ANNUAL REPORT 2016 Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope Board of Directors From the Executive Director Eric M. Kunkel President Mike McAndrews Vice President Jason Smith Treasurer Dear Friend of the Food Bank: Lori Lewis Dryer Food: it is a human necessity, a need which both unites and divides us. We talk Secretary about food. We take pictures of particularly pleasing platefuls of it. There are entire cable television networks devoted to its preparation and consumption. Colleen Almeida Smith Immediate Past President The term “foodie” has become part of our national dialogue, and yet for so many, nutritious food is still elusive. Members We all get hungry. For many of us, we need only to take action or make a Donna McElroy Dutton decision for hunger to go away. We choose what snack to give our children, or Brent Edstrom whether to bring our lunch to work, or grab something out, but food is most Richard Ficken often readily at hand. On the other side of this divide are those who know what Jason Glass it is like to be hungry, but with no ready solution. They go to bed hungry Vanessa Hall-Harper because the last food in the house was given to the children. They are distracted at school by growling tummies, or embarrassed to tell friends they Cynthia Hubbard haven’t eaten in a day. Tom Hutchison Rev. Donna Jackson Within the pages of the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma’s annual Jeanne Jacobs report, you will find the story of the efforts we are all making together to bridge Dr. Valarie Blue Bird Jernigan this divide. You will read about the work your gifts support, and the help they provide. We have a 24-county service area, with strong partners and programs Teresa Johnson working to solve hunger on a local level. The Food Bank is working hard to Kurt Kazmierski make sure that access to nutritious food is not an elusive for those who struggle Scott Lewis with hunger, but none of this would be possible without your help. Your Anthony Phillips generosity is bridging the divide, and I am deeply grateful. Dr. Sarah-Anne Schumann Treba Shyers On behalf of the hungry, Carol Tandy Eileen Ryan Bradshaw Executive Director Eileen Ryan Bradshaw OUR Senior Team Executive Director John McCarthy VISION Director of Community Initiatives Ryan Walker Chief Operating Officer Susan Schulte Food security, with Director of Human Resources David Parrack dignity, for all Director of Finance and Accounting Rochelle Dowdell Director of Philanthropy eastern Oklahomans. and Communications From the Executive Director HUNGER IN THE IMPACT WE OKLAHOMA MADE TOGETHER in children 9,420 are1 unsure4 where their children served through next meal will come from Food for Kids in 1 6 seniors 1,692 are food insecure seniors served through Senior Servings 69% 6,572,698 of households in our service pounds of fresh area choose between paying for food or medical care produce at least once per year distributed of Oklahomans are food insecure 339,000 17% meals provided per week and counting. FOOD BANK PROGRAMS School Pantry Program Mobile Eatery 13 PANTRIES • 23,038 MEALS 303 DISTRIBUTIONS • 26,508 MEALS The School Pantry Program helps alleviate child hunger The Mobile Eatery travels to areas where transportation is by providing food to low-income high school and middle often an issue for low-income people, and serves freshly- school students and their families. The program began in prepared meals directly to families and individuals. 2015 with one pantry and has grown in both metro and With a focus on childhood feeding during the holidays, rural schools. thousands of meals are served to children during the year. Backpack Program Family Farmers’ Markets 267 SITES • 290,315 BACKPACKS 196 DISTRIBUTIONS • 182,276 MEALS The Backpack Program provides nutritious, kid-friendly In a partnership with Community Action Project Tulsa snacks to elementary age, food-insecure students to take and Tulsa Educare, the Free Family Farmers’ Markets home on the weekends. Backpacks help bridge the gap provide fresh produce and bakery items twice monthly to from Friday lunch to Monday breakfast. low-income early education students and their families. FOOD BANK PROGRAMS Mobile Pantry Cooking Matters 106 DISTRIBUTIONS • 881,085 MEALS 75 CLASSES • 2,002 PARTICIPANTS The Mobile Pantry Program creates a farmers’ market The Culinary Center staff teaches healthy cooking classes style of food distribution in rural communities that might throughout the year to groups of all ages. The classes not have access to a full-service grocery or other food focus on educating and empowering attendees with the distribution nearby. skills to make healthy, affordable meals at home. Senior Servings Veteran Outreach 1,692 SERVED • 222,138 MEALS 2,975 PREPARED MEALS • 14,539 PANTRY MEALS Senior Servings provides produce, bakery items In order to serve food insecure veterans, the Food Bank and shelf-stable food to low-income seniors living provides hot lunches from the Mobile Eatery, food starter on a fixed income. Many of our senior clients kits for a housing-first initiative, as well as shelf-stable struggle with the decision to purchase food or other food and fresh produce for veteran program pantries and neccessities, such as medicine. rural mobile pantries. RURAL EXPANSION The Food Bank provides food to rural communities. Beginning in 2015, the Food Bank took steps to improve food access and capacity for individuals living in rural areas of eastern Oklahoma. Long driving distances, along with limited grocery or food distribution centers create challenges for the residents. In order to increase our capabilities and serve more people, the Food Bank studied various approaches for our mobile pantries. As a result, a new Henry Cook and Mary at Fairfax mobile pantry pilot program was formed in partnership with civic needed. This is where the live in these small towns the spirit of its residents groups and ministerial Food Bank provides help. and can’t work. They usual- and this new program. “It’s alliances in smaller com- ly can’t get fresh produce. more than just food, this is munities. Along with a Doug Rickert and Henry For me, I depend on social a social event, a commu- more efficient and frequent Cook are two local busi- security to get by.” nity event, and a spiritual delivery system, the addi- nessman in Fairfax, who event.” tion of much needed fresh help with local arrange- With the help of the new produce should significant- ments for the new mobile mobile pantry, residents in As Mary summed up her ly improve food security for pantry. They organize need can now obtain items feelings about her commu- low-income individuals in volunteers and logistics for such as lettuce, carrots, nity and their gratitude for rural communities. a farmers’ market style of apples, citrus fruits, cauli- the Food Bank, tears filled fresh food distribution. flower, asparagus, cabbage, her eyes. “I don’t think broccoli, and even pome- people hear thank you Mary, a client of the mobile granates. Mary comment- enough. Sometimes peo- pantry ed several ple take things for granted, distri- “It’s more than just food, times, and this is just so nice.” She Fairfax, in many ways, is bution, this is a social event, “We all continued, “I read a poem typical of a rural Oklahoma grew up a community event, can’t get once, ‘All a person needs community. It has an aging nearby. & a spiritual event.” over how is the warmth of a human population, and when it She fresh the fire.’ Here’s our human fire.” comes to food insecurity, moved to Fairfax when her produce is.” residents pitch in to help husband died in order to one another in a variety of be with her sister. “There Mary took a great deal of ways, but sometimes even are a lot of older folks who pride describing her town, more assistance is SERVING HOPE The Food Bank helps meet veterans’ needs. In the summer of 2015 the Food Bank increased outreach to a segment of our community that was under-reported in hunger awareness surveys, namely veterans. While statistics indicate that veterans live in 18% of the households the Food Bank serves, there are likely many more unreported veterans facing food insecurity in Oklahoma. The Food Bank currently provides hot lunches to Tulsa’s veterans at the Coffee Bunker and the Tulsa Vet Center. Food is Jeremy at the Coffee Bunker provided to BRRX4Vets, a At the Coffee Bunker, Jer- wants that meal. You guys small. Just being able to housing first initiative, for emy discovered his inter- serve good food.” Jeremy eat makes it easier to face food starter kits. Finally, the est in helping others. He sees the relief the food pro- the day. Food is a challenge Food Bank makes mobile recalled giving a homeless vides his colleagues and and the Food Bank really pantry deliveries to fellow veteran struggling how having a warm meal helps.” Disabled American Vet- with the cold his sleeping makes things better for erans (D.A.V.) centers in bag them. Claremore, Muskogee, and “On the days when the Food and The Food Bank sous chef, is expanding to Poteau Bank is here and I’ve been encour- food Jeremy Johnson, who aged fed, it makes all of my encour- other stresses seem small.” serves meals from our him to ages Mobile Eatery food Jeremy is one of the many get additional help at the attendance, and veterans truck noted, “The thing US veterans in Oklaho- Coffee Bunker. can then benefit from the I enjoy most about the ma who is food insecure.