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Charitable Trust Grant Feeds Hungry Clinton Residents

Dec. 21, 2009

CLINTON, OK – Those who rely on local food pantries and after school programs for food assistance in Clinton got an early Christmas present this week. The M.T. and Helen Gholston Charitable Trust made a $39,500 gift to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma for the sole purpose of expanding the capacity of two Clinton charitable feeding programs and improving services at Kids Cafe in Clinton.

This gift will ensure that more families, children and senior citizens in Clinton will receive proper nutrition through the Eastside Academy Kids Cafe program and the Mission House and St. Mary's Catholic Church.

"The M.T. and Helen Gholston Charitable Trust feels fortunate that we have been able to help the Clinton community through this gift to the Regional Food Bank," said Mart Tisdal, trust chairman. "Through the Regional Food Bank, our local pantries and Kids Cafe program will be better equipped to help more people in need."

Last year, the Regional Food Bank distributed 193,178 pounds of food to residents in Custer County - enough food to provide 150,921 meals. Partner agencies throughout central and western Oklahoma, including 12 in Custer County, are reporting an increase in demand as high as 50 percent this year. Additionally, three Clinton elementary schools were added to the Food 4 Kids program recently – providing backpacks of food to sustain more than 85 chronically hungry children over weekends and holidays when school is not in session.

This generous grant will provide $5,000 worth of food to both the Mission House and St. Mary's Catholic Church to better address the needs of Clinton's residents who are struggling to make ends meet. A new freezer for the Mission House, which is supported by an additional $11,500, will allow larger quantities and a greater variety of frozen food for pantry and the people they serve.

Regrettably, 21 percent of all children in Custer County live at, or below, the poverty level. The Kids Cafe site at East Side Academy and Care provides food, mentoring, tutoring and other enriching activities for 100 at-risk children after school and throughout the summer. Last year, the site provided 3,034 snacks and 8,445 meals to Clinton children.

The remaining $18,000 in grant funding will provide the Kids Cafe site with additional food and food service supplies, add a full time cook to prepare and serve nutritious meals for the children while teaching them the fundamentals of good nutrition and food preparation and provide additional school supplies for the children.

There is a critical connection between childhood nutrition and cognitive and physical development. Even nutritional deficiencies of a relatively short-term nature negatively impact a child's health, behavior, and the ability to concentrate and perform complex tasks. In addition, going without food can cause behavioral and psychological effects such as depression, aggression, anxiety, and poor social skills in children.

A recent evaluation of the Kids Cafe program coordinators showed that 91 percent of children said they know more about healthy foods; 80 percent of parents said their children's grades improved; and 93 percent of parents witnessed behavioral improvements in their children.

"We are incredibly grateful for this generous gift from the M.T. and Helen Gholston Charitable Trust," said Rodney Bivens, executive director of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. "It will make a tremendous impact on our ability to serve our partner agencies in Clinton. There are more people seeking help than any other time in the history of the Regional Food Bank and this gift will help meet that increased need."

The Regional Food Bank is the state's largest private hunger-relief charity, distributing enough food to feed more than 63,000 people each week in central and western Oklahoma. Half a million Oklahomans are at risk of hunger every day, including one out of every five children in our state. As more and more families continue to struggle to put food on their table, the Regional Food Bank is tasked with finding new ways to keep pace with the increased demand for food assistance.

For more information about the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, or to make a donation, please call 405.972.1111.