The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma was recently allotted an expanded caseload for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program, a senior feeding program which will benefit an additional 150 low-income seniors in eastern Oklahoma.
CSFP provides low-income seniors with a free box of food once a month. These boxes include canned fruits, vegetables and meat as well as bottled juice, shelf-stable milk, cereal, pasta or grains, and a two pound block of cheese. “Currently, through Food Bank Partner Programs, we provide food to 326 seniors in our service area,” reported Will Nole, senior servings and CSFP coordinator for the Food Bank
“For our Partner Programs who administer this program, it requires a significant amount time for oversight and paperwork,” said Nole. “The programs who devote themselves to this undertaking realize it is a great opportunity to serve low-income seniors.”
In Oklahoma one out of every six seniors is food insecure. “The CSFP is a huge benefit to seniors,” said Eileen Bradshaw, executive director of the Food Bank. “The quality of the food from USDA is excellent, and it provides much needed nutrition to food insecure seniors. We are thrilled to be able to offer this program to our partners.”
Although it is the largest private hunger relief agency in the eastern part of the state, the Food Bank relies on food and fund donations from the community. “The Food Bank doesn’t receive funding from the federal or state government,” stated Bradshaw. “Through this program and The Emergency Food Assistance Program we are able to pass along nutritious food from the USDA at no cost. This is food that has been declining in recent years and is funded through the federal Farm Bill.”