Community Food Bank Of Eastern Oklahoma Feeding 300 Afghan Refugees

The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma is feeding 300 Afghan refugees a week and volunteers say it's an honor to do Something Good and feed families in need. 

"This meal becomes hope," said Jeff Marlow with Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. 

The food that comes out of the kitchen at the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma is more than a meal.

"It becomes a sense of safety and love," said Marlow. 

Especially the meals being made for more than 300 people who took refuge in the United States after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

"It is so important; we serve our guests with dignity and show that somebody loves them," said Marlow. 

Catholic Charities has partners it works with all over the state who are helping help Afghan refugees as they start over here in America the food bank is one of their partners.

"For the Aghan Program, I am cooking 75 pounds of rice at a time and every day I do about 150 pounds of rice," said Eric Esau with Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, "This is the beef stew I made this morning, and we will serve this over the rice in our to-go containers."

Jeff and his crew wanted families to have authentic food that comforted them when they first got to Oklahoma. So, some of the ladies taught the kitchen staff how to cook authentic Afghan food.

"Lots of tomatoes, lots of citrus, vegetables," said Marlow. 

Jeff says as the months have passed Afghan families have wanted to branch out and try some American comfort food.

"Cheeseburgers, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese," said Marlow, "We mix it up we are having fun with the food, and they are going out of their way to let us know how appreciative they are."

Jeff says it best "everybody's got to eat" and here at the food bank, creating those meals is a joy.

"At the end of the day if I can say I took a skill that I have, a passion I have for food and I have made a difference in someone's life that is what matters," said Marlow, "We are so appreciative to have been able to be a part of this."