Food pantries and shelters across the state are scrambling to meet demand for food and other supplies by the homeless, kids left in the lurch because they don't have access to free and discounted meals offered when schools are in session and other residents who are down on their luck.
Social service workers say supplies like meat and dairy are particularly in demand during the summer months — a period when donations to agencies tend to dip.
The Iron Gate soup kitchen and food pantry in downtown Tulsa, for example, fed a record 600-plus people Wednesday.
A pastor who operates the pantry at Eagle Heights Christian Center in the eastern Oklahoma town of Dewar says it's struggling to keep meats, fresh vegetables and bread on shelves.
This past Wednesday, the Oklahoma City Salvation Army reported that their local food pantry would close that day because the organization had distributed all their food supplies because of an increased need.
The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma also has a list of resources for children.
The web page, Heartland 211, has a searchable database to find services and organizations in Oklahoma that provide free and low-cost services such as financial assistance, food, clothing, housing, counseling, health care and more. Those without web access can call 2-1-1 for assistance.
