Tulsa Family Swap Halloween Candy For A Cause

Ashli Sims, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- It's a scary statistic. Oklahoma ranks fifth in the nation when it comes to people going hungry.

Tulsa's mayor launched a city-wide food drive today to feed those in need, something that's become a Halloween tradition for one Tulsa family.

10/31/2011 Related Story: City Of Tulsa Answers Governor's Call To Help The Hungry

Four years ago, a Tulsa family found out what it's like to not know where that next meal is coming from. So they're swapping their Halloween candy for a cause.

They're not in it for the tricks or the treats. These children are going door to door to lend a helping hand this Halloween.

"Every year on Halloween we do this new thing called scare away hunger," said 12-year-old Jacob Kerwin.

Jacob says it was all his big brother Jordan's idea. He thought it up back in 2007, when an ice storm turned Tulsa into a ghost town. And the family had a real food scare.

"When all the power was shut off, we had nowhere to go because our home was cold; we had no food; we couldn't cook or take showers," Jordan Kerwin said.

"We were in a shelter [during] the ice storm. And a community church helped us. So my brother said, Mom why don't we go help get cans for people so we can return the favor," Jacob said.

And they've been returning the favor for the last four Halloweens. Some with no candy to offer will dig into their pantries for this cause.

"She was like can I have your bag? And she went inside and she came back out five minutes later and she had this big bag of cans for us," Jacob said.

Others will simply open a wallet.

"I asked him if he had any cans that he wanted to donate for scare away hunger. I don't think he did. But in return he just gave me a dollar," Jordan said.

These guys say every little bit helps.

"People that are in need that need help getting food and are starving, they can have some help if they go to a shelter," Jacob said.

Last year, Jordan and Jacob and their siblings raised more than 400 pounds of food. The Mayor hopes to have as much success. He kicked off a Bedlam food drive at City Hall Monday that runs through November 22nd.