Feed the Hunger, Crossings Community Church and Oklahoma Corrections unite to fight food insecurity

Feed the Hunger, Crossings Church and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections are proud to announce a collaborative effort aimed at combating hunger in underserved communities.

"We are grateful for the partnership with Feed the Hunger and Crossings Church," said ODOC Chief of Public Relations Kay Thompson. "This initiative not only supports those in need but also provides our incarcerated individuals with an opportunity to give back, which is an important step in their rehabilitation."

This week, dedicated volunteers from Crossings Church gathered at three Oklahoma state prisons, where incarcerated individuals contributed their time and skills to assemble nourishing meals for children in Bangladesh.

“Many of these children only receive one meal a day,” Vicky Stelling with Feed the Hunger said. “And it will be packed with these willing hands. Their hands will be the last thing the food touches before it goes to feed hungry bellies on the other side of the globe.”

This remarkable initiative is part of a broader campaign to deliver 700,000 meals to families in developing nations facing starvation. The meals prepared by the incarcerated volunteers will provide critical nutrition to children in urgent need, showcasing the compassionate spirit of those within the correctional system.

“To remind them that God does not waste anything. They are valued and they are treasured,” Crossings Global Missions Pastor Angela Presley said. “God will use them to make a huge impact for people they may never meet, they may never see this side of Heaven.”

"We believe in second chances and the power of giving back,” Crossings Prison Minister Jeremiah Braudrick added. “They are an army of love. They get to be the hands and feet of Christ.”

The assembly of meals offers hope not just for recipients abroad but also for those participating in the program, reinforcing that everyone has the potential to make a positive impact.

“Being here today, I am so excited to be part of that impact,” inmate Courtney Quillen said. “It makes my heart so full, because coming into prison, we have no purpose. Today I discovered I do have purpose and I can make an impact.”

The three prisons that participated in the Feed the Hunger Pack-a-Thon were Eddie Warrior Correctional Center and Jess Dunn Correctional Center, both in Taft, Okla., and John H. Lilley Correctional Center in Boley, Okla.