2009 Finalists

Health and Wellness

YWCA - Children's Trauma Services

He sat motionless... except... for the trembling. Slowly, the young child began describing how he tried to stop dad ... from beating his mom. It is the littlest victims like this who will receive help through the Impact Oklahoma grant to the YWCA. The $100,000 will enable YWCA to expand services to NE OKC for victims of domestic violence (DV) and sexual assault (SA) - providing critical access to trauma intervention for children and their moms.

The grant dollars will :

  1. convert an existing space into "Impact OK" play therapy room for child-trauma intervention;
  2. purchase equipment/supplies;
  3. fund a Children's Counselor, Crisis Advocate/Case manager, and appropriate training for:
    • trauma-intervention counseling to victims of DV/SA ages 4-17; and
    • DV education, support groups, case management and advocacy for adults and children.

Expected to directly impact 260 adult/child victims, the project will indirectly impact an additional 200 family members, un-served and underserved victims in OK County and surrounding areas who will receive life-saving crisis services. Long term impact is a community where women/children can live in violence-free homes Ð which will impact our community for many years.

Don't look away - Oklahoma is 4th in the nation for women killed by men; 65% of children in violent homes will be physically abused and 7 of 10 will likely continue the cycle of violence and trauma as adults - beginning the next generation of children abused in their own homes.

Impact the lives of victims, especially the littlest ones - VOTE YWCA!

Education

Skyline Urban Ministries - Jets - an after school program for at risk children

Jets is a 5-day a week after school program sponsored by Skyline Urban Ministries and is open to any child eligible for the free and reduced lunch program in the OKCPS system. We also offer a variety of summer programs for elementary and middle school children. We charge nothing to the families, raising all of the operating costs on our own. We currently have three sites in the metro area serving Mark Twain, Capitol Hill, Eugene Fields, and Gatewood Elementary schools, as well as Martha's House, a transitional housing program for single mothers.

If awarded the grant we would open two new sites. The first would be a middle school program in SE OKC for our youth who have aged out of the program. These boys hang around our parking lot asking if there's anything they can do to help us just so they can be in Jets again. The second site would be NE OKC which has a similar problem. Children from the elementary school located just across the street from the church hang around the parking lot wishing they had somewhere to go. Many are forced to roam the neighborhood until a parent comes home from work.

By working with the children so intensely on self-esteem issues, non-violent conflict resolution skills, personal planning and problem-solving, we can and do have a positive effect on the decisions the children make as their futures unfold. Our request of Impact Oklahoma is for $100,000 to open these new sites and purchase two new vans. These children face the greatest risk of violence, abuse, hunger, and gang involvement. Please help us reach out to those children and families in need by offering an alternative for after school time.

Environment

Best Friends of Pets - Helping our pets, Their owners and our Community

Remember your first dog or cat? Remember the bond you shared with your pet and how much he or she looked to you and your family for care and comfort? Every pet deserves to have such a good home, but sadly, more than 6,600 puppies and kittens are euthanized annually at Oklahoma City metro area animal shelters. While animal causes are often overlooked as significant community needs, Best Friends believes that the mistreatment and suffering of unwanted dogs and cats poses an ethical dilemma for our community, while the presence of stray animals places our children at risk of injury. Reducing the number of unwanted puppies and kittens through spaying and neutering prevents the agony of starvation, disease, and death that besets so many of these animals. The solution to this problem is simple ... spaying and neutering.

The mission of Best Friends of Pets is to end pet overpopulation by helping pets, their owners and our community. SNAP (Spay/Neuter Assistance Program) prevents the needless suffering of our innocent furry friends by reducing the number of unwanted puppies and kittens born each year. Many pet owners, especially those who are low-income, cannot afford regular veterinary fees, which can range from $100 to over $300, to have their pets spayed or neutered. SNAP partners with veterinary clinics in the metro area to make spaying and neutering affordable for pet owners receiving Medicaid, OKDHS or Supplemental Security Income benefits. As one beneficiary said, "SNAP allowed me to do the right thing."

Culture

Cavett Kid's Foundation - Diversionary Play

Children hate going to the doctor as much as their parents hate forcing them to go. These visits are usually filled with a conglomeration of negative emotions like stress, uncertainty, anger, resistance and fear. Although the Cavett Kids Foundation may not be able to cure the diseases or make the pain disappear for all the patients at OU Children's Physicians, we are able to help these children and their families forget about these negative emotions while they wait to see the doctors.

Our brand new Diversionary Play program provides activities in the waiting areas of the OU Children's Physicians clinics. When patients are greeted with an entertaining environment filled with interactive arts and crafts activities, they are allowed to just be kids. Research shows that there are better health outcomes when patients engage in activities that make them happy. Additionally, the program will keep the patients' siblings entertained, permitting the parents to focus their energy on the betterment of their ill child. These activities provide a more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere throughout the entire clinic, allowing medical personnel to provide the best quality of care.

The program has the potential to help over 65,000 patients and their families each year. Impact Oklahoma can help properly start our Diversionary Play program by providing the funding to fill the Art Areas with the necessary supplies to give these children what they truly deserve. They deserve to forget about their health. They deserve to play and smile. They deserve to just be kids.

Family

Crossroads Youth and Family Services Ð A Safe Haven for Children in Crisis

These children, who have suffered great losses, need your help:

We serve over 400 children each year in our Emergency Youth Shelter. Safe Haven for Children in Crisis has three main goals: 1) Give children comfort and make them feel safe; 2) help them learn; 3) meet their needs. This involves making the seventeen-year-old Shelter more home-like through kid-friendly items such as a safer playground, books, games, and lead-free toys; energy-efficient windows to prevent water leaks; modernizing/upgrading the worn-out kitchen, including adding a dish sanitizer and replacing the refrigerator/freezer that recently died; new furniture and soundproofing for the nursery; and independent living help for homeless older youth. The Shelter has not been remodeled since 1992; after serving 12,500 children since then, the wear-and-tear on the kitchen has been severe. The total proposed budget for this project is $120,000; we raised $20,000 and are seeking $100,000 in grant funds from Impact Oklahoma.