Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma

PROJECT PURPOSE

Establishing new Food & Resource Centers in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods allows the Regional Food Bank to offer nutritious, free food in a client choice shopping environment while providing case management, onsite resources and referrals focused on self-sufficiency. Resources offered for underserved and disadvantaged neighborhoods can range from applying for utility assistance programs and accessing benefit assistance to instruction in cooking healthy meals and workforce development. In addition, these new centers would serve as regional hubs to allow for decentralized distribution, weekly deliveries and increased food capacity for our more than 1,300 community-based partners agencies across more than 48,000 square miles, optimizing resources and increasing efficiency to serve more Oklahomans.

EVIDENCE

Currently, 15 Food & Resource Centers are located throughout the Regional Food Bank?s 53-county service area with several more scheduled to open within the year. Last year, the 15 FRCs distributed more than 18.1 million pounds of food, serving 49,021 Oklahomans each month. Each householdtakes home approximately 80 pounds of food per visit to an FRC. These locations also regularly support smaller pantries, mobile food distributions and programs when used as a hub for food and initiatives offered by the Regional Food Bank.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

When completed, the Northeast OKC Community Resource Center could serve as many as 2,000 households per month based on the experience of other FRCs affiliated with the Regional Food Bank. The Regional Food Bank would also like to begin the process of creating additional FRCs with a goal of at least two additional centers in data-determined socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. Eliminating access and distribution barriers for pantries to allow weekly deliveries and consistent access to healthy produce regardless of size or distance from the Regional Food Bank creates a path to increasing deliveries by up to 400% to some pantries and providing access to fresh produce to more pantries.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Using Be A Neighbor, Link2Feed and Unite Us data platforms as well as standard Regional Food Bank operating data related to transportation, we will collect data on all the resource and distribution efforts of the Food & Resource Centers.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma