Tulsa's United Way Day Of Caring Food Drive Helps Feed Oklahomans

The Tulsa Area United Way Day of Caring Food Drive wrapped up Friday, and is helping a Broken Arrow nonprofit feed Oklahomans.

It was restocking day at Broken Arrow Neighbors, a food pantry that serves more than 28,000 people in the Broken Arrow and Coweta area.

"We are going to take care of folks who have a need," said one volunteer.

Volunteers prepared a car load of donated items from the United Way Day of Caring food drive.

"Everything you see today, from the apple juice to the macaroni and cheese, is going directly back to the clients here in Broken Arrow," said BA Neighbors Executive Director Megan Quickle.

She said this is just one of 11 United Way partners benefiting from the food drive that will help feed people across northeast Oklahoma.

"The entire community is coming together and it doesn't matter if you're in Okmulgee, or Broken Arrow, or Tulsa or Jenks that it's all going back to our community," said Quickle.

Quickle said they've already given out more food this quarter than they did all of last year, showing that the need isn't going away.

"It just means a tremendous amount to see a client come in and see the volunteers out here today and that's what's so amazing, they know so many people are compassionately caring about them," she said.

James Summers is one of those clients and said the food pantry is a huge help. "I wish more towns had something like this, a lot of them don't," said Summers.

The Day of Caring food drive started during the pandemic, but Tulsa Area United Way's CEO, Alison Anthony, said it's just as important now as ever.

"In Oklahoma, 1 in 5 kinds don't get enough to eat, that's not okay, ya know. We can do better than that so we really ask people to get out and put their compassion into action. Do what they can to make this better," said Anthony.

She's glad that organizations like Broken Arrow Neighbors can help close the hunger gap for more families.