A blog from former Tulsan and lifetime TYPros member Kristin Ware
Fourth in the Nation
Posted: Mar 1, 2011I have a confession to make: I’ve been a terrible TYPros member. There’s the obvious Tulsa sabbatical, but I’ve also had my head up my as-of-late unfit ass and didn’t even realize everything what was going on in TYPros lately. Through all the moving, remodeling, painting and not running, I’ve missed a lot of events and goings-on. The biggest thing I missed, though, was the announcement of the 2011 TYPros community partner – the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.
I’m so proud to be a part of another organization that is helping to feed those in need. After writing grants for the food bank in south Florida for two years, I know the hunger statics by heart. And honestly?
They suck. (No, I never put that in a grant application. Don’t think I didn’t want to, though.)
I typically love touting that Oklahoma is newly-ranked on some quality of life list or maybe talking about our high listing on a cost of living tally. Unfortunately, this is a ranking that we shouldn’t have: Oklahoma is ranked fourth in the nation in the number of citizens who have high food insecurity.
In normal people terms, this means that hundreds of thousands of our neighbors don’t know where their next meal is coming from. As many as 500,000 Oklahomans go hungry each day.
See? Sucks.
This is where food banks like the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma come in. Essentially, food banks are clearing houses to provide bulk food to our local soup kitchens, food pantries and homeless shelters.
When Tyson wants to donate a truckload of chicken or Prego donates 24 cases of tomato sauce, food banks take these donations and combine them with other donations or the results of canned food drives. This food is then sorted into categories that are used in making full meals for those in need.
Food banks are basically awesome.
Thanks to food donations and thousands of volunteer hours, each $1 donated to our local food bank allows them to provide seven meals. Seven! The Money Saving Queen rocks, but even she can’t make that happen.
So, I beg of you. Follow the lead of TYPros and embrace the mission of the food bank. You can donate food, money or time. I swear, I had more fun sorting food in the warehouse than I did doing my actual job. Volunteer to sort, or bring some cans of food to the March Pub Club or other TYPros events. Or, you can purchase tickets to the food bank’s Empty Bowls fundraiser on March 29 (if you volunteer at Empty Bowls, you get to enjoy the event after your shift!) For more information about how to help or other upcoming food bank events, check out www.cfbeo.org.
Do it. Or my next blog post will be 1,500 words describing even more food bank statistics to convince you. Trust me, none of us have time for that.
Home AgainPosted: 2/22/2011
While The Joe and I have been in Tulsa for a few weeks now, basking in both the snow and 70-degree weather, we haven’t actually been HOME. We’ve been mooching off of my sister and her husband during our house remodel.
Birthday MonthPosted: 2/15/2011
“Once you get to 30, you have to start being practical on your birthdays. It’s not all about the fun anymore.” – Erin Barnes, long-time friend
“You are only young once, but you can be immature for a lifetime.” - John P. Grier, a man I had to Google
Not So Super SundayPosted: 2/8/2011
Heeeeeeeere’s Kristin!
Sigh.
I know that’s super cheesy. But I’m officially back in Tulsa. Unequivocally, definitely, fo-shizzle BACK.
Frozen DreamsPosted: 1/31/2011
This is it. Moving week. I’m still not doing the best job of packing, but we do have a couple of sealed boxes and we’ve got the truck and movers scheduled over the next few days. Barring any acts of God, we will be back in Tulsa within the next few days.
Packing SucksPosted: 1/25/2011
We are mere days from leaving the fabulous state of Florida (sarcasm for $500, Alex?) and I’ve learned some important things while packing to move home. Why yes, I will share with the class.
On Second Thought…Posted: 1/19/2011
With only about two and a half weeks to go until moving day, I have to make a confession. I’ve realized that I’m actually going to miss a few things about living in South Florida. Kind of.
Pack, schmackPosted: 1/11/2011
With less than four weeks to go in Miami, my schedule is filling up. My dad is visiting this week, so I’m playing tour guide. I’m training for the marathon, working from home, looking for a job in Tulsa and helping The Joe look for a job in Tulsa. We’ve got last-chance shindigs with our Miami friends, a basketball game to go to, two cars to sell, and for me, a marathon to actually run.
The Perfect CupholderPosted: 1/4/2011
Bad news: I’m headed back to Miami. Again.
Good news: It’s the last time!
We are currently in middle-of-nowhere Arkansas during a 24-hour drive back to Hell. Yes, drive. We got a wild hair and bought a car in Tulsa.