Tulsa Church, Nonprofit To Continue Food Giveaways As Pandemic Restrictions Lift

A Tulsa church who has been passing out free groceries to families in need throughout the pandemic said they are continuing the program through the summer.

A deacon at the church said as long as the need is there, the church will do all they can to rise to the occasion.

"We can put together about 60 bags in an hour," said Katie Plohocky with Healthy Community Store Initiative. 

Healthy Community Store Initiative has been working for years to get groceries out to families in need all over the community.

"We are a nonprofit. Our mission is to overcome barriers to nutritious food access. We do that through our mobile and micro grocery stores we have been running for about seven years," said Plohocky. "All people should have equitable access to nutritious food."

When the pandemic hit, they added another program.

"We use U.S. Foods to do this program, this is our COVID relief program we started in April, and we fed over 50,000 families this year," said Plohocky. 

They have partnered with churches and organizations all over the community and their partnership with First Baptist Church North Tulsa won't stop as COVID-19 restrictions lift. 

"There was already unemployment before the pandemic, there was already poverty before the pandemic, this was already a food desert before the pandemic," said First Baptist Church North Tulsa Deacon Darrell Walker. "80 percent of the people who are coming now- this was their normal before the pandemic. Now they are still struggling, and we are just trying to help."

Every Friday at 5:30 p.m., volunteers will be in in front of First Baptist Church North Tulsa giving away food until it runs out.

"We have been going continuously for 15 months," said Walker. 

They partner with organizations like the Healthy Community Store Initiative to make this happen, and somehow, Walker said they have had just enough food and volunteers to make it each week.

To support the Healthy Community Store, click here.