Owasso Food Bank Collecting Donations To Help Families With Holiday Meals

Owasso Community Resources are working to make sure that no one goes hungry this holiday season and all year long.

Owasso Community Resources is continually collecting and distributing food out to families in need, and it's also doing a drive ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Randy Cowling, executive director for Owasso Community Resources said that donations have been fairly steady this year, if not just slightly up. However, he said the number of families and households in need of help has gone up roughly 70 percent. Cowling said that about 650 new families have come to Owasso Community Resources seeking food because of the rising costs of everything.

"We’re seeing a tremendous amount of growth, and of course, it’s really due to higher inflation, higher gas prices, higher food prices, higher medicines, and so they had to choose what they’re going to spend their money on, and they will come to us," Cowling said.

While more people are coming to Owasso Community Resources for help, the community has stepped up to assist as well. Schools, a band, and even libraries have participated in food drives for both general food donations and the Thanksgiving drive currently taking place.

Cowling said that getting all of the necessary food for people has been a complete team effort.

"We’ve got multiple food drives that we’ve been participating with several elementary schools here in Owasso as well as the band just a couple of weeks ago did their final performance and did a huge food drive, and then the Owasso Library has an ongoing food drive through the end of the month as we collect items for our Thanksgiving food baskets," Cowling said.

Some of the food items that Owasso Community Resources is currently looking for right now include pasta, pasta sauce, canned vegetables, beans, rice, peanut butter, and Hamburger Helper.

As for the Thanksgiving baskets, Owasso Community Resources is still in need of things like cranberry sauce and rolls. Cowling said that people can donate Thanksgiving foods up until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, but those foods won't be included in the Thanksgiving baskets which will be distributed to the families that have signed up for the baskets on the Monday before Thanksgiving at Friendship Baptist Church in Owasso.