Food Bank Helping Stock Schools' Food Pantries For Students In Need

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Most of the money raised at our fair booth go to the backpack program that provides extra snacks for younger students to see them through the weekend, but teenagers often need some extra help, too.

The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma is stepping in to fill the gap.

Twice a month, a small but important delivery arrives at Tulsa’s Webster High School – hundreds of pounds of food bound for the food pantry and available to any student in need.

“Here at Webster, we have a high needs population, a lot of low-income families that we serve,” said Melanie Ford, a social worker at Webster.

School food pantries are becoming increasingly popular in eastern Oklahoma.  The food bank’s program currently has 38 schools – seven were added just this year.

“We developed this program to give those students more of a continuum of care,” said Proffitt.  “Kids who are in need have the backpack program when they’re younger and, as they get older, the program kind of matures with them.”

Counselors at Webster say many of their students are also responsible for feeding younger siblings.  When they come into the food pantry, they can choose from a variety of foods that will provide a healthy family meal.

“We kind of base this program off the proportions from the ‘My Plate,’ which is kind of the government standards for what a healthy plate should look like,” Proffitt said.  “So that’s how we portion out our vegetables, proteins, fruit, and grains.”

Along with food, students at Webster have access to uniforms, socks, backpacks, and personal items.

The school’s graduation rate has jumped from 53 to 81 percent over the last few years, and Principal Shelly Holman believes that’s no coincidence.

“We know that we’ve been looking at the whole student and how to make sure they can get their needs met and be successful in life.  That’s our goal,” said Holman.

If you would like to donate to Food For Kids, just text “meals” to 501-501 to give $10.