One in four children in eastern Oklahoma struggles with hunger. In order to fight childhood hunger, the Masonic Fraternity of Oklahoma has launched its matching campaign for donations to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma’s Food for Kids program.

Now through Oct. 15, all donations made to the Food Bank’s Food for Kids programs will be matched, up to $35,000, thanks to the support of the Masonic Fraternity of Oklahoma.

Donations can be made through the Food Bank’s website at: okfoodbank.org.

Food Bank partner agencies in Okmulgee County include CREOKS MHS/Okmulgee, Henryetta Church of Christ, Henryetta Church of Christ/BP, Deep Fork Community Action Foundation, Jubilee Christian Center, Crosstown Pentecostal Holiness, Okmulgee County Family Resource Center, St. Anthony Catholic Church, First Baptist Church/BP, First United Methodist Church/Okmulgee, Okmulgee County Homeless Shelter and Okmulgee County Heritage Association.

The generous matching grant from the Masonic Fraternity will help fight childhood hunger throughout all of the 24 counties of eastern Oklahoma.

“This drive comes at a critical time of year as we continue to serve food to children in eastern Oklahoma,” Eileen Bradshaw, Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma Executive Director, said. “School is about to start again in most of our communities. Many students will have meals at school, but some face empty cupboards at home on the weekends. The Food Bank works to bridge this meal gap through the Back Pack program, School Pantry and Free Family Farmers Market programs during the school year.”

In addition to Okmulgee County, other counties are Adair, Cherokee, Choctaw, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Haskell, Latimer, LeFlore, Mayes, McCurtain, Muskogee, Nowata, Osage, Ottawa, Pittsburg, Pushmataha, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner and Washington.

“We appreciate the Masonic Fraternity’s ongoing commitment to fighting childhood hunger and appreciate their encouragement of the public to get involved,” Bradshaw said. “This matching grant will enable us to provide more food security for children who otherwise will struggle to succeed academically and socially when they are hungry and lacking adequate nutrition.”

According to fact sheet data from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, the Food Bank has compiled the following statistics in Okmulgee County:

• 2015 Population – 39,446;

• Meals distributed in Fiscal Year 2017 – 467,240;

• Food Insecurity Rate – 18.9% (7,450 total food insecure people);

• Child Food Insecurity Rate – 26.7% (2,560 total food insecure children);

• 13 Partner Programs;

• Seniors Living in Poverty – 12.6%;

• Unemployment Rate Average – 7.2%;

• Overall State Food Insecurity Rate – 16.2%;

• State Child Food Insecurity Rate – 23.8%;

• Average Cost Per Meal – $2.87.

As a member of the national Feeding America network, the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma delivers nutritious food to clients in the 24 counties of eastern Oklahoma through its network of 360 partner agencies.

Food for Kids programs such as Free Family Farmers Markets at low-income early learning centers, Back Pack, School Pantry and Extended Holiday Feeding programs are all vehicles to get nutrition food to children experiencing hunger.

For more information about the Food Bank, visit: okfoodbank.org, call 918-585-2800, find them on Facebook at: www.face-book.com/okfoodbank or follow them on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/okfoodbank.

Founded in 1981, the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma is one of the largest, private hunger-relief organizations in Oklahoma. With branches in Tulsa and McAlester, it manages 275 direct feeding sites and distributes donated items to 360 partner agencies operating programs in 24 counties of eastern Oklahoma.

Feeding programs include food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, child feeding programs, senior feeding programs and veterans initiatives. In addition, the Food Bank helps raise public awareness about hunger and the role of food banks in alleviating hunger.