Food & Resource Centers

Food Resource Centers provide:

• Greater access to food with extended hours and days of operation.
• Client-choice shopping to improve the overall client experience, giving the client the opportunity to choose foods they need and want in a setting similar to a supermarket.
• An emphasis on nutritious foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Additional services/resources and referrals to improve family stability.

Food & Resource Centers also increase access to nutrition education and connect clients to other services available in their community, including services provided by other agencies and nonprofit organizations (dental, vision, employment, housing, etc.).

For a map of current and future Food Resource Center locations, click here.

Current Food Resource Centers Open & Operational
Sep 2012 - Urban Mission Food & Resource Center, OKC
Nov 2012 - Loaves & Fishes NW Oklahoma, Enid, OK
Nov 2013 - Lawton Food Bank Food & Resource Center, Lawton, OK
Dec 2013 - HELP Inc. Food & Resource Center, Elk City, OK
Jun 2014 - Moore Food & Resource Center, Moore, OK
Nov 2014 - Salvation Army Food & Resource Center, OKC
Nov 2014 - Skyline Urban Ministry Food & Resource Center, OKC
Jun 2015 - Hands of Hope Food & Resource Center, Durant, OK
Jun 2016 - Community Market of Potawattomie County FRC, Shawnee, OK
Aug 2016 - New Emergency Resource Agency FRC, Ponca City, OK
Aug 2016 - Weatherford Food & Resource Center,Weatherford, OK
Sep 2016 - Food & Resource Center of South Central Oklahoma, Ardmore, OK

 

The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, in collaborations with local community partners, plans to open Food & Resource Centers throughout its service area in central and western Oklahoma in order to improve efficiences and provide greater access to food for the people we serve.

Additional Food & Resource Centers are currently in the planning stages for the following communities: Edmond, Oklahoma City, Stillwater and Woodward.  For a map of current and future Food & Resource Center locations, click here.

• Each Food & Resource Center receives support from the Regional Food Bank both in the development and operational phases. The Regional Food Bank works within the community to build support and identify collaborative partners. Additional guidance and support is provided for capacity building, site acquisition or build-out, community organizing, funding, technical assistance, and equipment.
• Once established, Food & Resource Centers are designed to be self-supporting. The Regional Food Bank continues to support the centers with ongoing training, capacity building, and priority access to food and equipment grants, as well as guidance on fundraising, marketing and volunteer management.
• Food & Resource Centers provide an opportunity for increased volunteer activity in the community, and assist in raising awareness of hunger.
• The implementation of Food & Resource Centers across the Regional Food Bank’s 53 county service area is designed to provide a more equitable distribution of food. In communities where there are a high number of pantries relative to the population that are operating separately and possibly duplicating services, the Food & Resource Center provides an opportunity for the community to work together to serve clients in a more efficient and equitable manner.

• How clients get food is one of the most visible changes at a Food & Resource Center. At many agencies, families now line up at regular times and volunteers hand out pre-packed boxes -- the contents of which are a mystery until the families get home. Food & Resoucre Centers allow clients to choose what they want.
• Client choice requires more attention to things like shelf-stocking and customer service, but it also reduces waste and allows people more control over their diets and restores dignity to the process.
• Volunteers have more opportunities to interact with clients and find additional ways they can be of service.
• Greater selection of food - and an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables.
• The shopping area looks just like a grocery store - with shelves of food, freezers and coolers.