Standing Up for Oklahoma Families: SNAP, Summer Meals, and the New Farmers Against Hunger Initiative

For a family living on the edge, the question isn’t whether hunger matters. It’s whether the help they need will be there when they need it. That question was front and center recently at the Oklahoma State Capitol, where the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma had the honor of speaking with state legislators during an interim study on the importance of SNAP and summer meals in addressing food insecurity across our state.

It was a meaningful opportunity to share what we see every day: neighbors working hard, stretching every dollar, and still coming up short at the grocery store. It was also a chance to introduce something we’re genuinely excited about. Farmers Against Hunger is a new initiative that would bring Oklahoma farmers and ranchers into the effort to help feed more of our neighbors.

In this post, we’ll walk through what we shared with lawmakers, why SNAP benefits and summer meals programs are so critical for Oklahoma families, how Farmers Against Hunger fits into the picture, what the data tells us about hunger in Oklahoma, and what you can do to help build a stronger, healthier Oklahoma.

Interim studies give lawmakers time to dig into the issues that matter most to Oklahomans before the next legislative session begins. They bring together people with different backgrounds and viewpoints to ask a simple but important question: what’s working, and what could work better? When the topic is food insecurity in Oklahoma, that conversation is vital.

We were grateful to be in the room. Our message to legislators was rooted in the daily reality of our work. The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma provides food to more than 600 food pantries and feeding program partners in 24 counties throughout eastern Oklahoma. We see the faces of hunger every day, and we know that no single program, agency, or organization can solve this problem alone. SNAP, summer meals, food pantries, local farmers, and policymakers all have a role to play.

We left the study encouraged. When community organizations and elected leaders sit down together, the result can be smarter, more practical solutions. That kind of collaboration is exactly how we’ll build a stronger, healthier Oklahoma.

Why SNAP Matters: A First Line of Defense Against Hunger in Oklahoma

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, helps families afford groceries. For many Oklahoma households, SNAP benefits are what stand between a full pantry and an empty one. They help parents stretch a tight budget, help seniors on fixed incomes keep food on the table, and help working families bridge the gap when wages don’t keep up with prices.

The need is not hard to find. Millions of Oklahomans live paycheck to paycheck, leaving many families just one missed paycheck or medical emergency away from falling off a financial cliff. Grocery prices have increased by 17% since 2021, and 53% of working families are unable to meet their expenses or have just enough to get by. When money gets tight, groceries are often the first thing to go.

SNAP also works hand in hand with the charitable food system. Food banks and pantries do essential work, but we cannot replace the scale of a federal nutrition program. Our partner food pantries and feeding programs have experienced a 15% increase in neighbor visits since 2022. Strong SNAP participation helps ease that pressure and gives families more choice and dignity in how they feed their households.

If you or someone you know could use help buying groceries, we’re here to help you learn more. Visit okfoodbank.org/snap-benefits to explore SNAP benefits in Oklahoma and find out how to get started.

Summer Meals: Keeping Kids Fed When the School Bell Stops Ringing

For many Oklahoma children, the school cafeteria is the most reliable source of balanced meals. When the school year ends, that support disappears overnight. Summer should be a time for playing outside, exploring, and being a kid. For too many families, it becomes a season of stretched budgets and difficult choices.

That’s why summer meals matter so much. These programs help bridge the gap between the last day of school and the first day of the next school year, so children can keep growing, learning, and thriving. The need is significant. In eastern Oklahoma, 1 in 4 children struggles daily with hunger and goes to bed not knowing where their next meal will come from. Statewide, 25% of all children in Oklahoma live in food insecure homes.

A child who is hungry in July is not just missing a meal. They are at risk of returning to school in August behind where they should be, both physically and academically. Investing in summer meals is an investment in the health and future of Oklahoma’s kids, and it’s one of the most direct, practical ways our state can fight child hunger.

Introducing Farmers Against Hunger: Oklahoma Farmers and Ranchers Joining the Fight

Alongside SNAP and summer meals, we were proud to introduce an exciting new initiative to legislators: Farmers Against Hunger. The idea is simple and powerful. Oklahoma is home to farmers and ranchers who know better than anyone what it means to grow food and feed families. Farmers Against Hunger would bring them into the effort to help feed more of our neighbors.

Oklahoma’s agricultural community has always been the backbone of our state. Our farmers and ranchers work long hours, weather uncertain seasons, and take pride in providing for their communities. Many already give generously to their neighbors. Farmers Against Hunger is about creating a stronger connection between the people who produce our food and the families who need it most.

We believe this kind of partnership has enormous potential. It could put more Oklahoma-grown food within reach of families facing hunger, support local producers, and strengthen the bonds that make small towns and rural communities so resilient. We look forward to sharing more details as the initiative takes shape, and we welcome conversations with farmers, ranchers, agricultural organizations, and lawmakers who want to be part of it.

Good Food, Grown Close to Home: Building on Oklahoma Farm-to-Table

Farmers Against Hunger builds on a belief that already guides our work: when we invest in nutritious food and in the people who grow it, our whole community benefits. That belief is at the heart of the Oklahoma Farm-to-Table program, which provides families with fresh fruits and vegetables grown by local and regional farmers.

The program boosts food security in our communities while supporting small businesses. It offers a nutritious selection of seasonal, culturally relevant produce to neighbors struggling with food insecurity. It also provides a guaranteed marketplace for products, which encourages local farmers to grow and harvest a greater variety and quantity of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables.

Farm-to-Table works in partnership with the Local Food Procurement Assistance program (LFPA), which distributes food to underserved communities in an effort to expand economic development for producers and the communities we serve. It’s a win for farmers, a win for families, and a win for local economies.

The Numbers Behind the Need: Hunger Statistics in Oklahoma

Statistics can never capture the full story of a hungry child or a worried parent, but they help us understand the scale of the challenge. Here’s what the data shows about food insecurity in Oklahoma:

• 5%. Oklahoma is 1 of only 5 states with a food insecurity rate above 14%.
• 1 in 5. One in five Oklahomans is food insecure, leaving families struggling between paying bills and putting food on the table.
• 25%. Of all children in Oklahoma live in food insecure homes, and in eastern Oklahoma, 1 in 4 children struggles daily with hunger.
• 60%. Of Oklahomans live paycheck to paycheck, which means families are just one unexpected bill away from losing their grocery money.
• 17% and 53%. Grocery prices have increased by 17% since 2021, and 53% of working families are unable to meet expenses or have just enough to get by.

Hunger hides. It affects your neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and even family members. Recognizing the face of hunger is the first step toward solving an issue that touches all our lives.

Hunger Looks Different in Every Oklahoma County

Hunger is present in every county, but some communities are hit harder than others. Within the 24 counties of eastern Oklahoma that the Food Bank serves directly, the differences are striking. The child food insecurity rate is 30% in Choctaw County, 29.1% in McIntosh County, 28.4% in Adair County, and 28% in Latimer County. In Rogers County, by comparison, the rate is 13.3%, and in Wagoner County it is 17.7%.

Numbers like these show how much a child’s chance of getting a reliable meal can depend on where they live. That’s exactly why a statewide conversation matters, and why programs like SNAP, summer meals, and Farmers Against Hunger need to reach rural communities, urban neighborhoods, and tribal communities alike. Every community faces hunger, but certain communities are hit harder, and our response has to meet them where they are.

Part of a Bigger Plan: The Campaign to End Hunger in Oklahoma

What we shared with legislators is part of a much larger vision. Our mission is feeding neighbors and building community, together. Our vision is simple: no person in Oklahoma hungry. Through the Campaign to End Hunger in Oklahoma, known as #CEHO2028, we are working toward 10 ambitious goals over five years. A few of them show how closely SNAP, summer meals, and local agriculture are tied to the bigger picture:

• Reduce child food insecurity. Bring the food insecurity rate of children down from 25% to less than 10%.
• Deliver more meals. Deliver 50 million meals to families in need every year, which is about 60 million pounds of food.
• Prioritize fresh food. Make 65% of all food distributed fruits and vegetables, with half sourced within the region.
• Reach underserved communities. Grow outreach to rural, urban underserved, and tribal communities.
• Invest at the state level. Secure $1 million in state-appropriated dollars annually to fight food insecurity.
• Grow the movement. Engage 10,000 new stakeholders in the fight against hunger.

Conversations like the interim study help move these goals forward. When lawmakers understand what families are facing, and when farmers, advocates, and food bank partners show up with solutions, we can create a community where no child goes to bed hungry and no family is forced to choose between paying rent and buying groceries.

How the Food Bank Works

If you’ve ever wondered how food gets from a donation to a dinner table, it starts with partnership. The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma acquires and delivers millions of pounds of food and other products to food pantries throughout eastern Oklahoma. Those pantries function as the arms that reach out to the community directly. Through partnerships with retailers and farmers, along with support from our community, the Food Bank can provide food to local pantries at little or no cost.

We also invest in the strength of our partners. As feeding programs identify and support food-insecure members of our communities, we make investments to improve their infrastructure, transportation, and storage capacity so they can serve even more neighbors. That collaborative spirit is the same one we bring to the Capitol: no one can do this alone, and together we can do far more.

Learn More About the Interim Study

Want more details about the interim study? Check out the coverage from OKC’s KOCO 5 News by clicking here. We’re grateful to the lawmakers who took the time to listen, to the reporters who helped share the story, and to the Oklahomans who keep showing up for their neighbors.

Five Ways You Can Help Fight Hunger in Oklahoma

• Give today. Your gift helps the Food Bank provide nutritious food to children and families across eastern Oklahoma. Recurring gifts provide steady, dependable support all year long.
• Volunteer your time. Sorting, packing, and serving food are hands-on ways to make an immediate difference, and groups like classes, clubs, and teams are welcome.
• Advocate for change. Policies that strengthen SNAP, summer meals, and food security make a lasting difference. Speak up, learn what’s on the table, and stay informed.
• Host a food or fund drive. Rally your school, church, workplace, or neighborhood around a drive and turn community energy into meals.
• Spread the word. Share this post, talk with friends and neighbors, and help others understand why SNAP and summer meals matter. If you’re a farmer or rancher, reach out to learn how you can be part of Farmers Against Hunger.

Whether you have an hour, a few dollars, or a loud and passionate voice, there is a place for you in this work. Your support is crucial to the health of our community.

Frequently Asked Questions About SNAP, Summer Meals, and Farmers Against Hunger

• What is Farmers Against Hunger? It’s a new initiative introduced to Oklahoma legislators that would bring Oklahoma farmers and ranchers into the effort to help feed more of our neighbors.
• Why do SNAP and summer meals matter? SNAP helps families afford groceries year-round, and summer meals help children who rely on school meals during the school year keep getting the nutrition they need when school is out. Together, they are powerful tools against food insecurity in Oklahoma.
• How common is hunger in Oklahoma? One in five Oklahomans is food insecure, and 25% of all children in Oklahoma live in food insecure homes. Oklahoma is 1 of only 5 states with a food insecurity rate above 14%.
• My family needs food right now. Where can we turn? Visit okfoodbank.org/find-food to locate a food pantry near you, or check okfoodbank.org/snap-benefits to learn about SNAP benefits. You can also call our Tulsa headquarters at tel:+9185852800. Please call ahead before visiting so the right person is available to help.
• How can I support this work? You can give, volunteer, advocate, or host a food or fund drive. Visit okfoodbank.org to get started.