Hunger Free Oklahoma raises money to keep restaurants open, feed families in Tulsa

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Hunger Free Oklahoma is keeping local restaurants open, while feeding families around Tulsa during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group has raised almost $1 million for the project called Tulsa Kitchens Unite.

Restaurants are doing what they can to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

Omar Galvan, with the Blue Dome Market, said many in the industry are just happy to still have a job.

“The times that were in right now, work is very scarce,” he said. “Even being an essential to the community, like we are, there’s only so much we can do with limitations.”

Now, with the help of Hunger Free Oklahoma, Galvan said he can now guarantee his crew work for at least the next couple months.

“It was like a weight lifted off their shoulders,” he said. “Knowing that they’re not going to have to struggle to buy food for their families.”

The plan is to have local kitchens making around 30,000 meals a week.

That food will be going exclusively to Tulsa Public School families as the program gets started.

“These meals really only cost us around $4 and more than 50 percent of that money goes directly to the business overhead and paying workers,” said executive director Chris Bernard.

Bernard called this plan a win-win-win.

Using the money to keep restaurants open, all while getting food to the people who need it.

“This isn’t going to make them a ton of money, but it will keep them afloat during this crisis,” he said.

Five shops are part of the program right now and will be making more than a thousand meals each for their first delivery on April 8.

Hunger Free Oklahoma will be providing the ingredients to make the chicken breast, rice and green bean meals.

It may not be a blue dome market special, but Galvan said it’s a special knowing he’ll be able to take care of his crew for the coming weeks.

“It helps me take care of at least 13 families, as far as our corporation is concerned,” said Galvan. “Then, in turn they can take care of 1,200 families.”

Bernard said the group is looking to recruit more restaurants and donors to keep this plan going.

For more information on the project, click here.

They’re still finalizing official drop off times and locations starting on April 8.