Tulsa Food Bank Says It Is Ready for Now as Federal Shutdown Raises Concerns for Nutrition Aid
The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma has federal food orders covering about a month, while WIC officials in Tulsa say operations remain normal for now.
By Imani Brooks ·
As the federal government shutdown continues, organizations that help Oklahomans put food on the table are weighing what a prolonged closure could mean for the people they serve.
The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma supplies food to 24 counties in the state. Last year, it distributed 31 million pounds of food. CEO Jeff Marlow said the shutdown has created a number of uncertainties, though the organization is prepared to a degree because most of its food comes from sources other than the government.
About 15 percent of the food bank's supply comes from the federal government through The Emergency Food Assistance Program, known as TEFAP. Marlow said the food bank has already placed its TEFAP order and has enough to last a little over a month. If the shutdown stretches beyond that, however, the organization would not be able to submit its next order. "That would be like a food crisis for us," he said.
Marlow said he was disappointed that the shutdown is affecting people. "The government needs to get back to work and do their job," he said, adding that officials "owe the citizens of the US."
Another program that could be affected is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly called WIC. Scripps News reported that WIC could run out of funding if the shutdown lasts longer than a week or two.
For now, the Tulsa WIC branch is operating as usual and continues to take clients, according to Lori Esser-Just, the branch's marketing and PR coordinator. She said she could not speak to what might happen at the branch later in the shutdown, only to the current situation.
Maryellen Willit, a mother of two from Edmond, said WIC has made a significant difference in her family's ability to afford necessities. If the program were disrupted, she said, the family would have to cut back on other spending and would likely turn to food pantries.
Willit said the assistance has eased her worries. "We can afford vegetables, we can afford our milk and bread and cheese and yogurt and all these things," she said. She and other families who rely on the program are hoping those services continue without interruption.
Originally published by News Media House · Source: KJRH 2 News
