Food Bank Brings Tulsa School Community Closer Together

There's nothing like food to bring people together. It works in homes, offices and schools.

With the help of the Community Food Bank and a local church, it's also brining in parents who might not have felt comfortable in their child's school.

Volunteers from All Souls Unitarian church in Tulsa are doing more than just serving up a meal; they're building a community, one that includes teachers, students, and parents.

“Parents are part of the school, they are a very integral part of our school,” said McLain Principal, Tarsha Guillory. “And this is just our opportunity to say, hey, to remind you we want you here. We need you here.”

Getting parents to events like back to school night is sometimes a struggle at McLain's 7th grade academy. They're often needed at home to feed younger siblings, or perhaps just not comfortable visiting the school at all.

Serving a meal for a group of families before they head to the classroom to meet with teachers, helps address both problems.

The families are chosen by the school. The dinners help them connect with school administrators and each other.

“I know that a lot of good conversations happen around a table. So getting families here around the table getting to know each other,” Guillory said.

The program has certainly won the heart of parent Aletha Wartson; she makes events like back to school night a priority.

“I feel like if you don't support your kids, they're gonna to be running around wild,” she said. “The biggest step is supporting your kids and keeping them first.”

She also knows many families get an important boost from the free meal and the bag of groceries provided at the end of the evening by the Food Bank.

“Most of these people are less fortunate, and it supports them,” Wartson said. “To be honest, I'm thankful, and I know they're thankful too.

Guillory is thankful, too, for the volunteers, the donations, and the families she believes have the power to turn this school around.

“It does my heart great, cause I know we have the support of the families and I know that with that support we will be successful,” she said.

The dinners at school will take place once a month this year at Gilcrease and Jackson Elementary schools, along with McLain 7th grade center.

The families are invited based on recommendations from counselors.

All the meals are prepared by the Food Bank and served by volunteers from All Souls.