Iron Gate Programs
COMMUNITY MEAL
Iron Gate serves a hot meal every day, 365 days a year. This is open to anyone who is hungry. Mornings start with a breakfast entree, then switch to a lunch entree. You can have as many plates as you desire. There is an open dining room space, as well as an outdoor covered patio for you to enjoy your meal.
Everyday
8:30-10:30 AM
FOOD PANTRY
Iron Gate’s grocery pantry is open on
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.
Appointment only, no walk-ins.
Pre-registration online is required. You must register for each pantry visit. Guests can get grocery assistance from our pantry once a month. This is an emergency grocery pantry. When you arrive for your pantry time, park behind our building and find the grey pantry door entrance.
For any further questions on our food pantry, contact our offices at 918-879-1702, and press option 5.
Registration is Required.
Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays
1-2:20 PM
KID’S PACKS
Iron Gate distributes quart-size bags of kid-friendly snacks to every youth who comes through our community meal line, and to families through our food pantry.
OU Food is Medicine Partnership with Iron Gate
After 18 months of planning in collaboration with the Culinary Medicine Program at the OU-TU School of Community Medicine, Iron Gate Tulsa is preparing to launch new “food as medicine” menu standards for all its prepared meal program. As Tulsa’s largest stand-alone soup kitchen, Iron Gate serves between 200-300 individuals affected by homelessness each day. Most guests are living with at least one diet-related health condition that can be exacerbated by poor nutrition.
“A critical part of this initiative was taking the time to first assess the health and nutrition needs of Iron Gate guests. In the planning stages of this project, we found that 1 in 2 Iron Gate guests are living with cardiovascular disease, mental health problems, or both. Nearly all the guests we surveyed indicated that they wanted more fresh and healthy foods on the menu,” said Marianna Wetherill, a registered dietitian and associate professor who directs the Root Cause Food Equity Research Lab at OU-Tulsa.
“We tested more than 20 new recipes and all were rated at or above guest ratings for Iron Gate’s original menu. This confirmed to us that we were on the right track in developing a therapeutic menu that all guests could enjoy,” said Chef Valarie Carter. A unique aspect of the menu re-design was the development of shelf-stable “meal bites,” which are designed to be portable and eaten later in the day when other foods may not be available. “These bites are rich in omega 3s, dietary fiber, and vitamin D--three key nutrients that are often lacking in diets of people affected by homelessness,” said Dr. Wetherill.
“We are proud to be one of the first soup kitchens in the nation to embark on an initiative like this,” said Carrie Vesely Henderson, Iron Gate’s Executive Director. “We are committed to working with other meal service providers that want to help scale this work and will be sharing many of the finalized recipes for download through our website.”
This project was supported through a grant from the Morningcrest Healthcare Foundation, Bank of America Neighborhood Champion Grant, and The Judith & Jean Pape Adams Charitable Fund.
Wellness Bites Recipes
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
Chocolate Muffin
Blueberry Muffin
Lemon Chia
Chocolate Granola
Banana Bread
Pumpkin Spice
