As the need for food and other social services has skyrocketed during the pandemic, Catholic Charities continues to provide greater access to food across Eastern Oklahoma.
Each year, Catholic Charities programs depend on the funds raised by our annual fundraising gala, Cooking Up Compassion. In the midst of the pandemic, holding an event for such a large crowd was just not possible.
Barry Corum reflects on this past year as he sits in an empty warehouse at Catholic Charities’ main campus in North Tulsa. An upcoming renovation project has temporarily moved the food distribution to a warehouse at 59th and Mingo. Hundreds of volunteers alongside Barry stepped up since March of 2020 to serve as many as 400-600 families per day with food.
2020 was a lost year for education for many students, but not for the 101 GED/HiSET graduates of the Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma Adult Education program.
Last year, Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma served more than 70,000 people in need. Over the years, they have grown from operating a relatively humble food program into the largest provider of food to individuals in need in the entire state of Oklahoma.
On a dreary gray Saturday in late November, a group from St. Anne Church brought a dose of warmth and sunshine along with food supplies to a Broken Arrow apartment complex.The parishioners made their way through the building, stopping at the doors of residents who indicated a need for food assistance.