food stamps

1/26/26 – Tulsa, OK: Hunger Free Oklahoma has consistently championed the efficient and fair administration of government programs that support long-term economic stability for Oklahomans. We support Governor Stitt’s calls for increased transparency, reduced bureaucracy, and thoughtful mitigation of benefit cliffs to improve program operations.

Dear Supporters and Partners,
This year reminded us of what it means to show up for our communities and that the path to success is not always a straight line. Together, with partners across Oklahoma, we expanded access to proven programs, responded to urgent challenges, and continued building the systems that help families thrive. We also advocated against sweeping changes to SNAP and the food safety net. While we lessened the damage, we could not stop it all.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Over the past several weeks, our community has weathered challenges that tested the resilience of the people we serve, the dedication of our staff, and the strength of the entire nonprofit food response network. I want to take a moment to share where things stand, and to express our deep gratitude for your partnership.

11/13/2025 – Tulsa, OK: Hunger Free Oklahoma welcomes the end of the federal government shutdown and the restoration of critical SNAP benefits. We hope that in the next day or two, full SNAP benefits will be distributed in Oklahoma to help our friends and neighbors put food on the table, support jobs up and down the supply chain, and help local economies thrive.

10/21/2025 – 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.

10/21/2025 – 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.

10/21/2025 – 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.

As another summer wraps up, we at Hunger Free Oklahoma cannot celebrate the great work of the Summer Meal sponsors and site staff enough. The Summer Meals program is a federal program that allows children to have access to nutritious food during summer break.

To amplify the voices of those who experience hunger and food insecurity, Hunger Free Oklahoma is launching the Lived Experience and Resource Network (LEARN) Workshop that includes a paid eight-month program beginning September 2024 for Tulsa and surrounding area residents.

One out of every five kids in Oklahoma doesn’t always have enough food to eat.
No child should have to sit in class hungry and unable to focus. It hurts their ability to learn, disrupts the class for the teacher, and results in worse outcomes for our educational system. But it happens in classrooms for thousands of students in our state every day because their families don’t have the resources and their schools don’t leverage all the tools available to them to make sure kids have access to the food they need.

Oklahoma has taken a significant step toward integrating nutrition into healthcare with the passage of Senate Bill 806, known as the Food is Medicine Act. This legislation recognizes the critical role that access to nutritious food plays in preventing and managing chronic diseases, particularly for those enrolled in Medicaid.

Hunger doesn’t end when the school bell rings. For thousands of Oklahoma children, afterschool meal programs provide more than just nourishment—they offer stability, academic support, and a safe place to go. The 2024 Afterschool Meals Report highlights Oklahoma’s progress in serving afterschool meals and the work still needed to ensure every child has access to nutritious food beyond the school day.

Hunger doesn’t end when the school bell rings. For thousands of Oklahoma children, afterschool meal programs provide more than just nourishment—they offer stability, academic support, and a safe place to go. The 2024 Afterschool Meals Report highlights Oklahoma’s progress in serving afterschool meals and the work still needed to ensure every child has access to nutritious food beyond the school day.

In March 2025, Hunger Free Oklahoma (HFO) had the pleasure of joining the Oklahoma Library Association (OLA) annual conference in Norman. This two-day event was a fantastic opportunity to engage with library staff from public, school-based, and university libraries about addressing hunger in local communities. 

We’re taking a moment to breathe now that the federal grant freeze has been rescinded. While we have weathered this moment of confusion and chaos, we are mindful that there will continue to be rapid changes and shifts in information on all sorts of issues that impact our work, our partners’ work, or the communities and people we seek to support.

March is a month of growth, renewal, and a renewed focus on ensuring our communities have access to nutritious meals. That’s why we’re so excited to celebrate National CACFP Week March 16-22, and to announce the release of our highly anticipated Afterschool Meals Report!

Forty acres and a mule. That was the promise made by General William Sherman to former enslaved Africans during the Civil War as a form of reparations for their centuries of forced labor. This promise was soon rescinded by President Andrew Johnson. However, just as Black people had emancipated themselves from slavery, they took the fate of their free futures into their own hands. No group emphasized this liberatory spirit more than the Black people who raced to Oklahoma to claim land after the Civil War, built strong communities in this new land, and blazed a path forward for Black economic and political autonomy, including the freedom to feed themselves.

HFO will hold three Summer Meals Regional Convenings in partnership with the Childhood Food Security Coalition (CFSC). This the second year of convenings designed to connect community organizations wanting to become summer meal sites or sponsors with the resources they need to be ready to serve our state’s children. Previously, Hunger Free Oklahoma hosted an annual kickoff, but the smaller convenings help bring regional organizations together to create more localized impact. There will be space for 80 anti-hunger professionals at each convening.

There are many misconceptions and stigmas surrounding public assistance and federal nutrition programs, often perpetuated by the media and politicians, as well as by everyday people. My parents, hardworking and staunchly independent, made sacrifices to ensure our family’s basic needs were met, a privilege for which I am grateful.

SNAP theft and fraud are on the rise. Learn how to protect your SNAP funds and report theft below.

As we close the doors on this year’s Hungry for Action Conference, we are filled with gratitude and inspiration from the nearly 400 passionate attendees who gathered in Tulsa to confront the pressing issue of food insecurity in our state. Over the course of this event, we explored new strategies, forged invaluable connections, and ignited a shared commitment to action.

SNAP theft and fraud are on the rise. Learn how to protect your SNAP funds and report theft below.

Breakfast has long been hailed as the most important meal of the day, and for good reason. When it comes to K-12 students, ensuring they start their day with a nutritious meal is crucial for their overall well-being and academic success. That’s where Breakfast After the Bell programs come in, reimagining how schools approach morning nutrition.

As the new school year starts, the excitement is in the air! Kids are meeting their teachers and reuniting with friends, while parents are busy gathering school supplies to set their children up for success. Schools, teachers, and staff are working hard to ensure a smooth school year. Amidst all this energy, we’re excited to share some thrilling updates about the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) in Schools initiatives and how they can provide valuable support.