Oasis Fresh Market in north Tulsa is launching a donation campaign to help feed Tulsans who rely on food stamps during the ongoing government shutdown.
AJ Johnson, founder and CEO of Oasis, launched the “What Would You Do?” campaign Monday in partnership with the Oasis Project, the grocery store’s nonprofit arm.
Johnson says each donation will go directly to funding grocery giveaways, emergency food boxes, programs to “keep the store’s lights on, shelves stocked” and security to keep families safe while shopping.
“We can’t stand on our heels and just wait for the government, because when government systems fail, communities must rise together,” Johnson told The Eagle Tuesday.
Oasis is one of the only grocery stores in north Tulsa and Johnson says “we’ve got to meet that need because it impacts so many of our customers on a daily basis.”
Funding for food stamps, formally known as theSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is being suspended Saturday, cutting benefits for more than 600,000 Oklahomans. On average, more than 116,000 people in Tulsa County relied on SNAP benefits for food assistance each month last year.
Johnson says losing food stamps will force families to decide between paying “their bills or feeding their babies.”
“So many people across so many different industries will be negatively impacted if this goes through, and how do you sleep well if you’re hungry, how do you concentrate and do well in school if you’re hungry?” Johnson said.
Tulsa City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper represents north Tulsa. She says it’s unfortunate local officials don’t have the power to feed their constituents because electeds at the federal level don’t “give a s—.”
“Our form of government is not set up for local government to feed its citizens who are in need,” Hall-Harper said. “So it is going to be incumbent upon organizations, philanthropic organizations and just people who have a heart and a willingness to give in order to help out in these dire times.”
Johnson is asking individuals, businesses, churches and civic leaders to help support the campaign.
“If it was my wife, or my kids, or my husband, my granddaughters or my grandparents, if they were dependent on a system and food that stopped and they didn’t have any other options. What would you do?”
Related: SNAP benefits are being suspended in November. These Tulsa resources could help
Click here to read more stories on SNAP benefits from The Oklahoma Eagle and Tulsa Flyer.
Ismael Lele is a Report for America corps member and writes about business in Tulsa for The Oklahoma Eagle. Your donation to match our Report for America grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting this link.
