Check out our blog for a variety of resources and information about ending food insecurity in Oklahoma.
Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy
Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy by Jessica Dietrich, Policy & Government Relations Manager September 22, 2021 School Year 2020-2021 Pandemic EBT UpdateLast week the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, in partnership...
Hunger Free Oklahoma Receives Critical Investment from National Anti-Hunger Organization
As the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, Hunger Free Oklahoma (HFO) is one of 52 organizations selected to receive funding through a critical $2.5 million investment from MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. The national anti-hunger organization’s partnership grants will help stem the tide in persistent food insecurity that was exacerbated by pandemic-related shutdowns.
SNAP in Schools Project Expansion
SNAP in Schools Project Expansion by Candace Pape-Macedo, Senior Manager of SNAP Programs September 20, 2021 No Kid Hungry and Hunger Free Oklahoma are partnering to expand the Oklahoma SNAP in Schools project. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program...
Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy
Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy by Jessica Dietrich, Policy & Government Relations Manager August 24, 2021 USDA updates the Thrifty Food Plan, the basis for SNAP benefitsLast week, the USDA made the first significant...
Improving Food Security: MyHealth Access Network’s Accountable Health Communities Route 66 Consortium
Improving Food Security:MyHealth Access Network’s Accountable Health Communities Route 66 Consortium by Candace Pape-Macedo, Senior Manager of SNAP Programs August 24, 2021 Food insecurity isn’t always easy to spot, but we see its impacts all around us.An...
Hunger Free Oklahoma Secures USDA Grant to Address Reduced Access to Fruits and Vegetables Due to COVID-19
Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Hunger Free Oklahoma was 1 of 35 recipients nationally to be awarded a Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program COVID-19 Relief and Response (GusCRR) grant. The grant award of $650,000, from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, is critical to continuing the Double Up Oklahoma (DUO) program at 27 farmers markets and grocery stores and allowing expansion to high-need areas across the state for the next year.
HFO Applauds USDA for Modernizing SNAP Benefit Amounts for the First Time Since 1975 to More Accurately Reflect Costs of a Healthy Diet
Hunger Free Oklahoma applauds the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), USDA Secretary Vilsack, and President Biden for implementing the directives of the 2018 Farm Bill by re-evaluating the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) based on current data and economics. The update to the TFP leads to a more than 25 percent increase in benefit amounts for Oklahoma SNAP participants, a long overdue increase needed to more accurately reflect the costs incurred by low income families trying to meet their nutritional needs.
Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy
Capitol Insider: Latest News on Food Insecurity Policy & Advocacy by Jessica Dietrich, Policy & Government Relations Manager July 22, 2021 Though the Oklahoma State Legislature has adjourned their regular session, there is still ongoing work for our...
Collaboration in Action: Libraries Feeding Minds and Bodies During the Summer Months
Collaboration in Action: Libraries Feeding Minds and Bodies During the Summer Months by Treasure Standeford, Hunger Outreach Specialist & Devin Schroeder, Senior Manager of Programs July 22, 2021 While school is out between May and August in Oklahoma, more...
3 Ways You Can Help Increase Food Security for Oklahoma Children and Teens
3 Ways You Can Help Increase Food Security for Oklahoma Children and Teens by Treasure Standeford, Hunger Outreach Specialist June 15, 2021 During the past decade, I have worked to support childhood food security in Oklahoma in different jobs and capacities. I...
Hunger Free Oklahoma receives $50,000 grant to support SNAP outreach
Hunger Free Oklahoma (HFO) announced today it has received a $50,000 grant from Telligen Community Initiative (TCI), a private, Iowa-based charitable foundation. This partnership supports HFO’s efforts to build public-private partnerships that connect more families to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, equip community organizations to serve as SNAP access points, and provide public education on the positive impact of SNAP and SNAP enrollment in Oklahoma communities.
Reflecting and Celebrating a New Program at Hunger Free Oklahoma: The SNAP Application Hotline
Reflecting and Celebrating a New Program at Hunger Free Oklahoma: The SNAP Application Hotline by Allycia Brimson, Raul Lopez, and Treba Shyers of the HFO SNAP Application Hotline Leadership May 19, 2021 Reflecting: Everyone everywhere is reflecting on the past...
Healthy Food, Healthy Economies, and Healthy Communities: DUO Wins in Rural Oklahoma
Healthy Food, Healthy Economies, and Healthy Communities: DUO Wins in Rural Oklahoma by Richard Comeau, Program Director, Hunger Free Oklahoma April 20, 2021 Double Up Oklahoma (DUO) is making a difference. In the city of Okemah (Okfuskee County), which has...
Crucial relief is on the way thanks to the America Rescue Plan Act
Crucial relief is on the way thanks to the America Rescue Plan Act by Jessica Dietrich, Policy and Government Relations Manager, Hunger Free Oklahoma March 12, 2021 The American Rescue Plan Act, passed by Congress March 10th, will help the thousands of...
National School Breakfast Week 2021: A Shout Out to Oklahoma’s School Nutrition Heroes
Hundreds of thousands of children in Oklahoma rely on school meals on a regular basis. So, when schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that dependable source of school meals disappeared almost overnight and it emphasized the need for many children across the state. Enter your local school nutrition team.
Looking Forward
A new year does not magically end the challenges of the last, but it does give us an opportunity to look forward and set new priorities for the year ahead. We are grateful to be able to look ahead, regardless of the current challenges or new challenges that may arise, and think about what more we can do to move toward a Hunger Free Oklahoma.
Hunger Free Oklahoma awarded USDA GusNIP grant to expand Double Up Oklahoma program
Hunger Free Oklahoma was awarded a $500,000 matching grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to expand Double Up Oklahoma in farmers markets across the state and to pilot a grocery store program in rural Oklahoma. Combined with over $400,000 in support from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) for an expansion to grocery stores
2020 Efforts to End Hunger in Oklahoma: The Highlights
2020 Efforts to End Hunger in Oklahoma by Chris Bernard, Executive Director November 6, 2020 It takes all of us to solve big, systemic problems like hunger in Oklahoma. From our very beginning, Hunger Free Oklahoma employees, partners, and providers came with...
Program that helps low-income families get more fruits and vegetables expands
Double Up Oklahoma Expands by Sam Kirzner, Double Up Oklahoma Program Manager, Hunger Free Oklahoma October 26, 2020 Double Up Oklahoma (DUO), a program that matches SNAP purchases with free produce dollar-for-dollar, is expanding to grocery stores! This...
The SNAP Application Hotline: A Reflection
The SNAP Application Hotline: A Reflection by Katie Marvel, Communications Coordinator, Hunger Free Oklahoma July 20, 2020 It comes as no surprise that the COVID-19 shutdown has affected Oklahomans economically in more ways than one. Local businesses have had to...