Oklahoma libraries are working to end hunger.
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Share Food Resources
Stay Connected
Promote Partnerships
Expand Services
Oklahoma is hungry and resources are available to help.
Libraries are natural places to identify needs and connect people to food resources.
Share Food Resources
Learn about three key resources that libraries can share. Select a topic below to read more.
Oklahoma Food Resources Menu
Make finding food resources easier in your community by sharing the Oklahoma Food Resources menu.
Here’s how it works:
OK Food Resources Menu from Hunger Free Oklahoma.
Ways to share this important information with your community:
- Place Oklahoma Food Resources posters in high-traffic areas
- Mention on social media
- Download, print, and/or share this letter-sized flyer in black & white or color
- Tell friends, family, and patrons about Oklahoma Food Resources by sharing: bit.ly/FoodResourcesOK
To request Oklahoma Food Resources promotional material, click here.
SNAP Hotline 1 (877) 760-0114
In partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Hunger Free Oklahoma offers a toll-free hotline where people can get help applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. Calls take about 30 minutes. Assistance is available in multiple languages.
Here’s how it works:
HFO SNAP Hotline from Hunger Free Oklahoma.
Ways to share this important information with your community:
- Share SNAP bookmarks and rack cards
- Post social media content on your website and social media pages: English graphic and Spanish graphic
- Share SNAP flyers with patrons, partners, staff, and volunteers
- Tell friends, family, and patrons about SNAP by sharing hungerfreeok.org/groceries
See Easy Ways to Share SNAP for more suggestions and social media prompts.
Request SNAP promotional material here.
Ready to take the next step? See Expand Services section to learn more about Hunger Free Oklahoma’s virtual training to offer SNAP application assistance at your library.
Meals4KidsOK Meal Map Tool
In partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Education, Hunger Free Oklahoma offers a mapping tool to help families locate free summer meals for children and teens ages 18 years and younger.
By visiting www.Meals4KidsOK.org, caregivers can quickly and easily find meal site information like the nearest location, serving times, and special instructions. This tool is the most up-to-date child and teen meal site locator in the state.
Here’s how it works:
Meals4KidsOKorg Meal Map Demonstration from Hunger Free Oklahoma
Ways to share this important information with your community:
- Place Food For Thought OK posters in high-traffic areas
- Share Food For Thought OK bookmarks
- Use sample social media material and additional resources on your website and social media pages
- Tell friends, families, and patrons that summer meals are open to all children and teens and finding a site is easy with Meals4KidsOK.org
For more ideas, Food For Thought OK Resources offers downloadable PDFs, social media graphics, and more.
To request printed Food For Thought OK promotional material, click here.
If you are interested in serving snacks or meals in your area see Expand Services section to learn more.
Organizations like libraries serve as “bridges” to resources and helpful services. See Bridges to Grocery Assistance for more information about sharing food resources in your area.
You can join other libraries that are improving local food security by:
- Completing the “Libraries Ending Hunger Organizational Profile” to connect to this important work.
- Following Hunger Free Oklahoma on social media. Find us on Facebook and Twitter @hungerfreeok.
- Joining the conversation. Share what you think about material, messaging, and strategies.
Learn more about hunger: hungerfreeok.org/theissueoklahomaishungry
Read more about solutions: hungerfreeok.org/the-solutions
Libraries are uniquely positioned to promote partnerships and learning.
Here are the Ways Libraries are Partnering to End Hunger:
- Sharing food resource information in-house and among local contacts.
- Providing programming for local meal sites.
- Working with schools, tribal nations, and food banks to offer on-site meals* after school and in the summer.
- Building Hunger Free Communities and advocating for year-round meal coordination.
- Offering Bridges to Grocery Assistance.
Examples of Library-Community Partners in Oklahoma
- Civic Organizations (friends of libraries, historical societies, rotary clubs)
- County Organizations (county health departments, extension offices, local Master Gardeners)
- Emergency Food System (food banks, food pantries)
- Faith-Based (churches, ministerial alliances, youth programs)
- Local Business Groups (banks, chambers of commerce, convenience stores, grocers, restaurants)
- Municipalities (city park and recreation departments)
- Public Schools (child nutrition departments, summer school programs)
- Tribal Nations (find tribal nations in your area)
Examples of Types of Library-Community Partnerships
- Food* (summer and afterschool meal sponsorships, food donations/drives)
- Promotion (advertising, social media, PSA, marketing, prizes)
- Programming (performers, volunteers, activity leaders, demonstrations)
- Space and storage (freezer and refrigeration, dry-good storage)
- Supplies (craft material, bags, bookmarks, posters)
- Transportation (buses, vans, car seats)
Do you partner locally to improve hunger? See the Stay Connected section to share your partner experiences and tips.
Here are some impactful ways that Oklahoma libraries are expanding services to help end local hunger.
Offering SNAP Application Assistance
SNAP is proven to improve food security but it is underutilized in Oklahoma partly due to lack of awareness, stigma, and challenges around applying. Libraries can help with all three. Libraries are a trusted source of information and provide a safe, convenient, judgment-free zone.
In addition to sharing information and telling people about the toll-free SNAP Application Assistance Hotline, library staff and other community partners are hosting SNAP outreach events and getting trained to assist patrons with SNAP applications.
Hunger Free Oklahoma, in partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, offers free virtual trainings on helping others complete the SNAP application process. Trainings are approved for ODL-CEUs. For more information, or to request training, click here.
Do you assist with SNAP applications? See the Stay Connected section to share your experiences and tips.
Serving Food After School and in Summer
In Oklahoma, around 60% of school-aged children qualify for free and reduced meals at school, yet only around 6% are able to access out-of-school meals like summer and afterschool snacks and suppers. This is partly due to lack of awareness, access, and availability. Many summer meal programs only operate during summer school or June. Some counties only have one site. Others have none. Oklahoma libraries are filling the gap.
Libraries make great sites for feeding children.
To learn more about connecting with a summer or afterschool meals sponsor, or serving meals and snacks to children 18 and under in your community, click here.
A message to libraries from the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction:
Do you serve summer or afterschool meals? See the Stay Connected section to share your experiences and tips.
Working with the Oklahoma Department of Libraries’ Summer Reading Program, Hunger Free Oklahoma distributes hunger-fighting strategies and food resources to libraries across the state.
A message for participating libraries:
Welcome to Hunger Free Oklahoma’s Library Page. It is created for you and others across Oklahoma to have a place to get ideas, support, and resources in the fight against hunger.
We are excited to work together to:
- Raise awareness about hunger in Oklahoma
- Connect individuals and families to food and services
- Help end hunger in your community
Please take a look around and be sure to visit the Stay Connected section to share your suggestions and/or questions.
Free Food Resources to Fight Hunger:
Thank you for helping connect Oklahomans to food resources!
This year’s packet contains material to connect people with:
- Oklahoma Food Resources
- The Oklahoma SNAP Application Assistance Hotline
- Free Summer Meals for children and teens and an online mapping tool to find the closest site
Some tips on using the material:
- Place posters and rack cards in visible, higher-traffic locations
- Send bookmarks with outgoing material, share at events, include at check-out
See more ways Oklahoma libraries are working to end hunger.