COVID-19
Since March 18, 2020,
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Loaves & Fishes NWOK is open
and will remain so through this crisis.
For detailed information about our Drive-Thru Box Distribution,
please visit our “Get Food” page.
please visit our “Get Food” page.
COVID-19 has exacerbated the food insecurity issue throughout northwest Oklahoma. As our community responds to the pandemic, families are adjusting to a new normal. And for some in our 10-county service area, that new normal is hunger. Many community members who have never needed to come to Loaves & Fishes for help still need assistance – and the seniors, children and families who rely on our services need us more than ever. Some hardworking people are left with fewer hours of work each week or no job at all. Others are back to work, but still adjusting for the income they have lost.
Since mid-March, we have consistently distributed more food throughout our service area than ever before. We have distributed over a quarter of a million pounds of food in the last six months.
Nearly half of all working Americans suffered a job or wage loss due to COVID-19. Our community was hit hard, and more people who never expected to need food assistance found themselves turning to Loaves & Fishes NWOK and other agencies in our community for help. From Enid to Longdale to Nardin*, we see a continued increase of need. With on-going support from our generous donors, Loaves & Fishes will be here for as long as it takes – masked, gloved, and experiencing more and more organizational records as we distribute food to thousands of people in desperate need.
We have shifted operations to meet an increased need for food while prioritizing the safety of our clients, volunteers, and staff. Our small staff are continuing to report to our building every day to do the work that is needed to be able to serve our clients. Volunteers are helping too. We are practicing safe distancing and taking precautionary sanitation measures to keep volunteers & staff as safe as possible per CDC guidelines.
We have implemented a frequent schedule for cleaning and disinfecting our individual workstations and common use spaces. We are also supporting the health and safety of our volunteers and staff by requiring everyone who enters our building at any time to wear a mask for the entire time that they are inside our building and holding all meetings online or in large meeting rooms offsite (and requiring those who attend to social distance & wear a mask).
Together, we are changing lives and making a big impact on our neighbors facing food insecurity during this crisis.
Loaves & Fishes has distributed more food to more people in the past nine months than in any nine-month period in our history. We’re finding ways to navigate the ever-changing landscape of this pandemic.
Here’s a summary of our efforts since this crisis began:
At times like this, people rise together, and we need your help to continue showing up for our community. We need your help to ensure that no Oklahoman has to go without food during this crisis. To learn about volunteer opportunities, please visit our “Volunteer” page.
We know things will get better. We just don’t know when. We do plan on going back to our client-choice model once it is safe to have a high volume of clients, volunteers, & staff in our building again. And until that time comes, Loaves & Fishes will continue to be here for our neighbors facing hunger.
*For a complete list of the communities that we serve, please visit our “Get Food” page.
Since mid-March, we have consistently distributed more food throughout our service area than ever before. We have distributed over a quarter of a million pounds of food in the last six months.
Nearly half of all working Americans suffered a job or wage loss due to COVID-19. Our community was hit hard, and more people who never expected to need food assistance found themselves turning to Loaves & Fishes NWOK and other agencies in our community for help. From Enid to Longdale to Nardin*, we see a continued increase of need. With on-going support from our generous donors, Loaves & Fishes will be here for as long as it takes – masked, gloved, and experiencing more and more organizational records as we distribute food to thousands of people in desperate need.
We have shifted operations to meet an increased need for food while prioritizing the safety of our clients, volunteers, and staff. Our small staff are continuing to report to our building every day to do the work that is needed to be able to serve our clients. Volunteers are helping too. We are practicing safe distancing and taking precautionary sanitation measures to keep volunteers & staff as safe as possible per CDC guidelines.
We have implemented a frequent schedule for cleaning and disinfecting our individual workstations and common use spaces. We are also supporting the health and safety of our volunteers and staff by requiring everyone who enters our building at any time to wear a mask for the entire time that they are inside our building and holding all meetings online or in large meeting rooms offsite (and requiring those who attend to social distance & wear a mask).
Together, we are changing lives and making a big impact on our neighbors facing food insecurity during this crisis.
Loaves & Fishes has distributed more food to more people in the past nine months than in any nine-month period in our history. We’re finding ways to navigate the ever-changing landscape of this pandemic.
Here’s a summary of our efforts since this crisis began:
- We temporarily changed our distribution model, creating a drive-thru box distribution system that allows us to distribute large quantities of food, safely to more people. This boxed food distribution model allows clients to stay in their cars, and volunteers and staff to ensure social distancing.
- We are learning how to do more with less. We, along with food pantries all across the country, have figured out a way to serve more clients with less volunteers. We are able to provide clients with more food in less time.
- Our dedicated volunteers and staff are making it possible to achieve all kinds of ‘firsts’ and ‘mosts.’ The first 2 days of our drive-thru box distribution, we distributed over 17,000 pounds of food. That’s the most we have ever done in 2 days!
- On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we served 223 households (or to say it another way, 642 individuals). That was the busiest day in our history. Before COVID struck, we would average 220 households a week.
At times like this, people rise together, and we need your help to continue showing up for our community. We need your help to ensure that no Oklahoman has to go without food during this crisis. To learn about volunteer opportunities, please visit our “Volunteer” page.
We know things will get better. We just don’t know when. We do plan on going back to our client-choice model once it is safe to have a high volume of clients, volunteers, & staff in our building again. And until that time comes, Loaves & Fishes will continue to be here for our neighbors facing hunger.
*For a complete list of the communities that we serve, please visit our “Get Food” page.
May 1, 2020
In response to the COVID19 pandemic, on March 18th Loaves & Fishes switched from our Client Choice food pantry model to a Drive-Thru Box Distribution. Some of our regular volunteers have been able to continue donating their time, but many have had to step away for volunteering until the COVID19 pandemic ends. We have been fortunate to have many new volunteers come on board to help us in our efforts to provide grocery assistance to our neighbors in need.
Since March 18th, we have had 127 volunteers donate 1,445 hours to Loaves & Fishes. Volunteers have helped to unload trucks, sort donations, stock our shelves, pack boxes, package dairy, produce, meat, & bread in bags to hand out to clients, and worked outside in our parking lot to distribute the food directly into clients’ vehicles. Our volunteers have helped us to distribute 87,111 pounds of food to our clients in just 7 weeks.
We’ve served 1,501 unduplicated households (or 3,277 people) since switching to the Box Distribution model. 29% of those clients were new clients who never received assistance from Loaves & Fishes before.
Loaves & Fishes has plenty of food, and boxes. We will continue to distribute food to our client in our drive-thru box distribution model until we feel that is safe to have clients come in to our building to shop for themselves.
Since March 18th, we have had 127 volunteers donate 1,445 hours to Loaves & Fishes. Volunteers have helped to unload trucks, sort donations, stock our shelves, pack boxes, package dairy, produce, meat, & bread in bags to hand out to clients, and worked outside in our parking lot to distribute the food directly into clients’ vehicles. Our volunteers have helped us to distribute 87,111 pounds of food to our clients in just 7 weeks.
We’ve served 1,501 unduplicated households (or 3,277 people) since switching to the Box Distribution model. 29% of those clients were new clients who never received assistance from Loaves & Fishes before.
Loaves & Fishes has plenty of food, and boxes. We will continue to distribute food to our client in our drive-thru box distribution model until we feel that is safe to have clients come in to our building to shop for themselves.
April 24, 2020
To all of our warehouse & pantry volunteers who we haven’t seen since the #COVID19 pandemic began, we miss you!
We have received many sweet notes and generous donations, but we just want you to know that we miss your smiling faces! We miss you and can’t wait until we’re back in the pantry together again. Even though we are apart, we still need you!
Join our Virtual Volunteer program! You can help us spread the word about fighting hunger and feeding hope from the comfort of your home. Loaves & Fishes would love to have your help to spread the word about fighting hunger and feeding hope during the pandemic and beyond! Become a #VirtualVolunteer and use your network of family, friends and co-workers to connect our mission with new supporters interested in fighting hunger in northwestern Oklahoma. It’s easy. All you have to do is like and share our social media posts to help us reach more people. That’s it.
Until we’re back together again, know that we miss you, stay safe and wash your hands.
Lots of Love,
Lydia, Katie, Justin, Melanie, & Kylie
We have received many sweet notes and generous donations, but we just want you to know that we miss your smiling faces! We miss you and can’t wait until we’re back in the pantry together again. Even though we are apart, we still need you!
Join our Virtual Volunteer program! You can help us spread the word about fighting hunger and feeding hope from the comfort of your home. Loaves & Fishes would love to have your help to spread the word about fighting hunger and feeding hope during the pandemic and beyond! Become a #VirtualVolunteer and use your network of family, friends and co-workers to connect our mission with new supporters interested in fighting hunger in northwestern Oklahoma. It’s easy. All you have to do is like and share our social media posts to help us reach more people. That’s it.
Until we’re back together again, know that we miss you, stay safe and wash your hands.
Lots of Love,
Lydia, Katie, Justin, Melanie, & Kylie
March 26, 2020
In our efforts to respond to the rising need caused by COVID-19, Loaves & Fishes has distributed 34,033 pounds of food to 661 households in the last 6 days. Yes, you read that sentence correctly. We distributed 34,033 pounds of food to 661 households in the last 6 days!
We want assure all of our clients and neighbors in need that we have a strong relationship with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and have a steady supply of food to distribute. As a partner agency of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, we are considered part of the essential critical infrastructure workers by Homeland Security and the state of Oklahoma and will continue to operate when non-essential businesses are forced to close.
We need support and assistance from our community no more than ever. Because of the rising numbers of clients served and the increased amount of food distributed we are in need of financial donations now more than ever. We are still able to provide a family with a month’s worth of groceries for just $34, please consider donating on our website (click here). In addition to financial donations, we also need volunteers. If you are healthy and able to volunteer please email us to sign up to volunteer (melanie@loavesandfishesnwok.org).
We want assure all of our clients and neighbors in need that we have a strong relationship with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and have a steady supply of food to distribute. As a partner agency of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, we are considered part of the essential critical infrastructure workers by Homeland Security and the state of Oklahoma and will continue to operate when non-essential businesses are forced to close.
We need support and assistance from our community no more than ever. Because of the rising numbers of clients served and the increased amount of food distributed we are in need of financial donations now more than ever. We are still able to provide a family with a month’s worth of groceries for just $34, please consider donating on our website (click here). In addition to financial donations, we also need volunteers. If you are healthy and able to volunteer please email us to sign up to volunteer (melanie@loavesandfishesnwok.org).
March 17, 2020
Loaves & Fishes NWOK’s response to COVID-19:
The health, safety and well-being of our volunteers, clients and staff is the number one priority of Loaves & Fishes of Northwest Oklahoma as we face these uncertain circumstances. We also remain committed to feeding our hungry neighbors during this pandemic and doing all we can to lift up those who are in need.
It is with this in mind that Loaves & Fishes has made the decision to be proactive and move to boxed food distribution. In an effort to create fewer social interactions, pre-packed boxes of food will be handed out in a drive-thru setting in our parking lot.
Normal shopping in our pantry will temporarily stop, and boxes will be the sole way of food distribution until the risk of infection has passed, but Loaves & Fishes NWOK will still aim to provide fresh produce, meat and dairy items to our clients.
We’d like to encourage anyone who is healthy and who feels comfortable to consider volunteering. It’s a difficult time to ask for help, but with a small staff tasked with overseeing distribution, we will likely need 10-15 volunteers each day. If you are able to work with us please reach out to L&F at 580-540-9830.
We would ask our community to be understanding and kind to one another as we weather this pandemic together. Our Loaves & Fishes team is determined to continue providing food while still taking necessary measures that are in the best interest of clients, volunteers and staff.
The health, safety and well-being of our volunteers, clients and staff is the number one priority of Loaves & Fishes of Northwest Oklahoma as we face these uncertain circumstances. We also remain committed to feeding our hungry neighbors during this pandemic and doing all we can to lift up those who are in need.
It is with this in mind that Loaves & Fishes has made the decision to be proactive and move to boxed food distribution. In an effort to create fewer social interactions, pre-packed boxes of food will be handed out in a drive-thru setting in our parking lot.
Normal shopping in our pantry will temporarily stop, and boxes will be the sole way of food distribution until the risk of infection has passed, but Loaves & Fishes NWOK will still aim to provide fresh produce, meat and dairy items to our clients.
- Loaves & Fishes will be closed today, March 17th, in order to prepare boxes.
- Beginning tomorrow, March 18th, we will have a drive-thru set up in our parking lot and will be offering clients an estimated 2 weeks’ worth of food, including bread, meat, produce and dairy (as available).
- Starting March 18th, our drive-thru will be open during the following times:
- Tuesdays 3pm-6pm (L&F is not open 3/17)
- Wednesdays 1pm-4pm
- Thursdays 3pm-6pm
We’d like to encourage anyone who is healthy and who feels comfortable to consider volunteering. It’s a difficult time to ask for help, but with a small staff tasked with overseeing distribution, we will likely need 10-15 volunteers each day. If you are able to work with us please reach out to L&F at 580-540-9830.
We would ask our community to be understanding and kind to one another as we weather this pandemic together. Our Loaves & Fishes team is determined to continue providing food while still taking necessary measures that are in the best interest of clients, volunteers and staff.
March 16, 2020
Currently, Loaves & Fishes NWOK is doing our usual operations and pantry hours, but we have taken extra steps to ensure the cleanliness of our building and have made additional hand sanitizer and cleaning products available.
Our priority is providing groceries to those who are food-insecure, but we must also keep in mind the well-being of our volunteers and staff. L&F will continue to closely monitor the CDC and WHO for the latest updates, as well as the state and local health departments. If it becomes impossible to safely host our client-choice food pantry, our Leadership will make informed and rational decisions about how to best proceed.
Our priority is providing groceries to those who are food-insecure, but we must also keep in mind the well-being of our volunteers and staff. L&F will continue to closely monitor the CDC and WHO for the latest updates, as well as the state and local health departments. If it becomes impossible to safely host our client-choice food pantry, our Leadership will make informed and rational decisions about how to best proceed.