Feb. 12, 2021 – Thanks to the generosity of many, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s Holiday Match campaign will help provide more than 13 million meals to our neighbors facing hunger. The match was made possible thanks to match sponsor APMEX with special support from the Cresap Family Foundation. Funds raised through the match will help the Regional Food Bank meet the increased demand for food assistance caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This year, the Holiday Match donations come at a very crucial time for the Regional Food Bank. We and our partners are serving more Oklahomans because too many of our neighbors have been impacted by the pandemic,” said Stacy Dykstra, chief executive officer of the Regional Food Bank. “We are blessed to have partners like our match sponsor APMEX and the Cresap Family Foundation. Their leadership helped to inspire others to support our mission.”

Generous gifts from match sponsor APMEX and additional support from the Cresap Family Foundation helped meet every donation made, up to $700,000, between Nov. 15 and Jan. 15. Overall, $3.3 million was raised through the match.

“APMEX and our employees are overjoyed so many Oklahomans made generous donations to provide millions of meals to our neighbors in need,” said Scott Thomas, APMEX founder and president. “We were honored to join the Regional Food Bank during its Holiday Match again and for the opportunity to give back to our community this challenging season.”

The Regional Food Bank and its partners continue to see up to a 30% increase in Oklahomans seeking food assistance for the first time. This increased need for food assistance is expected to continue long after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended.

KOCO 5 News joined the Regional Food Bank as the official broadcast partner of the Holiday Match, promoting the match with special programming dedicated to the fight against hunger in the state.

“We are so grateful to KOCO for using their platforms to bring awareness to the Holiday Match,” Dykstra said. “Their support brought much needed attention to food insecurity in Oklahoma and I know helped to put food on the table for Oklahomans in need of food assistance.”

The impact of the Holiday Match can be felt across the Regional Food Bank’s network of partners in 53 counties in central and western Oklahoma. Each month, millions of pounds of food are distributed to these partners. Partners like New Emergency Resource Agency Food & Resource Center in Ponca City. The organization reports they recently provided food assistance to a senior couple who is raising their grandchild amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The woman was in our shopping area and began crying because she could not believe her family would get this many groceries. The next month they told us how much of a difference this has made in their lives and how they could not have made it without our help.”