What are you having for dinner tonight? In Oklahoma City’s thriving restaurant scene, the hardest part of answering that question can be picking where to go. But for nearly 1 in 5 Oklahomans, planning their next meal can be a stressful endeavor.
Oklahoma is one of the hungriest states in the country, with 18.4 percent of people facing food insecurity compared to the national average of 14.3 percent, according to nonprofit Feeding America.
That’s where Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (RFBO) steps in, helping feed people in 53 counties in the central and western part of the state through more than 1,300 partners, including community-based food pantries, programs that deliver food to senior citizens and more. RFBO purchases and warehouses food that’s then delivered to its partners. In Oklahoma County alone, RFBO distributed the equivalent of 15 million meals in 2024.
And this year, Oklahoma Gazette’s readers named RFBO the top nonprofit in the Best of OKC awards.
Even though it has earned a good name through 45 years of service, chief executive officer Stacy Dykstra says many people have misconceptions of who the food bank serves.
“We’re serving hardworking Oklahomans trying to make ends meet or seniors on fixed incomes that cannot make it on that fixed income before the end of the month and they get the next Social Security check — and children,” Dykstra said. “It’s not people that are sitting at home, taking advantage of any systems.”
Frequently, RFBO serves people who have an economic shock, like a health crisis or a car that breaks down, who visit food banks for a few months before their situation improves. The food bank also serves people who qualify for government food assistance like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) but need additional resources to have enough food.
A neighbor heads home with groceries after visiting one of Regional Food Bank Food and Resource Centers. | Image provided
Doubling dollars
Here’s another staggering stat: 24 percent of our state’s kids face food insecurity, according to Feeding America. Many children rely on meals at school and go hungry during holidays and summer breaks.
Through its Food for Kids program, RFBO runs the second-largest backpack program in the country, providing chronically hungry elementary students with food-filled backpacks so they have something to eat on the weekend. Because the need is so great, many schools have their own food pantry, which RFBO helps fill. Food for Kids also provides food over summer breaks and supplies meals for tutoring and mentoring programs.
No one wants a child to go hungry, but the impact of these programs goes beyond filling bellies. Kids without enough to eat have a harder time concentrating, learning and developing social skills. Going hungry can cause behavior problems or mental health struggles, too.
You have an opportunity to help. During September, donations made to RFBO’s Food for Kids program will be matched by RFBO partners, doubling their impact. Each dollar donated helps provide six meals.
Challenges ahead
Although the organization has support from volunteers and donors, it will face more challenges in the coming months and years. Dykstra expects the number of hungry Oklahomans to go up as food costs continue to rise.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act changed requirements to receive SNAP beginning this month, making it harder for people to qualify for or renew benefits. According to Newsweek, an estimated 58,000 in our state are at risk of losing some or all of their SNAP benefits.
“We’re talking about our most vulnerable population of United States citizens that receive SNAP, and because of these changes, some of them are no longer going to receive it,” Dykstra said.
Starting in fiscal year 2028, the federal government will tie the amount it sends to each state to its application error rates in fiscal year 2026. The higher the error rate, the higher percentage of the benefits cost will be shifted to states.
RFBO will be relying on donors, volunteers and board members to help provide stability for recipients in this time of uncertainty. Last year, 47,000 people volunteered their time for the organization, saving it $3.5 million in expenses.
“Oklahoma really is this place where you care for one another,” Dykstra said. “Everybody can do something, can give something that’s going to help someone else.”
A $5 donation or a few cans of food may seem like it will have a small impact, but it can stave off hunger for another day.
“What is most exciting to me is thinking about what our state can look like when everybody is thriving, when everybody has the opportunity to reach their potential,” Dykstra said. “It would be incredible because it’s already an amazing place to live.”
Visit regionalfoodbank.org.
This article appears in Fall Guide 2025.