The JeffCo Helping Hands Food Pantry Board of Directors has been assisting this summer with the summer reading program at the Waurika Library. The food the library uses each Thursday does not come from the pantry itself. Rather, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (RFBO) provides balanced meals through a special grant and does not take away from the food given twice a month. The RFBO recognizes for thousands of children, the end of school means months of wondering whether or not they will have enough food to eat. Thanks to support from the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Oklahoma Department of Education and the community, children 18 and under can receive nutritious meals and/or snacks through the Regional Food Bank’s Summer Feeding Program at more than 130 locations in 31 central and western Oklahoma counties, and Waurika is one of those locations. We only use the food from RFBO’s program because we live in a community where the other four days are covered by other various groups and individuals. The board would also like to note that the pantry is open on the Friday following the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Each household may pick up food once a month. For families or individuals who are picking up food for the first time each calendar year a valid ID and proof of residence in Jefferson country will be required when filling out paperwork. JeffCo Helping Hands Pantry is a Client Choice Pantries are completely centered around the client and their individual and/or family needs. Clients are not given a pre-made box of food items that frequently contains products they do not like, cannot eat due to health or religious reasons, or do not know how to prepare. Rather, in this method clients have the ability to choose which food items they want, much the same way as you decide what you would like to eat when you shop at the grocery store. It is more cost effective, prevents waste, treats clients with dignity and ensures they are receiving the items they need and will eat. JeffCo Helping Hands Pantry exists as a non-profit ran by volunteers and its purpose is to provide a supplement of food for residents of Jefferson Country who find themselves in need. This is a supplemental food program and is not designed to meet all the nutritional needs of a person or family. When determining the amounts of food given, we take into account the size of the family and the ages of those in the household. While pantry’s goal is to have enough food to supplement the needs of all who come, in the event that we run out of food on a particular day the pantry will close until the following scheduled distribution time. We will allow others to pick up food for neighbors and those who are shut-in at the discretion of the reception volunteers as long as the person who is getting food picked up on their behalf is already registered with the pantry and a note is sent. JeffCo Helping Hands receives funding from businesses, corporate and private foundations, civic organizations, religious groups, participating agencies, and individuals. Therefore, they are limited in their resources based on giving of these entities. The board is always looking for volunteers to come and help on truck delivery days and food distribution days. For more information on volunteering or how you can help financially please email the pantry at jeffcohhfoodpantry@gmail.com.
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