The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma and Blue Cross and Blue Shield Team Up to Fight Child Hunger

TULSA, Okla. -Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma recently awarded the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma with a $55,000 Blue Impact^SM grant to help fund their Frozen Meals Program. The innovative program is the first in Feeding America's network of 200 food banks.

One in six people in Oklahoma are food insecure. The Food Bank's Frozen Meals Program aims to fight that by serving complete meals to children struggling with hunger.

"The Frozen Meals Program overcomes the barriers children face who might not know how to cook a healthy meal, have access to a stove, or be old enough to use one," said Matt Jostes, chief development officer and executive vice president.

Through the Blue Impact grant program, BCBSOK invests in and partners with non-profit organizations that offer sustainable, measurable programs to reach Oklahomans in five areas of focus, including nutrition.

With the help of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the Frozen Meals Program will expand to 45 schools, delivering nearly 100,000 meals over three years.

"As a member-owned company, we're committed to the health of all Oklahomans," said Stephania Grober, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. "We recognize that there are many factors that play a role in staying healthy and access to nutritious food is at the top of that list. Through our Blue Impact grant, we are able to team up with the Food Bank to help provide children and families with easy, healthy food."

The Food Bank's Frozen Meals Program is the first in Feeding America's network of 200 food banks. Frozen meals are prepared in the Food Bank's state-of-the-art kitchen and the complete meals are distributed to children struggling with hunger in eastern Oklahoma.

"Our school pantries will still offer dry goods and shelf-stable food, but our mission is to create complete, nutritious meals in a convenient, confidential, and dignified environment," said Jostes. "Students can take extra meals home to siblings. Nontraditional college students with families can bring meals home to their children. "

For more information about BCBSOK's Blue Impact grants, visit bcbsok.com.

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About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma
For 84 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma has been committed to meeting the health care financing needs of Oklahomans. As the state's oldest and largest private health insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma provides health care benefit plans for more than 800,000 Oklahomans. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma
The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma has been feeding the families of Eastern Oklahoma since 1981. Since then, we have built lasting relationships with farmers, retailers, and other community members. The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma distributes a lot of food. Last year, the Food Bank provided more than 25 million meals to families throughout the 24 counties we serve. As we continue the fight against hunger in eastern Oklahoma, we must provide thousands more meals to meet the increased need.