Groups gather at Oklahoma Capitol to fight hunger

    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) -- Helping fewer Oklahomans go hungry was the goal as more than 100 people took to the state Capitol on Thursday.

Anti-Hunger Day is about finding solutions, with food being fuel, advocated say with more Oklahomans fed, we’d have better students, neighbors and citizens, which is why they’re doing the work to keep food on the plates across the state.

Thursday was a busy day for food insecurity advocates across Oklahoma, making their way to the Oklahoma History Center and state Capitol for Anti-Hunger Day.

Jeff Marlow, CEO of the Foodbank of Eastern Oklahoma, said it’s a team effort to fight hunger.

“One in six Oklahomans are food insecure, and one in four children in the state of Oklahoma are food insecure, and that's not something Oklahoma should not be proud of,” Marlow said.

More than 100 advocates spent the day speaking out and talking to legislators about House bills that would keep Oklahomans fed.

“Our partners are reporting that every month they see it, an increase in new clients coming in that have never seen a pantry or have gotten assistance,” Marlow said.

Stacy Dykstra, with the Regional Foodbank of Oklahoma, emphasized that hunger is not a one-size-fits-all problem and can affect anyone at any time.

“These folks are working usually two or three jobs, and they still can’t make ends meet every month and so they need extra help, or they lost their job and they're looking for another one,” Dykstra said.

The best way to make a difference is through collective action, such as volunteering and making a donation.

“We have this amazing partnership with KOCO, and they help tell our story, and it results in lots of resources coming in to make sure we can say yes if we have Oklahomans facing hunger,” Dykstra said.

Advocates said the work continues.