Broken Arrow Schools Donate Leftover Fresh Produce To Help Feed Community

A new partnership between Broken Arrow Public Schools and the nonprofit Broken Arrow Neighbors is making a significant difference in the community.

Broken Arrow High School and Broken Arrow Freshman Academy are donating leftover fresh produce each day to Broken Arrow Neighbors. School leaders report that before this initiative, the food was simply being thrown away.

However, in the last month, Broken Arrow Neighbors has collected nearly 400 pounds of fresh produce to benefit their clients. With this month’s success, the team has high hopes for expanding the program.

“Our long-term goal is to implement this in every Broken Arrow public school,” said Trevor Myers of Broken Arrow Neighbors. "That way, every lunchroom can provide us with their fresh produce, ensuring that it's in great condition for our clients."

Myers noted that they are now serving more clients than before the pandemic, but have fewer donations than they did prior. “We use every little bit that can help,” he added.

From a resource standpoint, Myers believes this partnership is having a significant impact as they aim to distribute 20,000 pounds of produce each month to their pantry clients.