Learn About Our Organization | Hunger Free Oklahoma

Hunger Free Oklahoma exists to end hunger in Oklahoma

Our organization works to bring a unified, statewide voice to the issue and solutions surrounding hunger, with a goal to ensure all Oklahomans have access to affordable, nutritious food. Hunger Free Oklahoma holds the core belief that hunger is solvable, unnecessary, and unjust, and it impacts everyone living in Oklahoma.

Hunger Free Oklahoma’s objective is to serve as a resource to existing efforts, facilitating collaboration, and providing technical assistance, data, and planning to expand nutrition programs and enrich efforts already in place. Hunger Free Oklahoma may also pilot efforts that have been successful in other states like Texas, Colorado, and Illinois. It will forge partnerships with successful national movements to leverage citizen engagement and resources for this cause. It will be a platform for hosting or coordinating local and national research efforts addressing hunger and the intersection of hunger and health, as well as hunger and educational outcomes. Hunger Free Oklahoma will ensure that research results are applied in action, and it will advance public-private partnerships to accomplish much of this work in an efficient and impactful way.

Our Vision

All Oklahomans have enough food every day.

Our Mission

Leveraging the power of collaboration to solve hunger in Oklahoma by improving systems, policies, and practices.

Our Blog

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Portrait of Alfred Gary smiling at the camera in an outdoor setting

Collaborative Progress: Navigating the Nonlinear Path to End Hunger in Oklahoma

Just eight months ago, I received an email which said the following: “Hunger and poverty exist EVERYWHERE.” The reminder came a few weeks after accepting an invitation to join the Congressional Hunger Center’s 30th class of Emerson Fellows. For those not familiar with the program, the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship trains and inspires new leaders in the movement to end hunger and poverty in the United States. Fellows gain vital first-hand experience through placements with community-based organizations across the country coupled with policy-focused organizations in Washington, D.C.

A group of people listen to two presenters in a large conference room

Getting Oklahoma Libraries Involved in Anti-Hunger Solutions

At the beginning of March, Hunger Free Oklahoma (HFO) team members joined the Oklahoma Library Association (OLA) annual conference in Tulsa. During this two-day event, HFO staff engaged with public, school-based, and university library staff about opportunities to address hunger in their communities. HFO had the opportunity to share ways to get connected in anti-hunger work through several presentations, including topics on summer meals tips, SNAP outreach, and resources for libraries to get involved in feeding programs.

Elementary students eat their in classroom breakfast_hunger free oklahoma

National School Breakfast Week is here again!

There’s no easy way to say this… school breakfast participation across Oklahoma is down. Average Daily Participation (ADP*) in school breakfast dropped by 9.8% from School Year (SY) 2021-2022 to SY 2022-2023. The decline in school meals participation could stem from multiple factors. The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) notes, “Rising food costs, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions, coupled with the return of charging for meals, have contributed to reports of declining participation in many school districts. Families have been confused about the change from pandemic operations; stigma surrounding school meal participation and school meal debt has returned; and schools are burdened with increased administrative work.”

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Our Blog

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Collaborative Progress: Navigating the Nonlinear Path to End Hunger in Oklahoma

Just eight months ago, I received an email which said the following: “Hunger and poverty exist EVERYWHERE.” The reminder came a few weeks after accepting an invitation to join the Congressional Hunger Center’s 30th class of Emerson Fellows. For those not familiar with the program, the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship trains and inspires new leaders in the movement to end hunger and poverty in the United States. Fellows gain vital first-hand experience through placements with community-based organizations across the country coupled with policy-focused organizations in Washington, D.C.

Getting Oklahoma Libraries Involved in Anti-Hunger Solutions

At the beginning of March, Hunger Free Oklahoma (HFO) team members joined the Oklahoma Library Association (OLA) annual conference in Tulsa. During this two-day event, HFO staff engaged with public, school-based, and university library staff about opportunities to address hunger in their communities. HFO had the opportunity to share ways to get connected in anti-hunger work through several presentations, including topics on summer meals tips, SNAP outreach, and resources for libraries to get involved in feeding programs.

National School Breakfast Week is here again!

There’s no easy way to say this… school breakfast participation across Oklahoma is down. Average Daily Participation (ADP*) in school breakfast dropped by 9.8% from School Year (SY) 2021-2022 to SY 2022-2023. The decline in school meals participation could stem from multiple factors. The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) notes, “Rising food costs, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions, coupled with the return of charging for meals, have contributed to reports of declining participation in many school districts. Families have been confused about the change from pandemic operations; stigma surrounding school meal participation and school meal debt has returned; and schools are burdened with increased administrative work.”

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Funders

Hunger Free Oklahoma is grateful for the support of the following funders. Thanks to their generosity, we are able to apply our innovative approach to ensure that every Oklahoman has access to adequate nutritious food every day.