Market allows local partners to "shop" for needed items
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK / ACCESSWIRE / September 17, 2024 / Feed the Children, a leading anti-hunger organization, held a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony today for the organization's first "Partner Market." Through this program, participating local nonprofit partners can stock their community pantries and programs with the items that will have the greatest impact on the families they serve including food, essential personal care, household products and more.
The partners can choose the items needed for their community programs from Feed the Children's Oklahoma City distribution center. Through the Partner Market, Feed the Children aims to alleviate food insecurity in the community by providing shelf-stable food and essential items to support children and families. This model aims to drive impact on child hunger by testing distribution methods that provide more flexibility in the quantity and selection of product.
Currently, one in five children in Oklahoma County experience food insecurity and more than 15 percent of local families live below the poverty line. For many in the community, hunger remains a serious issue and price hikes in food, housing and energy are stretching the budgets of families to the breaking point.
"Feed the Children is committed to ending childhood hunger and each day we work to help create a world where no child goes to bed hungry," said Tamara Sandberg, Vice President of U.S. Program Development. "We are excited to launch this new program along with our incredible partners from across Oklahoma City. Together, we will be able to reach more families and serve more children right here in our own back yard."
Feed the Children's Community Partner Development team oversees the partner application process to ensure all our partners align with Feed the Children's program standards to support the community.
As part of the partner selection process, Feed the Children identified organizations that serve populations and/or geographic areas experiencing food insecurity based on a recent landscape analysis study. In the first year of the program, Feed the Children set a goal to include up to 10 participating community partners based on geographic area, population served, and capacity. Current partners include OK City Center, Sisu Youth Services, Light and Salvation Church, Pivot, City Care and the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic.
Since the soft launch of the Partner Market in August, more than 8,500 pounds of food and 6,600 pounds of supplies, personal care items and children's books have been distributed.
The nonprofit recently launched The Feed Initiative - OKC which represents a commitment to creating measurable and sustained impact on child food insecurity in Oklahoma's capital. As part of this initiative, Feed the Children will implement multiple programs that support children and their families with access to food and resources. This initiative will focus on designing and testing new, community-driven solutions to hunger. Feed the Children's Partner Market is the first program to launch as part of the Feed Initiative - OKC.
About Feed the Children
As a leading anti-hunger organization, Feed the Children is committed to ending childhood hunger. We provide children and families in the U.S. and around the world with the food and essentials kids need to grow and thrive. 
Through our programs and partnerships, we feed children today while helping their families and communities build resilient futures. In addition to food, we distribute household and personal care items across the United States to help parents and caregivers maintain stable, food-secure households. Internationally, we expand access to nutritious meals, safe water, improved hygiene, and training in sustainable living. Responsible stewards of our resources, we are driven to pursue innovative, holistic, and child-focused solutions to the complex challenges of hunger, food insecurity, and poverty.
For children everywhere, we believe that having enough to eat is a fundamental right.  
Learn how you can help create a world without childhood hunger at feedthechildren.org
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Contact Information
Carrie Snodgrass
Sr. Communications & PR Manager
[email protected]
(405) 213-9757
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SOURCE: Feed the Children