Dear friends, 

Since our founding in 1980, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma has relied upon collaborations with community-based partners to ensure Oklahoma neighbors experiencing food insecurity have the resources they need. Today, we are proud to join with 1,300 partners across the 53 counties we serve in western and central Oklahoma.  

Collaboration is one of the core values of the Regional Food Bank. We define collaboration as prioritizing teamwork as we listen, support and compromise to achieve our mission. That description includes three key words that ensure the collaboration is truly a partnership – listen, support and compromise. Dialogue has to be a two-way street. Without listening to the needs of each partner and supporting what they tell us they need; we can’t truly have an impact within that community. Compromise for some may feel like giving in but in reality, it is an agreement between two parties to reach a common goal.  

We are happy to share several examples of collaboration that occurred during 2024 including a new partnership in Boley, a historic black community located in Okfuskee County. Boley is rich in history but unfortunately its residents experience the highest rate of food insecurity in the Regional Food Bank’s service area. Thanks to a collaboration with community leaders, monthly food distributions are helping Boley residents access the food they need and deserve. 

When the state decided not to accept Summer EBT for Oklahoma school children, the Regional Food Bank reached out to Love’s Travel Stops, a long-time supporter. With their support, the Regional Food Bank was able to distribute triple the number of meals for children from the prior summer and implement a mobile distribution to four underserved counties.  

The Hope Center Food & Resource Center has partnered with the Regional Food Bank since 2001 to serve residents in seven counties in northwest Oklahoma. We encourage you to watch the video that highlights their work to help their neighbors who need short-term help as well as those who may need help over a longer time span. 

After more than a year spent expanding space and installing automation equipment, the Protein Processing Center started operations again in March 2024. We are so appreciative of the input and guidance we received from our partners at Tyson Foods and Lopez Dorada Foods, to name a few. We’ve included a short video illustrating the automation that will help us provide three times the amount of nutritious protein. 

We’ll close with the wise words of a Regional Food Bank staff member: we do good work just because we should and it’s the right thing to do. Thank you for supporting our good work. 

Gratefully,