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Hunger is a real problem among Oklahoma’s children
commentary
January 17, 2024
Hunger is a real problem among Oklahoma’s children
By Joe Dorman CEO ? OICA,

OKLAHOMA CITY – There has been a great deal of news coverage regarding Oklahoma’s refusal to accept federal funds to support children who qualify for free and reduced school lunches during the summer months.

The fact is this failure will leave many Oklahoma children hungry. According to the Food Research & Action Center, the nation’s top private entity tracking hunger issues across the states, because of this refusal, more than 403,000 eligible Oklahoma children will not receive an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card for their families to receive approximately $40 per summer month when the children are not in school.

The funding would have totaled an estimated $48,360,000 in benefits which would have been distributed to our state. No matter how you describe it, that is almost $50 million that could have been pumped into Oklahoma’s economy by being spent in local grocery stores. It is our tax dollars we paid to Washington that will now go to some other state.

Arguments were made that churches and nonprofit organizations should meet the needs of hungry individuals and do more to reduce government assistance, but the needs are growing faster than support allows. Many of these private organizations operate on grants and private donations, and giving is just simply down, which puts a tremendous burden on those who can donate or volunteer, especially during the daytime hours. Some might point fingers and complain that these enrollment numbers are too high, but it is based on the income of families, just like Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP).

Data reported by KOSU show that Oklahoma had a poverty rate of 15.7% compared to the national poverty rate of 11.5%, leaving the state with the eighth highest poverty rate in the country.

Additionally, 1 in 5 Oklahoma children were living at or below the federal poverty level in 2022, which based on family size, is $14,580 for a single individual and $30,000 for a family of four. Oklahoma average income earnings are $24.49 per hour, according to Forbes Advisor, or about $50,940 annually.

Just so you know these amounts, according to the Economic Policy Institute, the average annual cost of infant care in Oklahoma is $8,576, or $715 per month per child. Childcare for a 4-year-old costs about $6,605, or $550 each month. Oklahoma is one of 33 states and the District of Columbia where infant care is more expensive than college.

Additionally, the median rent index for a two-bedroom apartment in Oklahoma City today is $1,155, according to the March 2022 rent report from Apartment List. That is more than 25% higher than the November 2020 rate used to determine the cost of living.

So, for a single parent paying for daycare for two children and rent, that is nearly $30,000, well above the poverty level for three. That leaves little if any money for food or other necessities, such as health insurance. This is why these dollars were desperately needed.

There are many children in the summer months who can participate in summer congregate feeding programs. Still, summer meals reach only a fraction of the children who rely on free and reduced-price school meals during the school year. A big reason for that is that Oklahoma is a very rural state with many people living outside the highest population density areas.

It is impossible for many children living outside town limits to travel to congregate feeding sites where food is prepared daily. Additionally, Feeding America estimates that SNAP provides nine times the number of meals provided by the overall food bank network. That is what made the EBT card solution a much better way to reach every child.

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) certainly hopes the state will reconsider this rejection of funds to support children. We encourage the Legislature to act this year to provide relief to the struggling families lawmakers represent.

Seminole survives Checotah 34-27
B:, sports
Seminole survives Checotah 34-27
By Rodney Haltom sports EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
The Seminole Chieftains were lucky to go home with a 34-27 win over the Checotah Wildcats Friday night. Checotah’s penalties that accumulated to over 100 yards. The Wildcats moved the football up and ...
Council votes to dismiss former Mayor Warren
A: Main, news
Council votes to dismiss former Mayor Warren
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
The Eufaula City Council removed former Mayor Todd Warren from the Council Monday night citing excessive absences. City minutes of past meetings presented to the Council showed that Warren missed the ...
Church celebrates 160th anniversary
A: Main, news
Church celebrates 160th anniversary
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
Decades before Oklahoma became a state in 1907; years before the first railroad track was laid in Indian Territory in 1870 and the year the Civil War ended, folks in a remote area of what is now McInt...
Mild weather, just what the festival ordered
A: Main, news
Mild weather, just what the festival ordered
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
Mayor James Hickman perhaps summarized best when he sent a letter of appreciation to Karen Weldin and the Vision Eufaula Board of Directors for one of the best Wine & Art Festivals held in the city. “...
9/11 – Never Forget
A: Main, news
9/11 – Never Forget
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
At about 7 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, I strolled into the Las Vegas Sun newsroom where I worked as an entertainment reporter. The room was quiet, a palpable feeling of dread filled the air as the f...
Margaret Floyd Homecoming Parade Marshal
A: Main, news
Margaret Floyd Homecoming Parade Marshal
September 10, 2025
Margaret Marie Vickery Floyd has been named the 2025 Eufaula High School Homecoming Parade Marshall. Born in 1927 in Ramona, she is the fourth greatgranddaughter of Chief McIntosh, and the mother of f...
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A: Main, news
Ironhead Homecoming Friday
September 10, 2025
The Homecoming Weekend kicks off Friday, Sept.12, with a Pep Assembly at the Eufaula High School Auditorium at 9:30 a.m. followed by a parade at 1 p.m. The coronation of Homecoming Royalty takes place...
New library coordinator challenges Checotah
A: Main, news
New library coordinator challenges Checotah
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
September is Library Card Sign-up Month, and so the new coordinator of Eufaula Memorial Library is taking that opportunity to challenge the Jim Lucas Checotah Public Library to a competition to see wh...
Braddock Dobbs joins School Board
A: Main, news
Braddock Dobbs joins School Board
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
Braddock Dobbs, 31, son of the late Margaret Dobbs, who was on the Eufaula School Board for 15 years, is following in his mother’s footsteps. Monday night, Aug. 8, at its monthly meeting, the Board ap...
Drillers honor Eufaula veteran
news
Drillers honor Eufaula veteran
September 10, 2025
Former Army Sp4 Timothy Pickering of Eufaula was honored recently at the Driller Stadium in Tulsa as a “Hometown Hero,” a program that honors people who have had a lasting impact on the community. Pic...
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Flea Pop-Up Market
September 10, 2025
Friday – Sunday, Sept.12-14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 210 N. Main St. Booth rental available. Call Mr. Printer at 918-689-5998, Jani at 918-839-8494 or Ricky at 918-424-9961. Prices for all three days: ...
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