TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa’s own Taylor Hanson is being inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
The spotlight is on his work founding Food on the Move, the non-profit focused on ending food deserts in Tulsa.
As a long line of people filled Tulsa Community College’s Northeast Campus parking lot, the organization passing out hundreds of bags of food is taking center stage through its founder Taylor Hanson.
“In any time of crisis that’s where you’re tested,” said Taylor Hanson. “That’s where you get to say this is who we are as a community.”
Through the longest government shutdown in history and a pause in the SNAP benefits nearly 685,000 families rely on, Food on the Move went into overdrive.
Volunteers packed bags of produce and kitchen staples.
Local News
Food on the Move volunteers prepare food bags to help families during SNAP lapse
They handed out those food bags to hundreds of hungry families last week in cars and this week on foot.
Lita Young was one of them.
“It’ll help a lot,” said Lita Young. “Everybody’s cutting back on everything.”
It’s the reason Hanson says he first started the non-profit more than a decade ago, to address the food deserts in Tulsa and put families in a better position.
“A lot of times we’re focused on that deeper impact,” said Hanson. “We want to get people to move out of the line of need and into opportunity.”
Taylor Hanson is one of the seven newest members of Oklahoma’s Hall of Fame. The class of 2025 joins less than 750 other Oklahomans over the award’s 98-year history.
“They say it’s the highest honor Oklahoma has to bestow so just hugely humbled,” said Hanson. “I think there’s not really a set of words that can summarize being able to stand alongside people you really admire, heroes.”
Taylor Hanson of course is no stranger to the spotlight. He’s a member of the popular band Hanson who we welcomed on 2 News Today in early October.
He says the distinction propels him.
“To me being honored in that way really just motivates me to do more,” said Hanson. “To live up to that example.”
Inspired by Former U.S. Ambassador Edward Perkins, Hanson says he led with service and it’s the way to move Tulsa forward.
“I think we have the heart to never settle for where we’ve been but to keep trying to improve,” said Hanson.
Since its start in 2014, Food on the Move has helped hundreds of families across our community with no signs of slowing down.
“We know that there’s still pressure for a lot of the families, so we want to have that stability of families knowing that we’re here to serve them,” said Ramal Brown, Food on the Move’s Community Outreach Coordinator.
Taylor Hanson isn’t stopping either.
“I’m hopeful that when they reflect on anything that I’ve done the story is that Oklahoma is starting to get a little bit better,” said Hanson.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- 2 News Oklahoma on your schedule | Download on your TV, watch for free. How to watch on your streaming device
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube
