Oklahoma consistently ranks among the hungriest states in America.

One in 6 Oklahomans face hunger every day, and 25 percent of children in Oklahoma have inconsistent access to food, according to a 2015 Report from the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Oklahoma also ranks among the top 10 states in the U.S. for food insecurity among seniors, with 1 in 11 senior citizens struggling with hunger.

As an Oklahoma-owned and operated company, Homeland is committed to serving our communities wherever there is need. Through our partnership with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, we are taking action against hunger by providing and distributing food to those in need.

Heroes of Hunger

Established in 1980, the Regional Food Bank serves Oklahoma as its largest private, domestic hunger-relief organization. They provide food to more than 126,000 Oklahomans every week — 47,000 of whom are children. Only 4 percent of donations go to administrative and fundraising costs, which means 96 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to feeding hungry Oklahomans.

So, how does that translate to community impact? In 2016 alone, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma distributed 52 million pounds of food and product throughout a network of more than 1,300 charitable feeding programs and schools. The Food Bank is making a massive impact on the hunger epidemic in Oklahoma, but there is still work to be done.

Corporate Responsibility

As a non-profit, the Food Bank relies heavily on the generous support and donations of local businesses and residents. Steve Kullberg, vice president of operations at the Food Bank, says that corporate involvement “is instrumental in the fight against hunger in Oklahoma.”

At Homeland, we believe that we have a unique opportunity as a retail grocery store to support the Food Bank not only with donations, but also through partnering with our vendors and customers for food drives and fundraising campaigns.

During the past three years, our partnership with the Food Bank has included the following initiatives:

1. Food Donation. Since 2014, Homeland has donated more than 1 million pounds of food to the Food Bank, providing 1,115,065 meals to Oklahoma residents.
2. Food Drives. Each year, we sponsor Feeding Hope and Letter Carriers’ Food Drive. Many of our Homeland employees also support Chefs’ Feast, one of the largest fundraisers in the region.
3. Committee Support. Phil Payment, the Homeland vice president of marketing and merchandising, serves on the Industry Relations Committee at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, offering guidance that helps bring in donations statewide.

Getting Involved

We offer plenty of ways for our customers to support our partnership with the Food Bank, including Feeding Hope & Letter Carrier’s Food Drive, Governor Mary Fallin’s Feeding Oklahoma Drive, and Produce for Kids Campaign.

In addition, the Food Bank could benefit from more corporate partners. At Homeland, our partnership with the Food Bank is woven into our company culture and team building. Here are a few ways that you can support the Regional Food Bank through corporate responsibility:

• The food bank accepts in-kind or product donations. You can also offer a donations program that is automatically deducted from employee paychecks.
• Employee Matching Gifts. Encourage your employer to match any charitable contributions made by employees. If your company is eligible, request a matching gift form from your employer. Every dollar donated will provide five meals to Oklahomans with inconsistent access to food.
• Food and Fund Drive. Host a food and fund drive at your office. The food bank will provide the supplies you need to engage your employees, including donation boxes and a personal fundraising page.
• Submit a Volunteer Group Request online to have a group from your office come out to the Regional Food Bank or one of their off-site locations.
• Tour the Regional Food Bank. Visit the Regional Food Bank for a tour, or they can send a representative to your office to share more information about the organization and how you can help.
• Cause Marketing. Partner with the Regional Food Bank to sell a good or service and donate all, or a portion, of the proceeds to the non-profit.
• The food bank has a number of sponsorship opportunities throughout the year, including events and programs.
• Office Fundraisers. Encourage employees to participate in an office fundraiser, like Jeans Days or Penny Wars, to raise funds.

Homeland is proud to support the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma in making a difference in the lives of thousands of Oklahomans that go hungry each day. To learn more about how you can get involved, contact us today.

Seven minutes, all the Made In Oklahoma Coalition products he could fit in his cart. That’s the challenge Taylor Foster was given on June 16th at his local Homeland in Muskogee.   Taylor’s wife Nikki and three of their five kids were on hand to watch Taylor sprint through the store and help make sure he got all those tasty treats like Griffin’s syrup and Hiland ice cream.

“Not so much meat Taylor, get something else!” was one of our favorite quotes from Nikki as Taylor filled their cart with Bar S hot dogs and bacon.

The Foster family won the Grand Prize seven-minute MIO shopping spree and a Kitchen Aid Mixer by shopping at Homeland and using their One Card throughout the month of April, MIO month.

The purpose of the month long contest was to draw attention to the fact that Homeland offers a wide variety of wonderful products that are made right here in Oklahoma. Many people are unaware that Oklahoma has a plethora of products made right here in our great state including, Ozarka water, Head Country Barbecue Sauce, Griffin’s, Fast Fixin’ and Viva paper towels among many others.

Taylor knew the record to beat was $780 and after all his items were scanned his total rang up at $739.47. While initially bummed he didn’t break the record a closer look revealed he had saved $110 by using his One Card meaning his grand total would have actually been $849.47, blowing the record out of the water. When we told Taylor he did in fact break the record he responded by saying, “That’s too funny! At least my kids will be proud of me.” We’re proud of you too Taylor! Congratulations on your MIO haul!

MIO Marathon 2015 from Homeland Stores on Vimeo.

HOMELAND STORES PARTNER WITH PRODUCE FOR KIDS® FOR HEALTHY EATING CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT THE REGIONAL FOOD BANK OF OKLAHOMA

Homeland produce partners unite to raise funds for hunger relief.

The healthy eating-focused Produce for Kids® campaign with Homeland stores launches May 31 and will raise funds for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s Food for Kids Program. The Produce for Kids campaign offers Homeland shoppers in-store and online meal solutions, recipes and tips for families looking to embrace healthier eating habits.

The Homeland and Produce for Kids campaign, which will run through June 30, is supported by seven participating fresh fruit and vegetable suppliers, representing every major category of fresh produce. Homeland grocery shoppers are encouraged to support these brands by eating more nutritious fruits and vegetables. Homeland shoppers can also sample simple, healthy Produce for Kids recipes at select stores on June 6.

“At Homeland, our mission is not only to provide our customers with a fresh and healthy experience every time they enter our stores, but to also create strong local communities,” said Alyson Dykstra, registered dietitian at Homeland. “We are proud to partner with Produce for Kids on an effort that encourages our shoppers to introduce fresh fruits and vegetables to their families while supporting local children in need.”

Through partnerships with Produce for Kids, Homeland and select fruit and vegetable companies have raised more than $70,000 to benefit children’s charities. Last year alone, more than $11,000 was donated to Food for Kids to fight childhood hunger in central and western Oklahoma.

In-store displays and signage, featuring characters from the popular family movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, will be displayed in Homeland produce departments and will list all participating companies. The signage will direct shoppers to www.produceforkids.com, which features more than 200 registered dietitian-approved and family-tested recipes, meal planning tools, grocery store specific campaign details, and healthy tips from real parents. Additionally, shoppers will be encouraged to share their own healthy recipes and ideas during the campaign using the hashtag #produceforkids.

Suppliers participating in the Homeland and Produce for Kids campaign include: Columbia Marketing International – Apples; Delano Farms Company – Table Grapes; Growers Vegetable Express – Green Giant® Fresh Cauliflower; Melissa’s/World Variety Produce, Inc. – Melissa’s® Dutch Yellow Potatoes; RedSun Farms® – Greenhouse Grown Tomatoes & Sweet Bell Peppers; Shuman Produce – RealSweet® Vidalia® Onions; and The Produce Exchange – Victory Garden® Greenhouse Vegetables.

“We are proud of our partnership with Homeland to educate families about the benefits of eating nutritious produce as part of a healthy lifestyle,” said John Shuman, president of Produce for Kids. “We are extremely proud of the $5 million we have raised thus far to support local children’s charities, and we are excited to partner with local Feeding America food banks, like the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, to help put an end to childhood hunger.”

Every $200 raised will support a child in Food for Kids for an entire school year. Last school year, the Regional Food Bank provided the equivalent of 2.7 million meals to chronically hungry children through Food for Kids childhood hunger programs: the Backpack Program, Kids Cafe, Summer Feeding, and School Pantries.Through the Backpack

• Program, children receive a backpack full of kid-friendly, non-perishable and nutritious food on Friday to sustain them over weekends and school holidays. Last school year, more than 18,500 students in 501 schools participated in the Backpack Program.
•  The School Pantry Program provides chronically hungry middle and high school students with food to sustain them after school and over the weekends. The School Pantry Program ended last school year serving nearly 4,800 students in 124 middle and high schools.
•  Kids Cafe and Snack Sites, an after-school and summer program provides food, mentoring, tutoring, and a variety of other activities to more than 2,600 at-risk children at 25 sites in central and western Oklahoma.

For more information about the Homeland and Produce for Kids campaign, visit www.produceforkids.com.

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Light & Fresh Potato Salad

Ingredients

1. 2 pounds Melissa’s® Dutch yellow potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2. 1 teaspoon salt, plus 1/4 tsp.
3. 1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed
4. 1 tablespoon olive oil
5. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
6. 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
7. 2 tablespoons Italian dressing
8. 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
9. 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
10. 1 can quartered artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained
11. 1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
12. 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
13. 1 package spinach

Directions

1. Add potatoes and 1 tsp. salt to medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 7-10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
2. Drain potatoes and let cool 30 minutes.
3. Cut off top bud of asparagus spears and place in bowl. Chop rest of spears into 1/4″ pieces ad add to bowl. Mix asparagus, olive oil, lemon juice and ¼ tsp. salt in bowl and allow to marinate. Add Greek yogurt, Italian dressing, mustard and pepper to bowl and stir well. Add artichokes, onion, tomatoes and potatoes and stir to coat.
4. Serve immediately on bed of spinach or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before serving.