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HFO Director of Government Relations and Public Policy Jessica Dietrich speaks with Fox23 about the announcement of SNAP benefits disruption beginning November 1.
Hunger Free Oklahoma in the News
Read news coverage highlighting Hunger Free Oklahoma team members and work.
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The National News Desk: Families who rely on SNAP brace for ‘impossible decisions’ amid shutdown
“ ‘I don’t think I’ve been more concerned about anything in my career before,’ said Chris Bernard, the president and CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma, which works with both food stamp beneficiaries and community partners.”
KWTV: Rural Oklahoma could see significant challenges if SNAP benefits expire
“Chris Bernard from Hunger Free Oklahoma has been addressing misinformation about the situation, clarifying that SNAP benefits carried over from October can still be used in November, although most users won’t have carryover benefits.”
Claremore Daily Progress: Food pantries brace for Nov. 1 SNAP freeze
“Bernard said the 9:1 ratio of SNAP to pantry meals illustrates that charities and food banks alone cannot sustain the poorest Oklahomans’ nutrition needs. He said losing SNAP would also erase billions in economic impact generated by the program each year in Oklahoma.”
KFOR: SNAP halt threatens empty table for Oklahomans in November
“Hunger Free Oklahoma says Oklahoma relies heavily on SNAP to keep food on tables. ‘According to Feeding America, we ranked 46th in food insecurity,’ said Dietrich. ‘We also know that nearly 700,000 Oklahomans participate in SNAP each month.’ “
KWGS: Over half a million Oklahomans could be cut off from SNAP at the end of the month
“Jessica Dietrich, director of government relations and public policy for Hunger Free Oklahoma, said there is a lot of anxiety about SNAP funding, especially because no one knows the answers to beneficiaries’ questions.”
KFOR: Oklahoma among Top 10 states most impacted by the government shutdown
“Hunger Free Oklahoma works to end hunger across the state, and worries about the impact of the shutdown if it continues. ‘There’s a question that if the shutdown went through November, whether there would be money there to issue SNAP benefits,’ said Chris Bernard, CEO & President of Hunger Free Oklahoma.”
KOCO: Oklahoma lawmakers address childhood hunger as a national security concern
“Oklahoma ranks 46th in the nation for food insecurity, and state lawmakers are examining the impact of childhood hunger on health and national security through an interim study that included Hunger Free Oklahoma, the Regional Food Bank, OU Health, school leaders, and the state agriculture secretary. ‘Food insecurity has lasting health costs for our state,’ said state Rep. Pogemiller. ‘When we expand access to SNAP, school meals, and summer feeding, we invest in healthier kids and stronger communities.’ “
Fox23: How the federal shutdown impacts Oklahomans using SNAP and WIC benefits
“ ‘SNAP alone is worth over $100 million a month to address food insecurity in Oklahoma,’ said Bernard. ‘If that’s cut or families pull back spending due to uncertainty, it’s a blow to grocery stores and the local economy. The longer this shutdown continues, the more challenging it becomes, not just for families but for the entire system trying to support them.’ ”
KFOR: Government shutdown could impact programs that feed Oklahoma families
“ ‘The good news is you don’t have to be worried today, right? Like, your benefits are there. If you’re on SNAP, your benefits for October are good,’ said Bernard. ‘I think there’s going to be a lot of pressure to solve this problem, and we hope to see it resolved quickly.’ “
KOSU: The U.S. government has shut down. What does that mean for Oklahomans?
“ ‘So if you are on WIC, you should really contact the administering agency of your WIC program, so whether that’s a tribe or the state, to understand where your benefits sit,’ Bernard said. ‘If you’re on SNAP, know your SNAP benefits are going to get paid in October.’ “
KFOR: Oklahoma hunger advocates concerned over proposed SNAP changes
“ ‘We want them to have choices, right? But the more barriers you put in the way of using the benefit, the less the benefit can achieve its actual mission, which is to make sure folks have enough food to eat,’ said Chris Bernard, Hunger Free Oklahoma.”
The Oklahoman: Oklahoma nonprofits look for a way forward after food insecurity report is canceled
“ ‘Really, the timing is particularly troubling — we just had the most historic and sweeping changes to SNAP ever in the U.S., and now, the government’s not going to measure what the impact of that was,’ [Chris Bernard] said. ‘There’s this report that would have told us what impact that had in coming years, and now, there’s nothing.'”
Investigate Midwest: These rural communities feed the world. They’re also going hungry.
“ ‘SNAP benefits a lot of communities, but it’s been great for farmers, it’s good for local communities and it creates an access point for everyone, not just SNAP users,’ said Chris Bernard, executive director of Hunger Free Oklahoma, the nonprofit that administers the state’s Double Up program.”
KJRH: CRUCIAL: Hunger Free Oklahoma sounds alarm as USDA cuts food security report
“ ‘They just made the most historic changes and cuts to SNAP that we’ve ever seen in the history of our nation and now they’re saying they’re going to cut the study that would be able to tell us what the impact of those cuts are,’ said [Chris] Bernard.”
Tulsa People: Bridging the gap: local nonprofit connects Oklahomans with food resources
“ ‘With the passage of recent legislation, it will become more difficult for Oklahomans to access SNAP and other similar programs,’ [Richard] Comeau says. ‘Our work is now more important than ever.’ ”
The Journal Record: Donors engage with Hunger Free Oklahoma through Giving Table
“The Giving Table offers an innovative way to support Hunger Free Oklahoma’s work while benefitting from a menu of networking events. When donors give $25 per month or more, they can participate in Table Talks, where participants converse with leadership on strategies, progress and challenges of Hunger Free Oklahoma. Gatherings in Tulsa and Oklahoma City offer The Giving Table donors opportunities to attend annual invitation-only get-togethers with Hunger Free Oklahoma leadership, partners and supporters.”
Oklahoma Farm Report: Lauran Larson: How The Food is Medicine Program is Transforming Health in Oklahoma
“Discussing the Food is Medicine Coalition, Larson said it has existed ‘since 2023’ and brings together ‘partners from different sectors, like healthcare providers, agriculture, healthcare systems, and state agencies.’ The coalition’s goal is to ‘have a greater understanding of food as medicine and support existing programs’ while fostering the creation of new ones. She stressed the importance of advocacy, noting, ‘Sometimes what that means is advocating for more funding for the programs.’ ”
KOSU: Tribally-administered Summer EBT improved food security, study finds
“When the program began, the State of Oklahoma and a dozen other states declined the funding. But the Cherokee and the Chickasaw Nations administered their own programs. The two tribes teamed up with each other and advocacy group Hunger Free Oklahoma to reach students in the Muscogee Nation. Altogether, the tribes served ‘the vast majority of the 150,000 students eligible’ in those areas.”
The Hill: Schools brace for MAHA changes to lunches
“ ‘What we’re seeing with the MAHA movement as it’s applied in our state is lots of talk about restriction and what people can have and what choices they can make, but not a lot of talk about making sure people have access to the healthy things they need or the resources they need to not be food insecure … because, ultimately, if you don’t have access to enough food, nutritious or not, your health outcomes are worse than if you do,’ said Chris Bernard, CEO and president of Hunger Free Oklahoma.”
The Oklahoman: Recent case study shows impact of Summer EBT administered by Oklahoma tribes
“The tribes’ impact on the program in Oklahoma, he said, has been huge. ‘Quite literally without the tribes, the program would not exist,’ Bernard said.”
Tulsa World: Hunger-fighting organizations eye SNAP changes
“ ‘This is the real narrative that you hear coming out of D.C. and from our state capital,” he said. Charity can handle it. Churches can handle it. That’s the first safety net. And it’s just flat out not true. You need a scalable solution. And that’s not what a church response is. That’s a grassroots response that’s very useful to families (and communities) in crisis, but it is not it does not address the problem at any large scale level. We’ve allowed politicians and decision-makers to hide behind the Oklahoma Standard and act like that means government doesn’t have to do it. And I think that’s shameful,’ Bernard said.”
News On 6: What you need to know about changes coming to SNAP benefits with new federal waiver
“Hunger Free Oklahoma says this process may take longer than a few months to implement, saying re-coding each item that will no longer be allowed is a time-consuming process. ‘As written, it says it will take place on January 1st, but actually figuring out the definitions and how to implement, I think there’s a significant chance that gets pushed beyond that time,’ said Bernard.”
KOSU: USDA approved Oklahoma’s SNAP restriction waiver request
“But experts and anti-hunger advocates say it is complex. When Oklahoma SNAP waiver restriction was announced, Chris Bernard, CEO and president of Hunger Free Oklahoma, said the approach was ‘misaligned’ and SNAP recipients buy food similarly to other Oklahomans. ‘Singling out low-income families for restrictions that don’t apply to anyone else is both unfair and ineffective if the goal is to improve public health,’ Bernard said in the statement.”
KOSU: As Oklahoma wants to ban junk foods from SNAP, federal changes loom
“[Chris] Bernard of Hunger Free Oklahoma said the priority should be solely lowering the state’s error rate, rather than focusing on a SNAP waiver. ‘That should be what we – every bit of the administration’s focus should be on,’ he said. ‘And then we should invest in things that we know work like nutrition incentives rather than restricting a small category of unhealthy things and acting like that’s going to solve anything. While we also cut every nutrition education program associated with SNAP.’ ”
KOKH: SNAP changes in ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ expected to have impacts on food banks, partners
” ‘It’s basically paperwork mistakes in the amount people receive in benefits, both over and under. So maybe instead of getting $240, a household gets $260. That’s an error,’ Bernard explained. ‘For Oklahoma and our current error rate in about two and a half years, we will be expected to pay $270 million in SNAP benefits.’ “
The Oklahoman: Oklahoma doubled free school meal access. No child deserves to go hungry | Opinion (Op-Ed by Hunger Free Oklahoma)
“Leaders in Oklahoma and across the country should keep supporting CEP and the programs that help schools operate CEP, so every child can have the food they need to learn and succeed.”
KFOR: Walters mandate could cost millions in budget, school upgrades to comply
“ ‘I think looking to cut in a place that’s already struggling is not the way to do this,’ said Chris Bernard, president and CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma.”
Tulsa World: Ginnie Graham: Ryan Walters makes political theater out of school meals
“Hunger Free Oklahoma has a full analysis about school meal programs with policy recommendations available. It states that not all districts have the means to make up the gaps left by federal reimbursement.”
KOKH: Oklahoma legislators react to OSDE’s school meal funding mandate with cautious optimism
“ ‘Put simply, ensuring every child has access to no cost meals every school day and throughout the summer is a goal we should all share and that we can achieve, but it will take additional investment from our state and leveraging every federal dollar available to make it happen.’ “
Oklahoma Voice: Oklahoma superintendent orders all districts to offer free meals, threatens sanctions
“Hunger Free Oklahoma has been advocating for legislation to expand free school meals, but [Chris] Bernard said, ‘We have never had the state Department (of Education) alongside supporting those bills with us. There’s not a way to feed every Oklahoma kid for free without additional investment,’ Bernard said.”
KJRH: ‘A food crisis’: SNAP group, food bank brace for effects of ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ in Oklahoma
“ ‘The only way to have enough to address this issue is through the pooled resources of government, and one of those arms of government just pulled the rug out,’ Bernard said.”
KOKI: Part of President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” proposes changes to SNAP
“ ‘We’ve heard several members of congress say, these are not cuts to the program, it’s making the program operate more efficiently,’ said Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Affairs at Hunger Free OK. ‘But that’s really not what these policies are proposing, moving the cost doesn’t make the programs operate anymore efficiently, it just changes who’s responsible for covering that cost. State’s have limited budgets and if they are facing a deficit and they can’t make ends meet for the state budget, they will have no choice but to figure out how to reduce their cost and one way they can do that is by limiting who can access the SNAP program.’ ”
KOKH: SNAP benefits the focus of several proposed Oklahoma House interim studies
“ ‘SNAP is one of the most efficient anti-hunger programs that our country has,” Dietrich said. “While we certainly want the programs to work better, we hope that these interim studies really focus on the core issues and the challenges of implementing these programs rather than just talking points around fraud, waste and abuse.’ ”
The Black Wall Street Times: Senate Passes Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ in Razor-Thin Vote
“ ‘SNAP is the most effective, efficient, and essential anti-hunger program in the country, not just for families, but for local economies,’ said Chris Bernard, CEO for Hunger Free Oklahoma. ‘These proposals don’t fix anything. The proposals are not about efficiency or effectiveness; they are simply designed to push people off or keep people from accessing a benefit to reach an arbitrary number of cost reductions.’ ”
OSU Agriculture: OSU Agriculture partners with nonprofit to fight food insecurity
“ ‘The Oklahoma Food is Medicine Coalition is thankful for the support Sophia [Darrow] is providing. Her research is helping us identify barriers and opportunities for growth for some truly impactful programs,’ said Lauran Larson, senior manager of food and health at Hunger Free Oklahoma.”
Tulsa World: RFK Jr. stokes Capitol crowd; Stitt orders changes to school meals, fluoride recommendation
“The governor’s plan to bar SNAP beneficiaries from buying soda and candy met with some pushback from the Hunger Free Oklahoma organization, which said in a release that ‘if we truly want to improve the health of Oklahomans, we must look at solutions that incentivize and make healthy choices easier, rather than police the grocery carts of our most needy neighbors.’ ”
KFOR: Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announce new initiative
“Singling out low-income families for restrictions that don’t apply to anyone else is both unfair and ineffective if the goal is to improve public health,” Hunger Free Oklahoma statement.
KOKI: Hunger Free Oklahoma says proposed SNAP changes could harm families and local economies
“ ‘These proposals would penalize states with smaller tax bases and create more barriers for families already struggling to make ends meet,’ Bernard said. ‘SNAP works. Undermining it through punitive state cost shares and benefit limitations only takes food off the table of thousands of Oklahomans.’ ”
KOKH: House GOP’s new SNAP reforms could cost Oklahoma up to $375M annually
“ ‘This kind of policy punishes states with fewer resources,’ Bernard added. ‘It also undermines a core principle of the program: the ability to expand and contract in response to economic conditions. Under this cost-sharing plan, states would be required to contribute more during economic downturns—precisely when they face declining revenue and increased pressure to cut spending.’ “
Tulsa World: Oklahoma’s consistent hunger rate hides rising need
“ ‘The good news is that the programs are working as intended and eligible people are accessing programs they need,” Bernard said. “Without these increases in resources, food insecurity would be worse. That is good news, but there is another narrative that people are struggling more. A lot of work happened under the last Trump administration, and we can do good work no matter who is in office. What people are afraid of is whether there are going to be purposeful roadblocks to stop the progress we’ve made.’ “
The Oklahoman: Oklahoma kids in need can get $120 for groceries this summer — but only on tribal lands
“ ‘If people want to make sure every kid in Oklahoma has access, not just kids who live on tribal lands, they need to be calling their state legislators and telling them it’s something they want to see,’ [Chris] Bernard said.”
SBG: USDA tells states to boost SNAP verification so illegal immigrants don’t get benefits
“ ‘You don’t want to be paying money to folks who don’t qualify, but that really is a result of overregulation of the program in the first place and making it so complicated that people don’t understand what you’re asking for, or even understand if they’re eligible,’ [Chris Bernard] said.”
NPR: There’s a growing call to restrict junk food purchases by SNAP users, but experts say it’s complex
“ ‘There’s really no common definition of healthy. And so what do you mean when you talk about healthy?” [Richard] Comeau, [Hunger Free Oklahoma’s Chief Program Officer] said. ‘If we ban any sugar sweetened grain product, we might be eliminating things like Honey Nut Cheerios, which we know have a good impact on people’s heart health.’ “
KFOR: Advocates gather to help end hunger across Oklahoma
“ ‘I think what we see is a crisis on the horizon if we don’t take the right steps and protect what we already have in place,’ said Chris Bernard, the CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma.”
News On 6: Oklahoma food banks brace for impact of USDA funding cuts
” ‘It’s not unreasonable to say 30% of Oklahomans rely on this system and we’re seeing talk of cuts at every point, and that’s concerning,’ said Bernard, ‘There’s no discussion of how to make it better, just how to make it smaller.’ “
KFOR: Programs funneling farmers’ food to schools, food banks cut
“ ‘Really the hardest hit area is your local growers and food hubs that help sort of consolidate the products into one place that the schools and food banks can buy from,’ said Chris Bernard, CEO and president, Hunger Free Oklahoma.”
KFOR: Proposed federal SNAP cuts could cost Oklahoma $300 million a year
“ ‘These funds are crucial to families and communities and while it may save some funds for the budget in the short term, it has serious long term impacts,’ said Jessica Dietrich, director of government relations and public policy, Hunger Free Oklahoma.”
The Luther Register: Fighting Hunger in Oklahoma—Amid Federal Funding Threats
“ ‘Cuts to SNAP will increase food insecurity and damage our local economies,’ said Hunger Free Oklahoma President/CEO Chris Bernard.”
Farm Talk: Local Food Summit offers growers strategies, inspiration
“Lauran Larson grew up in rural Western Oklahoma without giving much thought to whether dinner came from the garden or a can. Now she is at the forefront of a movement focused on how access to fresh healthy food can improve public health.”
KJRH: Ascension St. John gives $15M to help underserved communities
“ ‘They understand that health doesn’t just happen when you walk in a doctor’s office,’ said Michelle Brobston. ‘It happens with what happens at home.’ ”
The Journal Record: Home Creations donates $10K to Hunger Free Oklahoma
” ‘We are so grateful to Home Creations for supporting this project to ensure 106,000 central Oklahoma children have access to the food they need over the summer,’ said Chris Bernard, CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma. ‘Every dollar donated towards this project will be multiplied more than tenfold in impact.’ ”
KJRH: How could a federal grant freeze impact Green Country?
“ ‘While some of us are in a position that we have other dollars, and we can risk that for a while, others are not,” said Bernard. ‘At the same time, it’s uncertainty for people who rely on these programs, and that’s a much bigger crisis.’ ”
KFOR: Proposed bill aims to help more Ok students qualify for free, reduced-price lunches
“ ‘We know that test scores in Oklahoma, particularly in reading and math, are some of the lowest in the country and we also know that our food insecurity rates are some of the highest in the country and those things aren’t a coincidence,’ said Jessica Dietrich, director of government relations and public policy for Hunger Free Oklahoma.”
The Oklahoman: Proposed bill would help more Oklahoma kids qualify for free, reduced-price school lunches
“The effort would help an additional 150,000 children qualify for the program. Approximately 425,000 Oklahoma children currently receive reduced-price or free lunches, according to Hunger Free Oklahoma CEO Chris Bernard.”
Watch
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Voices to End Hunger: Building Hunger Free Communities
June 15, 2025: Chris Bernard speaks with Alliance to End Hunger’s Minerva Delgado about building hunger free communities in Oklahoma. Other guests include Kate Howe, Indy Hunger Network, and Caitlyn Peacock, Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger.
Pressroom
For media inquiries, contact Melissa Marshall, Communications and PR Manager: 405-850-0467.
- Hunger Free Oklahoma Responds to Governor Stitt’s Plans to Make Funds Available to Food Banks10/21/2025 – Tulsa, OK: Today’s news about a disruption in SNAP benefits is a painful blow for so many of our friends, neighbors, and families who rely on this support. We stand with them and feel the urgency of the impact this decision will have.
- Hunger Free Oklahoma Calls for Immediate Action as Federal SNAP Benefits Halted10/21/2025 – Tulsa, OK: Today’s news about a disruption in SNAP benefits is a painful blow for so many of our friends, neighbors, and families who rely on this support. We stand with them and feel the urgency of the impact this decision will have.
- SNAP Is a Lifeline—Oklahoma Can’t Afford to Lose It10/21/2025 – Tulsa, OK: Today’s news about a disruption in SNAP benefits is a painful blow for so many of our friends, neighbors, and families who rely on this support. We stand with them and feel the urgency of the impact this decision will have.
- Hunger Free Oklahoma Responds to the Termination of USDA Food Insecurity ReportsHunger Free Oklahoma and our 400+ partners across the state witness the reality of food insecurity every day. Food insecurity is not a theoretical issue; it is a lived experience for millions of Americans. The decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to end the annual Household Food Security Reports is deeply troubling and undermines decades of progress in understanding and addressing hunger in our communities.
- Building on What Works: Hunger Free Oklahoma Urges Practical Path to Universal School MealsToday, Ryan Walters put out an email to Oklahoma parents informing them that every child in Oklahoma should have access to no-cost school meals. While we share the end goal, we do not agree it can be achieved by this proposed approach.
- Leading Oklahoma Anti-Hunger Organization Responds to Senate Passage of Big Beautiful BillHunger Free Oklahoma is sounding the alarm about the advancement of Congress’ proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that would shift the burden onto states like Oklahoma and weaken a program millions rely on to feed their families.
- HFO Responds to Governor Stitt’s Executive Order Seeking to Limit SNAP PurchasesHunger Free Oklahoma President/CEO Chris Bernard released a statement in response to Governor Stitt’s Executive Order 2025-13 which, in part, seeks to limit SNAP purchases: Today, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced in an executive order that he had the Oklahoma Department of Human Services pursue federal approval to restrict the purchase of soda and candy with SNAP benefits as part of a larger set of directives to address Oklahomans’ health. While we all share the important goal of improving health outcomes for Oklahomans, this approach is misaligned with both the data and the broader needs of our communities.
- Chickasaw Nation and Hunger Free Oklahoma Expand Summer EBT Access to Oklahoma and Cleveland CountiesAs Congress engages in critical budget resolution discussions, we urge lawmakers to safeguard essential safety net programs that serve as lifelines for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans. Proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and other vital services threaten not only the well-being of vulnerable populations, but also Oklahoma’s economic stability and health.
- SNAP Works. Hunger Free Oklahoma Opposes Shifting SNAP Costs to States, Warns of Harm to Families and Local EconomiesAs Congress engages in critical budget resolution discussions, we urge lawmakers to safeguard essential safety net programs that serve as lifelines for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans. Proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and other vital services threaten not only the well-being of vulnerable populations, but also Oklahoma’s economic stability and health.
- Congress Should Protect Essential Safety Net Programs Amid Budget DeliberationsAs Congress engages in critical budget resolution discussions, we urge lawmakers to safeguard essential safety net programs that serve as lifelines for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans. Proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and other vital services threaten not only the well-being of vulnerable populations, but also Oklahoma’s economic stability and health.