Collaboration

A new year does not magically end the challenges of the last, but it does give us an opportunity to look forward and set new priorities for the year ahead. We are grateful to be able to look ahead, regardless of the current challenges or new challenges that may arise, and think about what more we can do to move toward a Hunger Free Oklahoma.

Hunger Free Oklahoma was awarded a $500,000 matching grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to expand Double Up Oklahoma in farmers markets across the state and to pilot a grocery store program in rural Oklahoma. Combined with over $400,000 in support from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) for an expansion to grocery stores

by Chris Bernard, Executive Director It takes all of us to solve big, systemic problems like hunger in Oklahoma. From our very beginning, Hunger Free Oklahoma employees, partners, and providers came with one mindset: “Working together, we can create a hunger free Oklahoma.” Thank you for your support of HFO or any of our 600 […]

by Sam Kirzner, Double Up Oklahoma Program Manager, Hunger Free Oklahoma Double Up Oklahoma (DUO), a program that matches SNAP purchases with free produce dollar-for-dollar, is expanding to grocery stores! This farmers market season, DUO operates in 16 farmers markets and one mobile grocer. About 17.9% of Oklahoma SNAP participants currently live in an area […]

By Jessica Dietrich, Hunger Free Oklahoma, Policy and Government Relations Manager In my work advocating at the Oklahoma State Capitol over the past several years, one consistent question I receive is, “What do you actually do?” While I have my oversimplified, slightly-humorous answer of “I go to a lot of meetings,” the truth is not […]

by Treba Shyers, Hunger Outreach Specialist, Hunger Free Oklahoma The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides grocery assistance to low-income families. Tulsa Public Schools has partnered with Hunger Free Oklahoma to pilot the SNAP in Schools project, a project that provides training and technical assistance to school staff to assist families with the SNAP application. […]

by Richard Comeau, Program Director, Hunger Free Oklahoma Once every year in Mrs. McNeeley’s first grade class in Granbury, Texas, each student arrived at school carrying one carrot, one potato, one stick of celery, one can of broth and so on. Just one. The students filed through the door and she helped each of them […]

by Chris Bernard, Executive Director Over the last three years we have met so many amazing organizations and individuals across our state that are working every day to end hunger. All too often these people would mention their desire to meet others in the field, or learn more about a subject, but did not know […]

by Doug McDurham, Director of Public Affairs, Baylor University’s Texas Hunger Initiative Published in 2017, “Ending Hunger in Oklahoma; An assessment of food insecurity and resources in Oklahoma,” included a statewide analysis of the sources of food assistance. According to the authors, my colleagues at the Texas Hunger Initiative (THI), 93% of food assistance in […]

by Robin Spilman, Hunger Outreach Specialist, Hunger Free Oklahoma Food insecurity is a complex and widespread problem affecting communities across the United States. Every year, millions of Americans face the uncertainty of not knowing how they’ll put food on the table for themselves and their families. In 2017, an estimated 1 in 8 Americans were […]

By: Eugenia Chow, Hunger Outreach Specialist, Hunger Free Oklahoma Nationwide, millions of college students struggle with food insecurity, an issue that impacts health and decreases the chances of graduation. While research on food insecurity amongst college students is limited, it rarely exists in a vacuum. According to a recent study by the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, […]

By Devin Schroeder, Tulsa Regional Program Manager/Child Hunger, Hunger Free Oklahoma More than 100 individuals state-wide gathered in Oklahoma City to attend the “Kicking-Off Summer 2019” event. Hunger Free Oklahoma, alongside the Oklahoma Childhood Food Security Coalition, organized the Kick-Off to convene Summer Meal stakeholders invested in improving education and health outcomes for Oklahoma’s kids. […]

Help Hunger Free Oklahoma take a stand against food insecurity and hunger in our state by participating in Hunger Action Month during September! Imagine not knowing how you will get your next meal. This is the reality for over 635,000 Oklahomans who experience food insecurity and hunger every year. Food insecurity effects more than one […]

Richard Comeau, Program Director at Hunger Free Oklahoma, used mapping to show Oklahoma summer meal sites and the patterns of decline for summer. The map also showed the priority areas in relations to current summer meal sites. Click for Presentation: Oklahoma Summer Meal Sites – Tulsa Click for Presentation: Oklahoma Summer Meal Sites – OKC  Rebecca Lais, MSW […]

Thank you for your interest in the issue of hunger and the work of our organization. Hunger Free Oklahoma was founded with the belief hunger is solvable, unnecessary and, in a country as rich as ours, unjust. Oklahoma has some of the worst hunger statistics in the nation. Hunger in our state has many faces […]