Mary Fallin

Governor Mary Fallin's 'Oklahoma Now' Column: Calling on all Oklahomans to Help Fight Hunger

October 6, 2014
Governor Mary Fallin

The holiday season is right around the corner, and Oklahomans are preparing to spend time with their family and count God’s blessings. For many of us that means enjoying large, home-cooked meals.

This year, as we plan for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, I am asking all Oklahomans to remember the approximately 675,000 people in the state who struggle with hunger daily.

Approximately 13 percent of Oklahomans are classified as “food insecure,” meaning they don’t know where their next meal will come from. That includes one in four Oklahoma children.

All Oklahomans can do their part to drive those numbers down. Last week I announced the kick-off of the fifth annual Feeding Oklahoma Food Drive. This year we have our most ambitious goal yet: raising 2 million meals to help feed Oklahoma families, children and seniors.

The drive runs through October 31 and will benefit the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, and their partner agencies across the state.

To donate, you can deliver canned food to any BancFirst or Farm Bureau locations across the state. Additional locations include select AT&T stores, Bob Moore auto dealerships in the Oklahoma City Area, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma in Tulsa. You can also make a monetary donation online at www.feedingoklahoma.org. Every dollar you donate is equal to five meals.

The Feeding Oklahoma Food Drive has been an enormous success in the past, helping us raise over 7.5 million meals in its first four years. I am confident this year will be no different.

For more information on how you can get involved with the drive, visit www.feedingoklahoma.org, or follow the drive on Facebook at Governor Fallin’s Feeding Oklahoma Drive or on Twitter at @FeedingOklahoma.

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