Summertime is always difficult for families facing hunger. With 60% of Oklahoma students qualifying for free or reduced school lunch programs, summer can mean 90 days without meals for thousands of kids.
This summer is going to be especially difficult for children who are food insecure. Families have continued to experience decreasing resources since the pandemic, and now Oklahoma has opted out of the Summer EBT program—a program that assists families during the summer months when children lose access to consistent meals they receive at school. Coupled with rising food costs, thousands of our neighbors are facing the impossible choice between food and other essentials such as electricity or medicine.
The Food Bank is determined to ensure that no child goes without food this summer by drastically increasing our summer meals program. These meals will nourish kids and give them the energy to play and the strength to ride, jump, and swim, letting them enjoy summer as it should be.
