As part of a growing effort to feed hungry people in Cherokee County, First Christian Church of Tahlequah has become the newest site for a Mobile Food Pantry.
"There's so much hunger in the Tahlequah area," said Eileen Mischke, outreach chair. "The mobile food bank approached us because we have a big enough parking lot."
The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma mobile pantries have existed since 2010, according to Greg Raskin, communication manager for Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.
"There are many communities and places where food deserts exist and access to food is limited. Some areas may not have a food pantry nearby; some people may not get their needs met by pantries; and some people in rural areas have transportation issues that compound the previous issues. The mobile pantries exist to help with all of these challenges," said Raskin. "They are in place to fill in gaps."
The traditional food pantry model, such as CARE Food Pantry in downtown Tahlequah, receives a large load of mostly shelf-stable items every couple of months.
"Recently, we are in the process of going to a multi-stop model, where we take less poundage of food per stop and deliver a little more frequently. In this model, we are providing more fresh produce and less shelf-stable items," said Raskin. "We are working to fine-tune the delivery system of the mobile pantry program in order to best serve our clients and their current realities."
Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma had seven distribution sites in Cherokee County in the past year: Hulbert, Briggs, Cookson, Oaks, Peggs, Tenkiller, and Tahlequah. Hulbert, Briggs, Peggs, and now First Christian in Tahlequah, are the multi-drop sites.
Once a month, a truck will haul at least one ton of food to be delivered to the sites. This may include potatoes and carrots, canned vegetables, fresh fruit, bread items, and even dairy products.
First Christian will be able to provide food for 100 families each month. Tuesday was the first day for community members to sign up at the church. Mischke said a bunch of eager people were waiting at the church at 10:15 a.m.; the sign-ups did not begin until 11. At least 20 families signed up.
"For pickup, they will have to wait until all is ready. Distribution cannot be done until the food is unloaded, sorted, and packed for each family," said Mischke. "We needed enough volunteers. We are an older congregation, but we have students from [Northeastern State University] coming to help."
Mischke said members of the congregation who are elderly, or perhaps use walkers, may not be able to lift heavy boxes off of the delivery truck or into cars, but they can still help with food distribution. Mischke said that at the pantry she toured in Briggs, they received a bag of onions, so someone had to open it and bag a couple for the individual families.
An inventory sheet provided by the Mobile Food Pantry driver will state how many of each item to give to each family.
Only one person 18 or older - from a particular family and address - may sign up to receive the food. No income information is taken. A ticket is received at least two weeks before the distribution date, so the family member must sign up each month to participate.
Since it's the first month of operation, First Christian had a signup Tuesday, Nov. 14, and will have another on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at 746 S. Cedar Ave., between First and Fourth Streets. The first delivery will be Tuesday, Nov. 28, around noon. They will not distribute in December, so the second date will be in January.
"First Christian is very pleased to have the opportunity to partner with the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma on this program," said Sue Catron, deacon and church treasurer. "There are many people in our community who hit a rough patch at times. It happens to most of us at one point or another. One box of food at the end of a month won't solve a financial crisis, but it may help someone and their family eat more securely while they work through that crisis. I hope our community members will feel comfortable looking to this resource for assistance."
Income information is not required to participate. A client will have to give a name, address and the composition of family. They will have to mark the number of people who are 18 years and younger, 19-54, or over 55 years old.
Mischke aid one individual may be set up to pick up the food for multiple families, but a ticket must be received for each family.
"A lot of people don't have cars, or they have special cases like illnesses," she said. "It's a learning process. The first time we may not have 100 families."
After those who have signed up get their food, if any is left, First Christian plans to donate to other organizations. Help-In-Crisis said it will take up to 25 families' worth.
You can help
For more information about the Mobile Food Pantry at First Christian Church of Tahlequah, call 918-456-2415. For more about the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, visit https://okfoodbank.org.
