{"id":728045,"date":"2023-05-03T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/?p=728045"},"modified":"2024-08-05T12:10:09","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T17:10:09","slug":"another-relief-programs-end-returns-some-oklahomans-to-food-insecurity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/03\/another-relief-programs-end-returns-some-oklahomans-to-food-insecurity\/","title":{"rendered":"Another Relief Program\u2019s End Returns Some Oklahomans to Food Insecurity"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-custom-everlit-iframe-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_9QemEu7orQe?client=wp&amp;client_version=2.6.0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"50px\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s been three years since Melissa Moore turned to food pantries to keep meals on the table. When her food stamp benefits increased to $500 a month during the pandemic, she could feed her family of three without tapping her disability check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Congress halted those emergency pandemic benefits at the end of February, three months ahead of schedule. As a result, Moore found herself in a drive-thru line of 50 cars again last month outside the Urban Mission, an Oklahoma City food and resource center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moore, 53, is among the 557,000 Oklahomans whose incomes and assets fall within limits that qualify them for food stamps, also called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. One in four SNAP recipients report not having enough food at least sometimes, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/library\/stories\/2023\/04\/impact-of-the-end-of-extra-snap-benefits.html?utm_campaign=20230427msacos1ccstors&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\">U.S. Census data collected after extra SNAP benefits<\/a> ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many are turning to food banks. One pantry in Muskogee reports the number of customers served last month nearly doubled over pandemic averages. In the most food-insecure portions of Oklahoma, relief organizations are trying to keep up with demand by deploying mobile pantries in communities where 20% of residents live below the poverty line.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles is-style-borders wpnbha show-image image-alignright ts-3 is-1 is-landscape is-style-borders\" style=\"\">\n\t\t<div data-posts data-current-post-id=\"728045\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-section-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>THE LATEST<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"754290\" class=\"category-audio-stories series-audio-stories type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2026\/01\/05\/audio-stories-december-22-2025-2\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Audio-Stories-400-x-200-px.png?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-tiny size-newspack-article-block-landscape-tiny wp-post-image\" alt=\"Audio Stories: December 29, 2025\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Audio-Stories-400-x-200-px.png?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Audio-Stories-400-x-200-px.png?zoom=2&amp;resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Audio-Stories-400-x-200-px.png?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2026\/01\/05\/audio-stories-december-22-2025-2\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Audio Stories: December 29, 2025<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<p>Elected leaders in counties where federal pandemic relief funds are still being allocated say they are considering investing some of those funds in food banks, though several are prioritizing long-term projects unlikely to address the immediate need.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFamilies were already facing stubbornly high food prices and those prices are going to continue to rise,\u201d said Calvin Moore, CEO of the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. \u201cAnd not only food prices are rising, but other needs are going unmet because people are (struggling) to find ways to feed themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Melissa Moore, her husband and her adult son are coping with a food stamp benefit decrease of about $200 that forced her to start using her disability check for groceries instead of utilities. She\u2019s also started turning to food pantries about once a week as her husband waits for approval to receive disability checks for several health conditions, including diabetes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWithout food pantries, I would really be in a big world of hurt,\u201d said Moore, whose battle with throat cancer left her unable to work.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Moore arrived at the front of the car line outside Urban Mission, the bags of produce, bread, meat, and canned goods that workers brought out to her car felt lighter than usual. Urban Mission executive director German Garcia said the non-profit organization\u2019s staff has doubled the number of stores they receive donations in the last year, but they\u2019ve still had to improvise to preserve their supply. Garcia said some weeks, the pantry runs out of rice and limits customers to one loaf of bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Impacts in Oklahoma\u2019s Rural Communities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<iframe title=\"Where Do SNAP Recipients Live in Oklahoma?\" aria-label=\"Map\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-FxGZl\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/FxGZl\/5\/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"673\" data-external=\"1\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.feedingamerica.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2021-03\/Local%20Projections%20Brief_3.31.2021.pdf?s_src=W20ADIRCT&amp;s_subsrc=https%25253A%252F%252Fsecure.feedingamerica.org%252Fsite%252FSPageServer%25253Fpagename%25253Dstb_login\">Feeding America projected<\/a> that eastern Oklahoma was the most food-insecure congressional district for children in the country in 2021. Many eastern ZIP codes have significant numbers of residents who receive SNAP, according to state data.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The region\u2019s food insecurity stems from weak education and transportation infrastructures, not a lack of food, said Calvin Moore, whose bank supplies several pantries experiencing an increase in customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma has expanded its mobile pantry program in the region since 2021 and now includes 10 pantries in southeastern Oklahoma communities like Poteau, where one in five residents live in poverty. Several of these communities have one grocery store and no other food resources beyond mobile pantries, said Phillip Griffith, who coordinates those pantries.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Muskogee, where about 25% of residents live in poverty, Deborah Carment runs the Community Food Pantry out of the First United Methodist Church. Carment said her staff saw about 250 people a month during the pandemic. That average grew to about 430 in March and 480 in April.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carment and a team of four volunteers work out of the church\u2019s gym and foyer, where they meet cars as they pull up. As customers fill out a check-in sheet identifying themselves, staff members organize a small batch of groceries to wheel out in grocery carts.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The increase in customers has pushed pantry staff to try to stretch its stock, which is sourced from the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, local grocery stores and donations. Instead of the 21 items offered to each customer during the pandemic, Carment said they\u2019ve dropped to 12 items\u00a0 rotated depending on availability.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Local Leaders Are Considering To Fill Resource Gaps\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"578\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157.jpg?resize=771%2C578&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-728059\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157-scaled.jpg?resize=771%2C578&amp;ssl=1 771w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157-scaled.jpg?resize=336%2C252&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157-scaled.jpg?resize=1568%2C1176&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9157-771x578.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Americorps volunteer Amber Plog prepares produce to be placed in carts for customers at the Urban Mission Food and Resource Center on April 25, 2023. After the carts were filled with groceries, workers wheeled them across the warehouse to the drive-through pantry line. (Ari Fife\/Oklahoma Watch)\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Three county governments in Oklahoma are still dispersing money they received through the American Rescue Plan Act, which could allow for more support to food banks. They have until 2026 to spend the money, which some officials say gives them more time to weigh the long-term impacts.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Colorado, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jeffco.us\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2031\">Jefferson County commissioners<\/a> recently approved an additional $350,000 in ARPA funding for food support, anticipating the impacts of SNAP decreases. In Ohio, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.record-courier.com\/story\/news\/local\/2023\/03\/24\/portage-food-pantries-to-get-more-funding-soon\/70038397007\/\">Portage County commissioners<\/a> granted $1 million to local food pantries in a similar effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Counties that still have ARPA money could consider investing in food access projects, said Chris Bernard, executive director of Hunger Free Oklahoma. But Bernard acknowledged the challenge of deciding which needs to address, as food insecurity, housing and employment issues can converge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tulsa County commissioners granted extra funding for food banks early in the pandemic using Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act money, said Terry Simonson, the county\u2019s director of grants and government relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When American Rescue Plan Act funding later became available, Simonson said requests from food banks were usually for long-term projects, not immediate need. He said he believes early action the county took to support community organizations helped them avoid an increase in applications for food funding when food stamp benefits decreased.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles is-style-borders wpnbha show-image image-alignright ts-3 is-1 is-landscape is-style-borders\" style=\"\">\n\t\t<div data-posts data-current-post-id=\"728045\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-section-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>RELATED<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"723874\" class=\"tag-commerce-public-schools tag-education-2 tag-ellen-ochoa-elementary-school tag-food-research-and-action-center tag-hispanic tag-hunger-free-oklahoma tag-la-cosecha tag-oklahoma-city-public-schools tag-poverty-2 tag-school-lunches tag-tulsa tag-tulsa-public-schools tag-union-school-district category-education category-race-in-oklahoma type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2022\/09\/07\/as-universal-free-lunch-program-ends-obstacles-return-for-some-families\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/SchoolLunch_10.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium size-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"As Universal Free Lunch Program Ends, Obstacles Return For Some Families\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/SchoolLunch_10.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/SchoolLunch_10.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/SchoolLunch_10.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/SchoolLunch_10.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2022\/09\/07\/as-universal-free-lunch-program-ends-obstacles-return-for-some-families\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">As Universal Free Lunch Program Ends, Obstacles Return For Some Families<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<p>Simonson said county commissioners have about $3.5 million in ARPA funds left to spend, and they\u2019ve taken a break to consider the 25 pending applications.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gina Rogers, a deputy in the LeFlore County Clerk\u2019s office, said the eastern Oklahoma county has about $4 million in unspent pandemic relief money and commissioners are working through requests. They haven\u2019t gotten requests from local food pantries, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan said commissioners prioritized improvements to the county jail using ARPA money because they saw it as one of the most viable forms of funding. Among the state\u2019s 77 counties, only Oklahoma receives no county-level sales tax, meaning the county gets no revenue outside of property taxes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The county recently started the first round and has about $4.9 million to give out, Maughan said. Commissioners are working through about 130 applications, including one from the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maughan said his top priority is creating permanent change rather than delaying negative consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt may not just be about buying another crate of fruits or vegetables,\u201d Maughan said. \u201cThat\u2019s what I'm talking about with a long-term impact is that it\u2019s something that will help them be more efficient and expand their impact beyond just this one-time donation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"578\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222.jpg?resize=771%2C578&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-728058\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222-scaled.jpg?resize=771%2C578&amp;ssl=1 771w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222-scaled.jpg?resize=336%2C252&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222-scaled.jpg?resize=1568%2C1176&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_9222-771x578.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Urban Mission Food and Resource Center warehouse assistant Allen Sade loads bags of bread into the bed of a customer's truck at the end of the drive-through food pantry line on April 25. The Urban Mission has doubled the number of grocery stores it receives donations from in the last year, but staff members say its stock has still been strained by an increase in customers after an end to extra SNAP benefits. (Ari Fife\/Oklahoma Watch)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5262-2-1.jpg?resize=193%2C193&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-700033\" width=\"193\" height=\"193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5262-2-1.jpg?resize=771%2C771&amp;ssl=1 771w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5262-2-1.jpg?resize=336%2C336&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5262-2-1.jpg?resize=140%2C140&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5262-2-1.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5262-2-1.jpg?resize=800%2C800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5262-2-1.jpg?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5262-2-1.jpg?resize=200%2C200&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5262-2-1.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5262-2-1.jpg?resize=706%2C706&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5262-2-1.jpg?resize=100%2C100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5262-2-1.jpg?w=831&amp;ssl=1 831w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5262-2-1-771x771.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 193px) 100vw, 193px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Ari Fife is a Report for America corps member who covers race and equity issues for Oklahoma Watch. Contact her at (405) 517-2847 or <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:afife@oklahomawatch.org\" target=\"_blank\">afife@oklahomawatch.org<\/a>. Follow her on Twitter at <\/em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/arriifife\" target=\"_blank\">@arriifife<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:4px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles  wpnbha is-grid columns-3 colgap-1 show-image image-aligntop ts-3 is-3 is-landscape \" style=\"\">\n\t\t<div data-posts data-current-post-id=\"728045\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-section-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>MORE FROM ARI FIFE<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"728144\" class=\"category-children category-update type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/05\/oklahoma-takes-steps-to-address-childcare-scarcity\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Day-Care_70-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"Oklahoma Takes Steps To Address Childcare Scarcity\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Day-Care_70-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Day-Care_70-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Day-Care_70-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Day-Care_70-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Day-Care_70-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Day-Care_70-scaled.jpg?zoom=2&amp;resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 2400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Day-Care_70-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/05\/oklahoma-takes-steps-to-address-childcare-scarcity\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Oklahoma Takes Steps To Address Childcare Scarcity<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"728045\" class=\"tag-america-rescue-plan-act tag-arpa category-equity category-hunger category-poverty type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/03\/another-relief-programs-end-returns-some-oklahomans-to-food-insecurity\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/snapbenefits1.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium size-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"Another Relief Program\u2019s End Returns Some Oklahomans to Food Insecurity\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/snapbenefits1.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/snapbenefits1.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/snapbenefits1.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/snapbenefits1.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/snapbenefits1.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/03\/another-relief-programs-end-returns-some-oklahomans-to-food-insecurity\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Another Relief Program\u2019s End Returns Some Oklahomans to Food Insecurity<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"727418\" class=\"category-children category-government type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/03\/22\/these-oklahoma-communities-need-childcare-city-rules-could-make-it-harder-to-find\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Day-Care_46-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"These Oklahoma Communities Need Childcare. City Rules Could Make It Harder to Find\u00a0\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Day-Care_46-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Day-Care_46-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Day-Care_46-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Day-Care_46-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Day-Care_46-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Day-Care_46-scaled.jpg?zoom=2&amp;resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 2400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Day-Care_46-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/03\/22\/these-oklahoma-communities-need-childcare-city-rules-could-make-it-harder-to-find\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">These Oklahoma Communities Need Childcare. City Rules Could Make It Harder to Find\u00a0<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The end to pandemic emergency relief food benefits has created a domino effect \u2014 longer pantry lines and limited stock on food bank shelves. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2625365,"featured_media":728051,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"gigafact_has_fact_brief":false,"gigafact_remote_fact_brief_post_id":0,"gigafact_remote_sync_timestamp":"","gigafact_remote_sync_status":"","gigafact_remote_sync_response":"","gigafact_has_been_published":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"everlit_article_id":"artl_9QemEu7orQe","everlit_hide_embed":false,"everlit_embed_size":"","everlit_generation_settings":{"primary_voice":"65","guest_voice":"48","default_sonic_optimization":false,"default_conversation_mode":false,"default_read_alt_text":false,"default_read_urls":false,"default_publication":"pblc_lV8RK9ULW4x","intro_mixable":3,"outro_mixable":3,"intro_duration":15,"outro_duration":15,"intro_padding":3,"outro_padding":4,"default_skip_article_image":false,"is_for_subscriber":false},"_everlit_article_id":"","_everlit_hide_embed":false,"_everlit_embed_size":"","_everlit_generation_settings":[],"_everlit_content_hash":"","_everlit_metadata_hash":"9d81945fcea150d34a6caa14657f5d87","_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4943,676,33],"tags":[18689,19229],"series":[],"coauthors":[18990],"class_list":["post-728045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equity","category-hunger","category-poverty","tag-america-rescue-plan-act","tag-arpa","entry"],"fact_brief":null,"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Another Relief Program\u2019s End Returns Some Oklahomans to Food Insecurity - Oklahoma Watch<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/03\/another-relief-programs-end-returns-some-oklahomans-to-food-insecurity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Another Relief Program\u2019s End Returns Some Oklahomans to Food Insecurity - Oklahoma Watch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The end to pandemic emergency relief food benefits has created a domino effect \u2014 longer pantry lines and limited stock on food bank shelves.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/03\/another-relief-programs-end-returns-some-oklahomans-to-food-insecurity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Oklahoma Watch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OklahomaWatch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-03T11:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-05T17:10:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/snapbenefits1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ari Fife\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@OklahomaWatch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@OklahomaWatch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ari Fife\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/03\/another-relief-programs-end-returns-some-oklahomans-to-food-insecurity\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/03\/another-relief-programs-end-returns-some-oklahomans-to-food-insecurity\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ari Fife\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#\/schema\/person\/49f9e7b907aeb0bd02dbe984d0f71706\"},\"headline\":\"Another Relief Program\u2019s End Returns Some Oklahomans to Food Insecurity\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-03T11:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-05T17:10:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/03\/another-relief-programs-end-returns-some-oklahomans-to-food-insecurity\/\"},\"wordCount\":1296,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/03\/another-relief-programs-end-returns-some-oklahomans-to-food-insecurity\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/snapbenefits1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"America Rescue Plan Act\",\"ARPA\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Equity\",\"Hunger\",\"Poverty\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/03\/another-relief-programs-end-returns-some-oklahomans-to-food-insecurity\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/03\/another-relief-programs-end-returns-some-oklahomans-to-food-insecurity\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/05\/03\/another-relief-programs-end-returns-some-oklahomans-to-food-insecurity\/\",\"name\":\"Another Relief Program\u2019s End Returns Some Oklahomans to Food Insecurity - 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