TULSA, Okla. — Who would guess the simple act of seeing a hungry man and making him a sandwich would grow into a charity providing hot meals and groceries for tens of thousands?
It's how Iron Gate started. It got its start in the basement of Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Tulsa.
Word quickly spread, "If you're hungry go to the church with the iron gate which is how we got our name," said Executive Director Carrie Vesely Henderson.
Over its 46 year history, Iron Gate grew from feeding a few dozen people each week to providing 53,000 households with groceries in 2023.
Iron Gate celebrated 5 years in the latest location, right next to the Tulsa Day Center in August 2024.
What does Iron Gate do?
Every day of the year it provides a free hot breakfast.
Three days each week it hosts a food pantry where those in need can pick out what they want from shelves of donated fresh produce, pantry staples, bakery goods and more.
"To be able to walk through and pick does make a difference," said Rochelle, "because you're not gonna take what you don't want."
She depends on Iron Gate to help with groceries when her limited income forces her to choose between paying bills or buying food.
SEE MORE: Iron Gate through the years
The newest home for Iron Gate became a necessity as the need in the community grew.
A decade ago, Iron Gate needed to find a new location to expand and keep feeding neighbors in need. Finding a new space came with challenges, including community opposition for several proposed locations.
Finally, an empty lot owned by Tulsa County next to the Tulsa Day Center got community support and donations poured in to build the facility.
Henderson is grateful for support in light of our community's growing food insecurity, especially among children.
"Unfortunately," she said, "now 1 in 4 children in Oklahoma are food insecure whereas prior to the pandemic it was 1 in 5."
Iron Gate also sees a large number of people who come to the pantry in true emergencies. Henderson said about 60% of people using the pantry will only come once a year when things are dire.
The organization depends on the kindness of the community to continue their work—> see how you can help on their website..
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