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About This Group

Welcome to the Clothing Blessing Boxes & Closets group.

SNAP benefits have been suspended beginning Nov. 1, 2025 since federal funding did not resume, and families are expected to need help right away.

• Post a box / closet your church, school, team, or neighborhood runs
• Tell people what it currently needs (food, formula, diapers, coats)
• Tell people when it has been refilled — keep the map fresh
• Share stories of families helped (no names needed)

Recommended Items to Collect

• Food / Consumables: canned meats, peanut butter, pasta, rice, shelf-stable milk, baby food, formula, snack packs
• Household & hygiene: soap, deodorant, toothpaste, period products, wipes, cleaning basics
• Kid / school items: notebooks, pencils, hygiene kits for students
• Clothing: coats, gloves, socks, basic athletic wear, shoes (please label sizes)
• Sport & activity items: gently used cleats, practice shirts, PE wear — helps kids stay active even when food is tight

Please date and label homemade or short-shelf-life items.

Where to Get Help Right Now (Oklahoma)

• Dial 2-1-1 or visit 211Oklahoma.org for the closest pantry, meal site, rental help, or utility help.
• Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (western OK) – zip-code food finder, Moore FRC, and emergency distributions.
• Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma (Tulsa / eastern 24 counties) – pantry finder + help applying for SNAP later.
• Hunger Free OK Food Resource Tool – shows school meals, WIC, summer meals, and pantries.
• Check your EBT balance and budget it – OKDHS said you can use already-loaded funds, but future loads are uncertain.

Places to Donate / Seek Donations

1. From the community: find them at your local churches, food banks, missions and others.
2. Posting a photo + location in this group (street, city, hours, and what it needs) can greatly help others seeking assistance.
3. Use SNAP-friendly items: shelf stable, low-sodium, kid-ready, pull-tab cans.
4. Tag your post: #food #hygiene #clothing #forKids.
5. Tell people when it’s empty so another member can refill it.

Oklahoma Partners to Follow

• Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS): official SNAP status updates.
• Governor / Legislature food-bank funding updates – state is considering weekly support for food banks during the shutdown.
• Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
• Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma
• Local churches & tribal programs – many will do short-term boxes while SNAP is paused.

National Donation & Mutual Aid Ideas

If the shutdown keeps going, we expect more families to lean on community boxes even if a judge orders partial SNAP to continue.

• Ask local businesses to sponsor a box (hardware store, gym, youth league)
• Link to national orgs like Feeding America and Blessing Box / Little Free Pantry networks
• Set up a “refill day” on GT All Sports so teams can serve together
• Share USDA/FNS updates when benefits start again so families know when to switch back to EBT