LOCAL Campaign

Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (January 2023)
As the current Congress nears its end, federal lawmakers are negotiating one final spending package that could impact food security programs. At the time of writing, the just-released mega-bill includes:
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The Work Continues into 2023
We at Hunger Free Oklahoma are reflecting on 2022 with gratitude for you and so many others who continued to press on with us in the movement to end hunger across our state and our nation.
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (December 2022)
As the current Congress nears its end, federal lawmakers are negotiating one final spending package that could impact food security programs. At the time of writing, the just-released mega-bill includes:
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (November 2022)
The Oklahoma legislature will have 15 new members of the House of Representatives and eight new members of the Senate. This means that 22% of the legislature will be new members come next session. Hunger Free Oklahoma will focus on educating new and returning legislators alike on the landscape of food security issues and policies.
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (October 2022)
The federal public health emergency has been extended through January 11, 2023. At this time, we do not anticipate the emergency declaration will be extended past January 2023, though no official action has been announced or taken yet. The end of the federal public health emergency will mean several changes to federal nutrition programs. We are tracking this very closely and will keep our partners updated with the latest information.
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (September 2022)
by Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health We are extremely proud and honored to share that our Executive Director, Chris Bernard, received an invite to attend the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in person on behalf of Hunger Free Oklahoma. This […]
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (August 2022)
by Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy Child Nutrition Program Reauthorization The House Committee on Education and Labor passed H.R. 1850 out of committee on July 27, 2022. The reauthorization package is now eligible to be heard on the House floor, but an exact timeline is not clear at this point. The […]
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (July 2022)
by Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy Child Nutrition Program Reauthorization The House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Rep. Bobby Scott introduced legislation last week to modernize childhood anti-hunger programs through H.R. 8450, the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act. Though H.R. 8450 still needs to move through the legislative process, this represents […]
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (June 2022)
by Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy Child Nutrition Program Waivers Congress took an important step last week to combat childhood hunger with the announcement of a long-awaited agreement to extend child nutrition waivers. The bipartisan Keep Kids Fed Act by Senate Committee on Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member John Boozman […]
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (May 2022)
by Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy 2022 Legislative Session Regular Session: The regular legislative session adjourns this week. The legislature completed their work on the budget last week and sent the budget bills, along with many additional bills, to the governor’s desk. Below is a brief update on a couple of […]
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (April 2022)
by Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy 2022 Legislative Session The state legislative session will adjourn in the next month. There are approximately 1,000 bills (down from about 5,000) still moving through the process following the recent legislative deadlines. An average of about 19% of bills filed ultimately make it to the […]
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (March 2022)
by Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy 2022 Legislative Session The state legislative session is almost at the halfway point, with the second major deadline this week. There are approximately 1,400 bills (down from about 5,000) still moving through the process following the first committee hearing deadline. About 19% of bills filed […]
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (February 2022)
by Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy 2022 Legislative Session Legislative session is now underway, with both chambers primarily focused on committee work through March 3. Legislators requested a total of 3,019 bills ahead of this legislative session. New bill requests, combined with carryover bills from the 2021 legislative session, means there […]
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Oklahoma Lawmakers Join LOCAL Coalition on Visit to Grocery Store Utilizing “Double Up Oklahoma” Program
The Lift Oklahoma Communities, Agriculture, and Lifestyles (LOCAL) Coalition is seeking ways to expand the DUO program across the state through a stronger public/private partnership.
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (January 2022)
by Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy 2022 Legislative Session This week is the bill filing deadline ahead of the 2022 legislative session which begins in just a few short weeks. Legislators requested a total of 3,019 bills ahead of legislative session. New bill requests, combined with carryover bills from the 2021 […]
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Hunger Free Oklahoma Executive Director Testifies at Congressional House Committee on Rules Roundtable on Rural Hunger
Chris Bernard, Hunger Free Oklahoma’s executive director, was invited to testify at a congressional roundtable, along with four other experts from across the nation, as part of an effort to examine the issue of hunger in rural America.
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (December 2021)
by Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy, and Bailey Ashbaker, Senior Policy Analyst and Engagement Specialist Chris Bernard Testifies Before House Rules Committee In case you missed it, our Executive Director, Chris Bernard, was invited to testify at a congressional roundtable along with four other experts from across the nation as part […]
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Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy (November 2021)
by Jessica Dietrich, Policy & Government Relations Manager and Bailey Ashbaker, Senior Policy Analyst and Engagement Specialist Announcing the LOCAL Coalition Hunger Free Oklahoma, in partnership with the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, recently formed the Lift Oklahoma Communities, Agriculture, and Lifestyles (LOCAL) Coalition. The coalition is advocating for a state investment to expand access […]
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DUO Lifts Oklahoma Communities, Agriculture, and Lifestyles
by Jessica Dietrich, Policy and Government Relations Manager Oklahoma has some of the poorest health indicators in the nation, ranking 45th overall according to the United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings 2020 report. The same report ranks Oklahoma 49th in fruit and vegetable consumption and 46th in household food security. There is a significant body […]
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Hunger Free Oklahoma Secures USDA Grant to Address Reduced Access to Fruits and Vegetables Due to COVID-19
The USDA announced that Hunger Free Oklahoma was 1 of 35 recipients nationally to be awarded a Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program COVID-19 Relief and Response (GusCRR) grant of $650,000 to continuing the DUO program at farmers markets and grocery stores and allowing expansion to high-need areas across the state for the next year.
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Healthy Food, Healthy Economies, and Healthy Communities: DUO Wins in Rural Oklahoma
by Richard Comeau, Program Director, Hunger Free Oklahoma Double Up Oklahoma (DUO) is making a difference. In the city of Okemah (Okfuskee County), which has only one full-service grocery store and some of Oklahoma’s worst health indicators, Double Up Oklahoma (DUO) is fulfilling a need. So much so that according to Homeland staff, people are […]
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Hunger Free Oklahoma awarded USDA GusNIP grant to expand Double Up Oklahoma program
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
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Program that helps low-income families get more fruits and vegetables expands
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 […]
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