ODOC inmates help assemble more than 150,000 meals for hungry children

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections joined forces with Feed the Hunger and Crossings Community Church to make a global impact, with incarcerated volunteers assembling nutritious meals for children facing food insecurity.
 
“We love working with the men and women of ODOC, “said Feed the Hunger Chief Operations Officer Scott Hahn. “Their enthusiasm and joy for this is really special.” 

Inmates at Jess Dunn Correctional Center and Eddie Warrior Correctional Center in Taft, Okla., and John H. Lilley Correctional Center in Boley, Okla., volunteered to participate in the multi-day hunger relief campaign, working alongside community partners to package meals that will be shipped overseas to children in need. 
 
“We are so grateful for the men and women who came down to be part of something bigger than themselves,” said Jeremiah Braudrick from Crossings Community Church. “They are feeding some hungry children who they’ll never meet this side of eternity.”

By helping kids they may never meet, participants were reminded that they can still make a meaningful difference in others' lives.
 
“Being incarcerated, you are separated from society,” one inmate shared. “It’s a blessing to give back. It gives us a sense of purpose.”

The collaborative effort is part of a broader initiative to fight childhood hunger by providing nutritious, shelf-stable meals to at-risk communities. For many of the incarcerated volunteers, the event offered more than an opportunity to serve – it provided a renewed sense of purpose. 

The partnership with Feed the Hunger and Crossings Community Church reflects the agency’s ongoing mission to foster positive change through volunteerism, faith-based partnerships and community engagement.
 
“The Oklahoma Department of Corrections creates opportunities that encourages rehabilitation through service,” said Kay Thompson, ODOC chief of Public Relations. “Projects like this allow incarcerated individuals to give back in a meaningful way while demonstrating compassion, teamwork and a commitment to helping others.”
 
Together, volunteers at the three correctional facilities assembled over 150,000 meals that will help feed children in Ghana and Bangladesh.