Hunger Free Oklahoma Blog

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 Katie Marvel, Communications Coordinator, Hunger Free Oklahoma It comes as no surprise that the COVID-19 shutdown has affected Oklahomans economically in more ways than one. Local businesses have had to close their doors, thousands of workers have been laid off, and families, some for the first time, are struggling to pay for basic needs: […]

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 Katie Maschino, Hunger Outreach Specialist, Hunger Free Oklahoma We have all heard the saying “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” and research consistently proves that eating breakfast is better for our physical and mental health than skipping breakfast altogether. For children, the benefits of eating school breakfast are especially strong. Research […]

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 Chris Bernard, Executive Director The well-known African Proverb says, “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” In the past year, across Oklahoma we have seen this proverb in action to address food insecurity. Oklahoma’s non-profit organizations, tribal nations, government stakeholders, community leaders, and others are […]

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 Eugenia Chow, Hunger Outreach/Data Specialist, Hunger Free Oklahoma For many children, school lunch may be the last healthy meal they get before returning to school the next day. The At-Risk component of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) helps fill this gap by ensuring that children 18 years old and younger receive […]