Summer is just around the corner for children across central and western Oklahoma. It’s a season filled with the promise of vacation days, poolside fun and backyard barbecues. But for thousands of families, summer brings more worry than excitement.

When school lets out, so do the free or reduced-price meals that many children depend on during the school year. How will parents already working to make ends meet ensure their children have enough to eat during the summer? And with the added weight of child care costs, how can they possibly keep up?
That’s why, in this issue of The Link, we’re focusing on children, how the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is addressing summer hunger and how people like you are the real heroes for our neighbors.

Of course, hunger in Oklahoma is more than just a summertime issue. We serve chronically hungry children all year round, as well as seniors living on limited incomes and hardworking families trying to make ends meet. We distribute almost 50 million pounds of food a year to more than 1,300 community partners in 53 counties in central and western Oklahoma.

That’s why I’m so grateful for caring and generous friends like you. Thanks to you, Oklahomans facing hunger have hope.

As always, every $1 you give helps provide 3 meals. Thank you for your compassionate support!

Gratefully,
Stacy Dykstra, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer