Food Bank Prepares For Busy Holiday Season Amid Higher Food Prices

The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma says Thanksgiving and Christmas are the busiest times for them, and it expects to feed more people this year.          

The food bank says to keep up with the holiday rush, it begins preparing as early as September. Leaders at the food bank say that during a normal week, they serve up to 700,000 meals, but during the holiday season, that number rises to nearly 900,000. 

After talking with partners in the 24 counties it serves, the food bank increased orders for canned goods and shelf-stable food. The food bank anticipates more people needing help because of the high price of groceries right now. 

Jeffrey Marlow, the president of the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, wants people to know that resources are available for those needing extra help.

When you look at the holidays, it should be a happy time... it's when families and friends and groups get together, Marlow said. We don’t want food to ever be a barrier or a bump in the road that causes people to have stress or anxiety during this time of year.

The food bank is collecting hams and plans to distribute almost 7,000 turkeys to partner agencies. The food bank says it's important to check which food agencies near you are holding Thanksgiving and which ones are just giving out food.

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