House Tour Benefits Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless
 
The Day Center is proud to once again partner with the Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa in this year’s Remodeled Tulsa Tour. The Tour is Tulsa’s only showcase of recently remodeled homes by members of the HBA’s Remodelers Council. The 13th Annual Tour will take place September 15th and 16th and will showcase five homes remodeled by The Buckingham Group, Grant Homes, Masterpiece Renovations, and Brian D. Wiggs. Two of the homes on the tour are located in South Tulsa and three homes are located in Mid-Town.

The HBA kicks off the weekend with the Patron Party which will take place Thursday evening, September 13th. The event will take place at the historic Campbell Hotel located on Route 66. The party will feature a silent auction, gift card pull, and an exciting new opportunity with the raffle of a bathroom remodel in your home. Tickets for the Patron Party are $40 and can be purchased through the HBA. Please call Sharon Catalano at 918.556.6425 or via email at scatalano@tulsadaycenter.org for more information.

Tickets for the tour are $10 and can be purchased at the door of each Tour home. Look for the official guide in the September issue of TulsaPeople Magazine and visit the HBA’s website for further details www.tulsahba.com

Tulsa Media Personalities to Help Strike Out Homelessness

The Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless announced today team rosters for the sixth annual Home Run for the Homeless slated for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 31 at ONEOK Field. Players are stepping up to the plate to help raise a goal of $75,000 to strike out homelessness.

More than two dozen professionals from local television and radio stations, print and online publications – plus public information officers from the Tulsa’s Police and Fire Departments – will be playing. They have already started competing online at www.homerunforthehomeless.org

2012 Home Run for the Homeless Rosters
Green Team Orange Team
Abbie Alford, KOKI Channel 23 Cary Aspinwall, Tulsa World
Dan Bewley, KOTV Channel 6 Jim Carey, KWEN 95.5 FM
Liz Bryant, KJRH Channel 2 Natalie Cash, KWEN 95.5 FM
Julie Chin, Media Consultant Brent Douglas, KMOD 97.5 FM
Janna Clark, KOKI Channel 23 Gavin Elliot, Urban Tulsa Weekly
Mike Collier, KTUL Channel 8 Tom Gilbert, Tulsa World
Kristin Dickerson, KTUL Channel 8 Bruce Howard, TU Sports
George Flickinger, KJRH Channel 2 Sunny Leigh, KVOO 98.5 FM
Charlie Hannema, KOTV Channel 6 Jennie Lloyd, Urban Tulsa Weekly
Lacie Lowry, KOTV Channel 6 Pat Macek, The Sports Animal 97.1 FM
Frank Mitchell, KTUL Channel 8 Steve McDonald, KRMG
Jeremy Moore, Tulsa Fire Department Mary Moore, KMOD 97.5 FM
Burt Mummolo, KTUL Channel 8 Shannon Muchmore, Tulsa World
Sharon Phillips, KOKI Channel 23 Chris Plank, 1430 AM The Buzz
Taft Price, KJRH Channel 2 Jeremie Poplin, 1430 AM The Buzz
Michael Seger, KOKI channel 23 Paul Smith, TU and the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jason Willingham, Tulsa Police Department Phil Stone, KMOD 97.5 FM
Mike Wolfe, SportsNight Oklahoma Nina Valente, KRAV 96.5 FM
  Kevin Ward, The Sports Animal 97.1 FM
  Dave Weston, KRAV 96.5 FM


Gates at ONEOK Field will open at 6 p.m. and the game will start at 7 p.m.  Kids 12 and under get in free and can run the bases! The Kid’s Zones and new Splash Pad will be open thanks to the Tulsa Drillers. Already nearly $40,000 has been raised to support operations and programs at the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. 

About the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless :  An average of 400 people seek shelter and services each day at the Day Center, which seeks to protect the dignity of each person by providing food, warmth, shelter and safety to meet immediate and pressing needs.  The Day Center also provides night shelter, case management, a free Nurses' Clinic, showers, restrooms, telephones, Community Voice Mail, a clothing room, mail services and a locked storage area. Eight case managers work one on one with clients to remove barriers to self-sufficiency. The Nurses' Clinic provides urgent care, TB testing, vision screening, health education and referrals to other health care resources. Tulsa's only day-time shelter, The Day Center is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit organization that was founded in 1986.




Fleet Feet and Embassy Suites Raise $19,000 for Day Center!
 
The Day Center for the Homeless is grateful to Tim and Lori Dreiling and their staff of Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa and Mindy Layon and her staff of Embassy Suites Tulsa for their generous donation of $19,000.

The Day Center was selected as the beneficiary of this year's 5K race and fun run held on November 25th. Additional thanks to all of the corporate sponsors and numerous volunteers who helped make this year's Turkey Trot a success.





Candle Light Memorial for Homeless Set for Dec. 21
 
On December 21, 2011, the longest night of the year, the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless will host a Memorial Service and pay homage to those homeless individuals who have lost their lives while living on the streets.  These real people with real stories often go unnoticed in their deaths.
 
The Day Center will join with organizations nationwide on the National Memorial Day for Homeless People, to help bring awareness to the national tragedy of homelessness.

 





Help Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless win $10,000 in the Cox Connects Community Challenge!
 
Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless has been selected as a finalist in the second annual Cox Connects Foundation Community Challenge. We are among 20 local nonprofits participating in this online voting contest to receive a $10,000 grant from the Cox Connects Foundation in December. The nonprofit that receives the most ballots and online votes will be the winner.
 
We need your help to win the $10,000 grant!
 
Voting begins on Monday, November 28 and will continue through Sunday, December 11. You can find the voting poll by visiting www.facebook.com/coxoklahoma or www.coxconnectsok.com beginning Monday, November 28. Those without internet access may pick up a ballot at any Cox Solutions Store location.
 
Voting is limited to one vote per person, per day at each voting site. You must be 18 years of age or older to vote. Again, voting begins on Monday, November 28. Please vote early and vote often to help us win $10,000, and encourage your friends and family to get involved in the voting, too!


Rock for the Homeless Set for Dec. 19

National touring artists Stars go Dim will headline “Rock for the Homeless” concert Dec. 19 at the historic Cain’s Ballroom in downtown Tulsa, benefitting the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless and several other nonprofits that serve homeless individuals.
 

The event will also features a volunteer fair and a goods drive where new items (socks, hats, gloves and toiletries) can be donated for homeless men and women.
 
Concert admission is $15 with ticket sales being handled through Pro-Tix. Each of the four benefit organizations (Day Center, John 3:16, Iron Gate and Youth Services) will receive proceeds of the event.
 
Tickets will be available at 17 locations throughout the area including Reasor’s stores, Ida Red on Brookside, Cains and Starship Records. Several local schools and civic organizations are also participating by bringing groups.

For more information visit www.rockforthehomeless.org
 


Wal-Mart Foundation Helps the Day Center


The Day Center was recently the recipient of $50,000 in grant funds from the Wal-Mart Foundation for our Free Nurses’ Clinic. The grant will continue to allow access to healthcare for Tulsa’s homeless population by providing low barrier access to medical services and coordinating with hospitals, medical schools and area agencies. Thank you Wal-Mart for helping Tulsa’s homeless live better.

 
Warmth Wednesdays at Winterfest 2011 Benefit Day Center

The Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless will be the beneficiary of Warmth Wednesdays during Winterfest 2011 thanks to the BOK Center and Magellan Midstream Partners
 
Patrons to Winterfest will be invited to skate for half price with the donation of coats, scarves, mittens/gloves and hats for the Day Center. In 2010, generous Tulsans donated 470 pairs of gloves, 210 hats, 150 coats and blankets that were given to Day Center clients.
 
Arvest Winterfest is presented with the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation in downtown Tulsa just south of the BOK Center from November 25 through January 2.
 
The month-long celebration will include outdoor ice skating, photographs with “Segway Santa,” a towering Christmas Tree, horse and carriage rides, delicious concessions and free holiday entertainment on the ONEOK Stage. New enhancements include an expanded holiday market and a new climate-controlled seating and hospitality tent.
 
 
Whole Foods Offers Reusable Bag Bonus

Whole Foods at 41st Street and Peoria Avenue in Tulsa is offering a special deal every time a shopper brings in a reusable bag.
 
For every reusable bag that is brought in, a 10 cent donation will be made to the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. The last time Whole Foods offered the program, more than $1,244 was raised for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
 
Support the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless by shopping with reusable bags today! 

 
Celebrity Media Personalities Have Big League Spirit!
Can They Hit a $75,000 Home Run?
 
The Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless announced today team rosters for the fifth annual Home Run for the Homeless slated for 7 p.m. June 9 at ONEOK Field. Players are stepping up to the plate to help raise a goal of $75,000 to strike out homelessness.

More than two dozen professionals from local television and radio stations, print and online publications – plus public information officers from the Tulsa’s Police and Fire Departments – will be playing. They have already started competing online at www.homerunforthehomeless.org
 
 
Green Team – TV
Abbie Alford, KOKI Channel 23
Dan Bewley, KOTV Channel 6
Danny Cahill, Biggest Loser
Janna Clark, KOKI Channel 23
Julie Chin, KJRH Channel 2
Mike Collier, KTUL Channel 8
Kristin Dickerson, KTUL Channel 8
Lacie Lowry, KOTV Channel 6
Matt McCoy, OU football standout
Frank Mitchell, KTUL Channel 8
Jeremy Moore, Tulsa Fire Department
Burt Mummolo, KTUL Channel 8
Justin Wilfon, KJRH Channel 2
Mike Wolfe – SportsNight Oklahoma
 
Orange Team – Radio/Writers
Cary Aspinwall, Tulsa World
Jim Carey, K95.5 FM
Natalie Cash, K95.5 FM
Brent Douglas, KMOD 97.5 FM
Tom Gilbert, Tulsa World
Bruce Howard, TU Sports
Sunny Leigh, KVOO 98.5 FM
Mary Moore, KMOD 97.5 FM
Chris Plank, 1430 AM The Buzz
Jeremie Poplin, 1430 AM The Buzz
Phil Stone, KMOD 97.5 FM
Nina Valente, Mix 96.5 FM
Dave Weston, Mix 96.5 FM
 
Jason Willingham, Tulsa Police Department
Gates at ONEOK Field will open at 6 p.m. and the game will start at 7 p.m. Kids of all ages get in free and can run the bases! The Kid’s Zones will be open thanks to the Tulsa Drillers. Already about $56,000 has been raised to support operations and programs at the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. This year’s event honors Tulsa Police Officer Jennifer Mansell (1962-2011), a friend of the Day Center.
Home Run for the Homeless, the Tulsa Day Center’s biggest fundraiser of the year, set a new record thanks to the generosity of sponsors, celebrity players and fans.
 
The annual softball game pits local media personalities against each other in competitions on and off the field. This year, KMOD’s Mary Moore and Tulsa World’s Cary Aspinwall received trophies for raising the most money of any individual. On the field, the TV team set a new milestone when it beat the Radio team in softball for the first time ever.
 
Plans are already underway for Home Run for the Homeless 2011. Stay tuned for details!












Permanent Supportive Housing Program Announced

Tulsa, OK – The Tulsa Day Center has announced that it is seeking input and support from city and neighborhood leaders for a permanent supportive housing program to be built in Tulsa with services to help people live more stable, productive lives.

Modeled after the country’s best supportive housing programs, Hudson Villas will provide a safe and healthy permanent home to about 60 individuals. The program will help end the cycle of chronic homelessness, which is a critical and costly issue for the City of Tulsa, social services agencies, hospitals and medical centers. The largest factor contributing to this issue continues to be an extreme lack of affordable housing in Tulsa.

“We know many homeless people who, when given the opportunity, can live successfully in permanent supportive housing and break free from the cycle of chronic homelessness,” said Sandra Lewis, executive director of the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. “Programs like the Hudson Villas will present a significant annual cost savings to the City and reduce the cost and work burden to numerous social services agencies in the Tulsa community.”

Hudson Villas will be supported through a combination of private donations from local foundations and grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It will be managed by the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless.

The construction of Hudson Villas is proposed on vacant land near 11th Street and Hudson Ave. Officials from the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless have met with city and neighborhood leaders and are working diligently to integrate Hudson Villas into the existing neighborhood.

“In the last month we’ve met with Councilor Maria Barnes and other neighborhood representatives to listen to their input and incorporate it into our plans as we move forward,” said Lewis. “One of our top priorities is to ensure that Hudson Villas is a good neighbor and becomes an asset to the neighborhood.”

Permanent supportive housing provides a long-term solution to chronic homelessness that produces positive results for residents and our community. Hudson Villas is modeled after best practices endorsed by the Corporation for Supportive Housing.

 

Rain or shine:

Spring event features music, fun

Lyrics on the Lawn is a fun, family-friendly event benefiting the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless.

The Eighth Annual Lyrics on the Lawn will be Sunday, April 18, 2010 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the H.A. Chapman Green at Sixth and Main Streets, in downtown Tulsa. Adult tickets are $10, Children under 12 are $5.

Lyrics on the Lawn will again feature Cindy Cain, Annie Ellicott and Rebecca Ungerman. Kids’ activities include balloon art by Dustin Reudelhuber and face painting. Food and Beverages will be available for purchase.

Bring your lawn chair or blanket and join us for a fun, relaxing event for a great cause.

Click here to buy tickets online by donating $10 for each adult ticket and $5 for each kid (under 12) ticket. Thank you for your donation and enjoy the event!

You can also call or write to:

Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless
415 W. Archer Street
Tulsa, OK  74103
918-583-5588

 
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Alana Hughes
Director of Administration
918.591.1074
ahughes@schusterman.org

LIGHTS ON! PHILANTHROPIC PROGRAM BRIGHTENS SIX TULSA NONPROFITS
Presents $50,000 grants to organizations that are serving those most in need
 
Tulsa, OK—December 15 – The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation (CLSFF) will present grants of $50,000 each to six nonprofit organizations that are providing direct services in the Tulsa area. The program, called "Lights On!," is designed to help the organizations that most efficiently provide for basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter to the community.

"We looked for organizations that are positioned to serve the greatest number of Tulsans who are most in need," said Lynn Schusterman, chair of the Tulsa-based foundation. "'Lights On!' celebrates the community spirit of these organizations. During the holidays, the whole city is lit with this spirit and we hope this program will help make the city a brighter place throughout the year."

The selected agencies that will receive the grants are:
1. Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma
2. Emergency Infant Services
3. Neighbors Along the Line
4. Neighbor for Neighbor
5. Meals on Wheels of Metro Tulsa
6. Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless

In its second year, "Lights On!" provides one-time, end-of-year grants to local organizations to assist them with their operating costs. These gifts are chosen by the CLSFF and require no application.

About the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation
The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation was established in 1987 with a mission to spread the joy of Jewish living, giving and learning throughout the world. In Tulsa, the foundation strives to improve the quality of life through investments that seek to eradicate and prevent child abuse, support education and develop young leaders through community service projects.

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Tulsa Day Center Needs Volunteers, Clothing & Food for the Holidays

Volunteers and donations are a year-round need at the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. But during the holidays there are several special projects where we could use the giving spirit of Tulsa area residents.

Please contact Debra Dester at 556-6418 or ddes...@tulsadaycenter.org about the following opportunities:

• Holiday Lights Installation – Bring the colorful warmth of the holidays to the Tulsa Day Center by decorating our courtyard with lights. Help make the outside of our building as festive as the inside.

• Holiday Crafts - Come with craft supplies and holiday smiles. Please bring enough to make 25-30 ornaments, cards or other decorations.

• Be Santa to Someone Special! Treat one of our housed clients(mostly single adults, but some families) to the holiday they wouldn't have without you! You will receive a Wish List for each person or family that has been nominated by a Case Manager.

• Rise & Shine! Help us collect 150 of these items so the folks who wake up here on December 25th will have a special breakfast: flavored oatmeal packets, fruit cups or fruit, muffins, milk, sugar, sweetener, juice, hot cocoa packets and decaffeinated coffee.

• Holiday Buddies – Come be a friend for a day. We need child-friendly helpers to play with our kids during Christmas break. Bring a toy car, truck or hand-held game and make a kid’s day.

• Let There Be Light! Let there also be water, heat and the staff to serve our clients all year long! Honor friends and family this holiday with a donation in their name and a holiday card you may send out acknowledging your gift.

• Clothing needs – For our children we need diapers and wipes and clothing size 18 months through size 14. We also need men and women’s clothing, coats, jackets, shoes, scarves, hats, gloves, warm shirts, sweaters, jeans and warm pants.



Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless Awarded $1.4 million in federal funds

Rental aid marked for people facing sudden financial crisis
 

October 2, 2009

Tulsa, Okla. – The Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless today announced that it was awarded $1.4 million in federal funds to rapidly re-house families and individuals who fall into homelessness, or to prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place. The Tulsa Day Center is partnering with 11 other agencies in the community to distribute the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) funds to eligible families and individuals for short- and medium-term rental and utility assistance.

“We are honored that the Tulsa Day Center was selected for this grant, which will separately fund a new program on top of our core services that help  those in need in our city on a daily basis,” said Tulsa Day Center Executive Director, Sandra Lewis. “In this economic crisis, this much-needed federal assistance will help us assist our neighbors who have hit a bump in the road and are on the brink of homelessness or are already homeless.”

The grant to the Day Center is part of $1.5 billion awarded to more than 400 communities that is provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The purpose of the HPRP is to provide homelessness prevention assistance to households who would otherwise become homeless – many due to the economic crisis – and provide assistance to rapidly re-house persons who are experiencing homelessness.

The grant will not fund operations at the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless, which provides food, shelter and safety to an average of 400 people each day. Donations at the shelter are down about 30 percent for the year, and the successful operation of services is still dependent on the generosity of the community.

The Tulsa Day Center is working in collaboration with 11 other agencies in the community to administer the HPRP funds. They include DVIS, Veteran’s Administration, Volunteers of America, Tulsa Housing Authority, Tulsa County Emergency Services, Mental Health Association in Tulsa, John 3:16 Mission, Youth Services of Tulsa, Family & Children’s Services, Legal Aide Services of Oklahoma and Community Service Council.

Founded in 1985, the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless provides a safe, healthy environment for the homeless and opportunities for these individuals to achieve self-sufficiency. The center provided care for 11,419 individuals in 2008. For more information about the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless, visit the Web site at www.tulsadaycenter.org

 


Home Run for the Homeless 2009

The third annual Home Run for the Homeless is a celebrity softball game benefiting the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. Played on June 18, 2009, the Orange Team once again prevailed.

Thanks for coming out to support the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless! 

See you again next year!
 

 

 


3 - 0. The Undefeated Orange Radio/Writers Team. Back Row (left to right): Joe Kelley, Dave Weston, Rick Wrona, Gary Greenwood, Don King and Chris Plank. Front Row (left to right) PJ Lassek, Betty Casey, Sunny Leigh, Melvin Gilliam and Matt McCoy.




0 - 3. Next year will be their year! The Green TV Team. Back Row (left to right) Abbie Alford, Russ McCaskey, Julie Chin, Paul Heggen, Chris Wright, Kristen Dickerson, Scott Smith and Big Al Jerkens. Front Row (left to right) Emily Sinovic, Sharon Phillips, Burt Mummolo, Heather Been, Kristina Giustozzi and Frank Mitchell.



Phil and Brent in the Booth. 


Dave Weston and Chris Wright


Balloon Guy, Dustin Reudelhuber, is always a hit!


Heather Been tagging out Matt McCoy.


Frank Mitchell and Rick Wrona


 



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Home Run for the Homeless Sets Record