oklahoma kids over summer break. Coco Kiley Thomas shares how a generous donation is expanding a much-needed program for thousands of Oklahoma kids. Summer break means hunger, but Oklahoma Regional Food Banks fear that this summer will be even worse. This year, the only resource for summer meals is the summer meal program run by the Department of Education. So we’re doing everything we can to identify access points and address and ensure we fill the gaps. This will be the first summer in four years that Oklahoma families won’t receive EBT cards for summer food. A previous pandemic relief program expired, and Gov. Kevin Stitt chose not to replace it, knowing the need would grow. This summer, Love’s Travel Stops stepped in and donated $250,000. We wanted to help. We’re in a rural community that is vulnerable to hardship, so being able to help where we’re based was very appealing. They helped us identify places where no one else was feeding kids. Thanks to financial support, the Food Bank has expanded our mobile distribution to four new counties: Love, Greer, Ellis, and Hermon. And we’re running a different model called Grab and Go. When a parent comes to pick up food for their child, they get, um, 10 meals at a time, 10 days’ worth of meals. It’s a game changer because we’ve removed the barrier of having to go somewhere every day to get food. Click on the link on our website to find out when a Grab and Go center will open in your county.
Generous donation expands feeding program for Oklahoma children over summer vacation
The generous donation from Love’s Travel Stop will go towards expanding critical food programs for Oklahoma children over the summer.
Updated: June 27, 2024 10:22 PM CDT
There was a big move Tuesday in the effort to feed Oklahoma children over the summer. For thousands of Oklahoma children, summer vacation means hunger. The Oklahoma Regional Food Bank fears this summer will be even worse. “Our only resource for summer meals this year is the Summer Meals Program, which is run through the Department of Education, so we’re doing everything we can to identify and make sure we fill those access points and gaps,” said Stacey Dykstra, CEO of the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank. This will be the first summer in four years that Oklahoma families won’t receive EBT cards for food over the summer. A previous pandemic relief program expired, and Gov. Kevin Stitt declined to offer an alternative. Anticipating an increased need this summer, Love’s Travel Stops stepped in and donated $250,000. “We wanted to help,” said Jenny Love Meyer, chief cultural officer at Love’s Travel Stops. “We’re in rural communities that are prone to tough situations, so being able to help where we’re based was really appealing.” >> Download the KOCO 5 App Thanks to financial support, the food bank has expanded its mobile distribution to four new counties: Love, Greer, Ellis and Harmon counties. “They’ve helped us identify areas where no one is feeding kids,” Dykstra said. “We have a different model called grab-and-go. Parents come in to pick up food for their kids and they get 10 days’ worth of meals at one time. That’s game-changing because it removes the barrier of having to go somewhere to get food every day.” TOP STORIES: Ryan Walters: Bible teaching to be mandatory in Oklahoma classrooms Weather forecast for Thursday, June 27 Edmond police search for man suspected of molesting bride on wedding night in crash by suspected drunk driver receives nearly $1 million settlement Convicted murderer Richard Rojem Jr. executed Thursday morning
A significant move was made Tuesday in the effort to provide meals to Oklahoma children over the summer.
For thousands of Oklahoma kids, summer vacation means hunger, and the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank fears this summer will be even worse.
“This year, our only resource for summer meals is the summer meal program that’s run through the Department of Education, so we’re doing everything we can to identify access points and gaps and make sure we fill them,” said Stacey Dykstra, CEO of the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank.
For the first time in four years, Oklahoma families will not receive EBT cards for food through the summer after a previous pandemic relief program expired and Gov. Kevin Stitt declined to replace it.
Anticipating an increased need for assistance this summer, Love’s Travel Stops stepped in and donated $250,000.
“We wanted to help,” said Jenny Love Meyer, chief cultural officer for Love’s Travel Stops. “We’re in a rural community that’s in a tough spot, so being able to help where we’re based was really appealing.”
>> Download the KOCO 5 app
Thanks to financial support, the food bank has expanded its mobile distribution to four new counties: Love, Greer, Ellis and Harmon counties.
“They helped us identify places where no one else was feeding kids,” Dykstra said. “We’re doing a different model called ‘grab and go,’ where parents come in to pick up food for their kids and they get 10 days’ worth of meals at once. That’s revolutionary because it removes the barrier of having to go somewhere to buy food every day.”
top News:
