08/09/2026
Positive Tomorrows Positive Tomorrows got its start in 1989 as part of then mayor Ron Norick’s task force on homelessness. It was created to help children without secure housing get the records they need, enroll in local schools, and integrate into the educational system. Since then, Positive Tomorrows has occupied buildings attached to churches and the YMCA before finally, in recent years, raising enough funds to move into its own 42,000-square-foot campus. In the process, it also became a fully functioning, year-round school.
The all-year schedule is, at least in part, designed as reliable way to ensure that students get two nutritious, protein-rich meals (and a snack) five days per week, without fail. That kind of reliability around food is no small feat, given that many homeless shelters don’t allow residents to store their own groceries, and fresh fruits and vegetables are sometimes inaccessible to unhoused families—either because of the cost or because they have nowhere to prepare them.
“You can tell that some kids come in hungry in the morning because they’ll arrive and just eat everything they can. Or I’ll notice they’ll be getting sick a lot because they’re not getting the vitamins they need,” said JT Browning, the Kitchen Lead at Positive Tomorrows. About 17% of Oklahomans experience food insecurity, a rate which is sixth-highest in the nation, according to this year’s federal Household Food Security Report. At $7.25 per hour, the state’s minimum wage is also one of the lowest in the country, limiting the purchasing power of many parents. Food deserts—areas without access to fresh, healthful, and affordable food—are a common occurrence in Oklahoma, and are also cited as part of the problem.
Positive Tomorrows addresses this problem, in part by relying on a patchwork of donated food—often from local farmers—combined with food it purchases. As a result, meals can be varied, creative, and seasonal.
*Featured in our July & August Issue, on stands now. Pick up a copy for full article.
Words by Breena Kerr
📸by Charlie Neuenschwander
