Montoyria Jones meticulously scanned each table set up inside O’Brien Park Recreation Center for the Stored Goodness community market on a recent Friday.
It was June 26, a few days before payday for many Tulsa-area families. With about 15 minutes left before the 5 p.m. start time, a line of families had already formed outside the door, ready to make their selections.
Jones founded Stored Goodness in 2021 and has hosted the market monthly free of charge since 2023, helping families make ends meet. But this month she tried something different.
Instead of pre-packing the grocery bags for each family, they allowed people to pick their own items. Making that change cuts down on waste and gives clients a more dignified shopping experience, Jones said.
“It’s not giving the vibes as if this is a handout. It’s more of a free market with quality materials,” she said.
And with music playing and a mix of items available — from apples and oranges to rice and pasta — it felt like a grocery store experience.
Each family also walked away with pre-prepared plates of pot roast, carrots, potatoes and warmed pears.
O’Brien Park is in the unincorporated community of Turley, just outside Tulsa city limits. Data from the 2020 census shows about 2,600 people call O’Brien home, with a median household income of $42,298.
For Jones, who grew up in the area, fostering a more dignified experience was especially important. She said she understands the challenges intimately — even the hesitancy some people feel to accept help.
“I was on the other side. So, what would I want that to look like if it was me on the other side?” she told The Eagle. “A lot of people aren’t going to come out to these things because of their ego or whatever. So, that’s why I tried to create an atmosphere where you don’t feel like that. I’ve walked in these shoes. So, I know what it is.”
The north Tulsa native takes pride in being able to give back.
“When you’re from around the way and you’re in a certain position to help a community where you come from, it just hits a little different versus somebody that’s not where you come from trying to serve you,” she said.
Of the dozens of people who showed up within the first hour, some brought their small children. Others came alone.
One woman, who recently took over primary care for her grandchildren, said it was her first time checking out Stored Goodness. She was grateful for the free groceries.
That’s the type of story Nikki Daniels, Jones’ cousin and program coordinator for the market, hears often.
“They tell us about their story and we tell them ours. We’re all just a paycheck away. We’re just trying to meet a need and fill in the gap,” she said. “We’re filling a gap that financially, they can’t make ends meet at the end of the month, so this comes right on time.”
Stored Goodness is one piece of the patchwork of nonprofits helping to connect families in north Tulsa to fresh and affordable food.
But disparities aren’t just a local issue.
Credit: Shaunicy Mohammad / The Oklahoma Eagle
A 2026 report on financial hardship in Oklahoma found 15% of households statewide are living in poverty, while 28% are “asset limited, income constrained and employed” or ALICE. It means these households earn above the federal poverty level, but not enough to afford basic expenses in the county where they live.
That same report detailed how the costs of basic needs — like housing, childcare and food — often outpaced wages.
About 40 minutes into the food giveaway, the rush had slowed down. By the time the first crowd of about 50 people had cleared out, tables that once hosted bottles of Powerade drinks and bags of dry beans were mostly clear.
With about two hours left to go, Jones brought out more inventory. Partnerships with other agencies, like Food on the Move and the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, help keep items stocked.
Then, she awaited the next wave. On average, 100 families pick up groceries at the rec center each month.
Now, Jones is thinking about how much more she could do if the organization moved into a building of its own.
“We really do need our own space to do what we need to because, at this point, it’s not about capacity because we have that,” she said. “It’s the infrastructure part that we are trying to evolve.”
With additional offerings like a weekly summer feeding program for children and teens, an annual school supplies giveaway and holiday toy drive, Jones said the organization continues to welcome individual donors and volunteers.
When asked what fuels her work, she said simply: “When you’re called to do something and you answer that call, that’s just what it is.”
