Oklahoma food bank gets grant from Reynolds Foundation

(OKLAHOMA CITY) - A $1.9 million grant will allow charitable food distribution programs to purchase equipment for storing and delivering perishable food items. <br><br>The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation

Thursday, May 9th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(OKLAHOMA CITY) - A $1.9 million grant will allow charitable food distribution programs to purchase equipment for storing and delivering perishable food items.

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation awarded the grant to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and several of its member programs.

``All of the agencies will be able to order and distribute so much more food, and many don't have nearly enough refrigerated and frozen storage space,'' said Peggy Garrett, executive director of Presbyterian Urban Missions, a food bank agency in Oklahoma City.

``I think that this will be especially beneficial to the smaller agencies.''

The money will be used to purchase refrigeration equipment to allow the agency to handle more perishable items, to store and distribute food more effectively and increase rural and urban perishable product distribution.

The food bank also will purchase new software to allow for real-time inventory, as well as interactive agency ordering online.

The Reynolds Foundation awarded the food bank a $5.4 million grant in June 1998, which funded the construction of the food bank's new facility in southwest Oklahoma City.

The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma distributes nonperishable food, produce and other products to more than 480 charitable feeding programs in 53 counties central and western Oklahoma.

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation is a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named.