The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma is proud to announce a generous $100,000 gift from the Hardesty Family Foundation to help ensure families across eastern Oklahoma can enjoy a Thanksgiving meal this holiday season.
The donation will offset the cost of turkeys, turkey breasts, and hams for the Food Bank’s network of partner pantries and meal programs, reducing the price from $1.09 to just $0.60 per pound. This generosity allows agencies to reallocate funds to address the increased need caused by the SNAP funding freeze, ensuring more families have access to nutritious meals during a critical time.
In addition, the Hardesty Family Foundation’s gift will help provide ready-made, chef-created Thanksgiving meals prepared by the Food Bank’s Culinary Center for families throughout Tulsa. These meals will bring comfort and nourishment to those struggling to make ends meet amid rising food costs and the loss of SNAP benefits.
“We have never seen need at this level before, not even during the pandemic,” said Jeff Marlow, President and CEO of the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. “This extraordinary generosity from the Hardesty Family Foundation allows us to stretch every dollar further and provide hope and dignity to families facing hunger this Thanksgiving.”
The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma extends its deepest gratitude to the Hardesty Family Foundation for its continued partnership and leadership in the fight against hunger. Through their support, local pantries and meal programs across 24 counties will be better equipped to meet the growing demand for food assistance and ensure that more Oklahomans can share a holiday meal with their loved ones.
