Disaster response update

As you know by now, a category 5 tornado ripped through the area just south of Oklahoma City last Monday, hitting the suburb of Moore, OK the hardest, killing 24 people, leaving dozens injured and nearly 15,000 displaced. With the help of many, the team at The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma were able to mobilize staff and volunteers to distribute food and supplies to the countless people in need in their service area.  In the last week, the true power of the Feeding America network has shown through, with offers of assistance coming from across the country. Many of food banking's national corporate partners reached out looking for ways to help those affected.  Here are just a few examples of the collaborative efforts taking
place:

• Over 40 food banks in the Feeding America network have offered to send supplies, equipment and staff to help with the recovery
• PepsiCo immediately offered to send trucks and drivers to help with food distribution
• In all, we saw dozens of truckloads of donated product from national partners roll into Oklahoma, resulting in over 1.2M pounds of much needed supplies

To handle the incoming supplies, The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma opened a new disaster relief distribution center Sunday morning to serve the Moore area. The Moore disaster relief center served their first disaster relief agency Sunday morning.  By Monday, the site was serving affected families, many with tears in their eyes because they were so glad the food bank satellite site was there.  The food bank is also working with AmeriCares to place tents at various locations for food distribution and mass feedings.  Plans are underway to help re-stock each home destroyed by the disaster with food and personal items.  And, of course, while Regional Food Bank of Oklaoma has been supporting disaster relief efforts now for a week, they continue to fill orders to all regular partner agencies in areas not affected by the storms.

To make a donation to support disaster relief:

• At the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, go here, or
• At Feeding America, go here.