Community
Service Council
16 East 16th Street,
Suite 202
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74119-4402
918 / 585-5551 phone
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Community Service Council
Looking
back ...
CSC, 2003:
Responding to Unusual Challenges
... Staying the Course
(Excerpted from "2003 Highlights," report to the Board of Directors - CSC
Annual Meeting, December 4, 2003)
2003 presented major challenges to our state, the Tulsa community, and all local
helping resources, including those at the Community Service Council (CSC).
Significantly increased unemployment, severe funding cutbacks at all levels,
extreme summer heat, greater uncertainties in the state’s Medicaid program, and
other difficult circumstances combined to make 2003 an usually challenging year.
The Council responded to these challenges while staying the course, continuing
progress on key long-term goals.
Most of this progress reflects the Council’s ever expanding commitment to assure
all Tulsans have the opportunity to develop the skills and abilities to best
care for themselves and their families. This opportunity depends greatly on
having access to preventive and basic health care, receiving quality education,
leading healthy lifestyles, having safe and affordable housing, obtaining jobs
with a livable wage, and getting appropriate help, especially in emergency
situations, when needed.
Responding to Challenges
Providing Access to
Help…
Growing Numbers Seek Help with Basic Needs
Helpline assisted almost 10% more callers--over 2,000 more people--in 2003 than
in 2002.
The increased requests related mostly to paying for utility bills, food, and
medical and dental care. Staff worked very hard this year to assist callers with
these and other financial needs, as resources for financial help declined.
Babyline assisted more than 5% additional women seeking help for prenatal care.
The decline in employment and health care coverage contributed to this increase.
Babyline staff also worked unusually hard to find timely assistance as the
growing demand for subsidized care created frequent delays at area clinics.
Changing Employment Environment Complicates Child Care Needs
Tulsa’s declining employment, especially during the second half of the year, led
to fewer calls for referral to child care through the Child Care Resource
Center. However, the increasing part-time and after-hours job opportunities
greatly challenged the Center’s referral services to find appropriate care.
Staff made special efforts to encourage and support child care providers to
offer flexible and expanded schedules to accommodate changing child care needs.
Extreme Summer Heat Tests Capacity of Weather Coalition
The Tulsa Weather Coalition responded to a very hot summer (62 days above 90
degrees), using primarily volunteers to install 220 air conditioners in the
homes of seriously ill, low-income people. Units were installed in 197 homes of
persons 55 years old or older, with overall recipient ages ranging from 4 to 98
years old. Tulsa did not experience a heat related death during 2003.
Promoting
Affordable, Accessible Maternal and Child Health…
Funding Reductions and Other Difficulties Lead to Medicaid System Changes
The Family Health Coalition created strategies to adjust to funding reductions
at the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, and successfully found funds to replace
reduced philanthropic support for Tulsa’s Free Pregnancy Testing Program, a
critical component of the local perinatal system. The Coalition also was a focal
point for local planning to adjust to the new Medicaid SoonerCare Choice
program, based on a fee for service approach. Choice is an alternative to the
failed SoonerCare Plus capitated model previously employed in Oklahoma’s urban
areas.
Maintaining Resources
that Support Major CSC Initiatives…
Reduced Federal Support for AmeriCorps
The AIDS Coalition of Tulsa was successful in getting a 10th consecutive
AmeriCorps grant despite record funding reductions for the program. CSC staff
recruited, trained, and provided supervision for a six-member 2003-2004 National
AIDS Fund (NAF) AmeriCorps team placed in Tulsa HIV prevention and care programs
with a resource value of $140,000. Tulsa is the only NAF partner community to be
selected for an AmeriCorps team every year since the program began in l994 (ten
consecutive years). The National AIDS Fund AmeriCorps program is one of only ten
national direct AmeriCorps programs in the United States.
Possible State Funding Reductions Threaten Success of East Tulsa Prevention
Coalition
CSC staff and involved board members and community volunteers worked together
successfully with state agency officials and legislators to assure the
maintenance of funds for the Coalition’s gang prevention initiative.
Maintaining Public
Policy Support for Important Community Priorities…
Challenge to Continued Strong State Funding for Child Abuse Prevention
Through approval of HB 1189, funding levels for Children First and the Oklahoma
Child Abuse Prevention Fund were maintained, while funding for some state
services were cut dramatically. Through the efforts of the Metropolitan Human
Services Commission (MHSC), CSC Public Policy Committee members, Tulsa
Children’s Consortium’s Legislative Liaison, and advocacy by the Tulsa
City-County Health Department, Children First was spared major cuts. HB 1189
appropriated $53.6 million to the State Department of Health, including
$2,686,500 for the Office of Child Abuse Prevention. The Children First Program
line item was dropped, but re-instituted in SB 338, and the appropriation for
Children First was folded into the overall budget for the Health Department. The
State Health Department plans to continue the program at $10,924,100.
Staying the Course
Focused on Long Term Goals
… 2003 and Beyond
Improve
Maternal/Infant Health
The federally funded Tulsa Healthy Start initiative, coordinated by CSC’s Family
Health Coalition, completed its 6th year of work. It has been successful in
reducing infant mortality in the clients served. The 2003 Special Deliveries
report indicates in 2002:
- 1,062 moderate and high risk women were case managed.
- 1,176 women were seen in outreach services.
- First trimester entry into prenatal care was 35.6%, a tremendous drop
from 59.8% in 2000. The impact of increasing waits from time of call to Babyline
for care, to entry into care was precipitated by the dramatic increase in the
number of uninsured women attempting access to care.
- Major risk factors and behaviors documented in women receiving case
management were smoking (46.7%), inadequate housing (46.7%), domestic violence
(25.6%), and poor family support (27.7%). These factors contribute to increased
risk for infant mortality and prematurity.
- The results of case management services were low birth weight (11.7%),
very low birth weight (2.9%), small for gestational age (6.25%) and preterm
births (12.1%). These most recent results are above the Project’s goals, and
Tulsa County and state statistics, but reflect the growing extreme high-risk
levels of the women served. These rates also represent dramatic improvement
since the beginning of the project.
- The Coalition published the following assessment reports which are
posted on the CSC website, www.csctulsa.org: Analysis of Teen Birth in Tulsa
Oklahoma for 2001 (2003), Analysis of Maternal and Infant Health Indicators
(2003), Analysis of Child Health Indicators (2003), Analysis of Parity (2003),
and Analysis of Divorce Indicators (2003).
Enhance Early Care and
Learning
The Success By 6® Quality Enhancement Initiative, through the Child Care
Resource Center and supported by the Tulsa Area United Way, provides technical
assistance to help child care programs attain the two- and three-star quality
rating created by DHS to increase financing for quality child care in Oklahoma.
Currently there are 10 child care centers, 8 family child care homes, and 11
graduate/mentor programs in the Success By 6® Initiative. Active programs are
working to increase their STAR ratings. Of these, 15 are 2 STAR programs and 3
are 1+STAR. Since 1999 the number of NAEYC accredited child care programs in
Tulsa County has grown from 8 to 18, and the number of accredited homes has
grown to four.
The two-year Expansion Success By 6 Initiative, funded through the United Way
of America and Bank of America, is developing recommendations for improving the
overall early learning system, with a focus on improving opportunities for young
children with disabilities and those with limited English-speaking skills.
Several surveys, focus groups, and other information gathering efforts have
occurred and recommendations will be published early in 2004.
Through the leadership of Tulsa’s Metropolitan Human Services Commission, and
the work of CSC’s Public Policy Committee and several other groups, major public
policy and community mobilization efforts have occurred in 2003 supporting early
learning.
- The state legislature passed HB 1094, and Governor Brad Henry
subsequently signed into law the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Act.
Authors of the groundbreaking legislation included Representatives Ron Peters
(R-Tulsa) and Darrell Gilbert (D-Tulsa), and Senator Ted Fisher (D-Sapulpa). The
bill creates the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness to strengthen the
capacities of parents and communities to meet the needs of young children by
improved coordination of resources, increased community action, and more
accountability for desired outcomes.
- On October 10th MHSC, assisted by Tulsa Mayor Bill LaFortune, convened
the Tulsa County Partnership for Early Childhood Success. The Partnership brings
together representatives of all sectors of the community to pursue coordinated
steps to improve school readiness. JumpStart, a community engagement campaign,
is the Partnership’s first project.
- On October 29th, MHSC, CSC, and several other groups hosted a visit by
Oklahoma’s First Lady Kim Henry to promote the importance of early childhood
education and Tulsa’s accomplishments.
- Information on the Partnership, the engagement campaign, and the First
Lady’s visit may be found at www.jumpstarttulsa.com. All these events were
planned by a Council sponsored committee chaired by longtime CSC board member,
Steve Kennedy.
Prevent Substance
Abuse, Violence, Smoking, and Suicide by Young People
CSC’s Area Prevention Resource Center’s (APRC) East Tulsa Prevention Coalition
fosters the community working together to promote positive and healthy
development of youth and families. The foundation for the Coalition is engaging
all sectors of the community in its prevention efforts. In 2003, it expanded its
community partnership approach to include the religious sector.
The Coalition hosted a forum on Faith Based Action to bring together various
faith-based organizations to explore the potential for collaborative
relationships with neighborhood associations, social service agencies,
businesses, youth-serving groups, and law enforcement. The federal government,
through their faith-based initiatives, allows religious organizations to apply
for funding and participate in collaborative partnerships that move communities
toward safer, more stable environments for families and children. The forum
explored the “rules and regulations” of applying for and administering federal
funding, as well as encouraging examples of strong community partnerships in
East Tulsa. It was the first forum of this kind held in the Tulsa area, with
over 25 religious leaders participating as well as state and city officials.
In addition to its focus on east Tulsa, the APRC is promoting new research at
the national level to improve positive youth development initiatives. In 2003 it
worked with Camp Fire USA and Temple University to integrate the Across Ages
Intergenerational Mentoring Program with the basic Camp Fire Curriculum. The
motivation for this attempted merger is based on structural change that will
enhance two national programs with disparate characteristics. Specifically,
Across Ages is a federal CSAP model program with few outlets and Campfire USA is
a popular character building organization searching for validity as a bona fide
provider of a research based prevention program. The developer of the Across
Ages Program from the Center for Intergenerational Studies at Temple University
is helping blend these two efforts. The lobbyist from Camp Fire USA is working
with the federal government to locate funds to develop a pilot project in Tulsa,
and rewrite the manuals to encompass both programs.
Prevent Drunk Driving,
Especially Among Young People
Tulsa’s CRASHs Court Program, designed to prevent drunk driving among teens,
continued to expand in 2003, and demand is growing in areas outside of Tulsa.
- 7,592 students, primarily freshmen, from twelve schools attended CRASHs
Court during the 2002/2003 school year. Students from 7th graders to seniors
viewed this real traffic court relocated to school auditoriums or gymnasiums.
- 27,666 students have attended CRASHs Court since it was implemented in
1998. Both public and private schools have participated. The popularity of
CRASHs has increased the requests for the program every year since inception.
CRASHs Court is convened during the school year from September through May.
- Other communities across Oklahoma are interested in replicating CRASHs
Court; CSC is providing assistance.
The Youthful Drunk Driving (YDD) Prevention Program is a model prevention effort
coordinated by the Council for the past six years. The program offers a
comprehensive “community intervention” to reduce recidivism among youthful
offenders. CSC coordinates key participants providing distinct components of the
system; these include St. John’s Emergency Services and Bernsen Rehabilitation
Center, Hillcrest’s Emergency Services, Kaiser Rehabilitation Center, Oklahoma
Neurorestorative Center, Tulsa Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Services and
RehabCare Center, Victim Impact Panel, Inc. (VIPS), Mothers Against Drunk
Driving (MADD), and Rick Rogers, ICADC (certified alcohol and drug counselor).
- From January 1, 2002 through October 31, 2003, 806 defendants were court
ordered to attend the Program. To date, 3,315 defendants have participated. 13%
of them had been involved in an alcohol related crash; 3% of these crashes
involved injuries or death. Slightly over 82% were male; all were under age 25.
- Participant records are checked electronically every six months for new
impaired driving arrests.
The recidivism rate for the participants since inception is approximately 7%, as
compared to about 32% nationally. (Recidivism is based on the percentage of
persons arrested for a DUI related offense during the six month period after
completion of the program.)
- 84% of the 3,315 people who entered the program successfully completed
it.
In 2000 the Council developed the DUI/Drug Court initiative that links the court
process with community treatment and other community resources to reduce
recidivism. Work currently is focused on creation and implementation of a
management information system, policy and procedures, participant orientation,
treatment modalities, and training for the Drug/DUI Court team.
- Tulsa County DUI Court began in July 2001 and currently has 69 active
participants. Since its implementation, 152 participants have pled into DUI
Court. Sixty-three people have completed the program with 87% graduating
successfully from DUI Court; 12.7% were terminated and sent
to prison.
- The Tulsa County Drug Court, which began in 1996, currently has 61
active participants. 331 drug offenders have graduated as of 11/4/03. The
recidivism rate for Tulsa County Drug Court was calculated at just 12% (Oklahoma
Criminal Justice Resource Center (OCJRC), 2000).
- The combined Drug/DUI Court received a Local Law Enforcement Block Grant
(LLEBG) for the development and implementation of a management information
system (MIS). This will allow for information to be shared electronically via
the Internet between the various drug court partners, including the District
Attorney’s office, the judge, court clerk, drug court coordinator, the Public
Offender’s office, the Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole, Court
Services, and participating treatment agencies.
- In 2003, the number of treatment slots available for the Drug Court
system doubled from 100 to 210 with the funding provided by the Department of
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (DMHSAS). This expansion offers great
opportunity to increase successful outcomes.
Prevent HIV/AIDS
The Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership raised matching funds for a National AIDS
Fund challenge grant and made grant awards totaling $123,750 for 13 HIV
prevention and care programs during 2003.
The 2002-03 AmeriCorps team finished the year of national service in August
after completing 11,900 hours of work in Tulsa HIV/AIDS programs. Tulsa is the
only NAF partner community to be awarded an AmeriCorps team every year since the
program began in l994.
A proposal submitted by TCAP to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation was one of 70
out of an applicant field of 370 selected for the final round of consideration
for 2004 funding. The proposal is for an HIV prevention program for men in
Oklahoma prisons modeled after the successful women’s program, funded by TCAP
since l995.
The AIDS Coalition of Tulsa began its 16th year of monthly educational forums in
September. Through the work of the Coalition, the Tulsa community continues to
be informed about the changing epidemic and at risk populations, funding
opportunities, and new developments and emerging issues in HIV prevention and
care.
Preserve and Support
Families in Neighborhood Settings
The Tulsa Alliance for Families (TAF) continued to promote effective
partnerships between families and neighborhood elementary schools in an effort
to nurture the growth and development of young children.
During the 2002/2003 school year TAF helped 732 very low-income families, in
three targeted neighborhoods (surrounding Eugene Field, Mark Twain, and
Roosevelt Elementary Schools), to identify their family strengths and move
toward increased stability. With 154 new families enrolled between July 1, 2002
and June 30, 2003, membership in TAF grew by over 20%.
In 2003, improving family involvement in the learning process was a TAF
priority. In collaboration with Family & Children’s Services, Inc. and the State
of Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS), the FAST (Families and Schools
Together) and “Reading Starts With Us” Family Literacy series brought students,
parents, teachers, and community members together in a collaborative effort to
enhance student learning as well as engage families with school activities and
faculty/staff. Parents’ involvement with their children dramatically increased
through FAST’s structured social activities while providing opportunities for
the formation of a strong network with other families within their school and
neighborhood. Also, over 500 Eugene Field, Mark Twain, and Roosevelt students
and their families attended inter-generational family literacy events,
connecting early reading for children with adult literacy skills for parents and
grandparents.
Beginning in late 2003 the TAF model will be expanded through a new
collaboration. In September 2003, the Oklahoma State Department of Education
awarded over 1 million dollars, over a 5-year period, in 21st Century Community
Learning Center funding to the Westside 21st Century Community Learning Center
Collaborative. The collaborative brings together three of Tulsa’s most respected
community-based agencies – the Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa (Tulsa
Alliance for Families), Family & Children’s Services, Inc., and the YMCA of
Greater Tulsa – in cooperation with the Tulsa Public School District’s Eugene
Field and Mark Twain Elementary Schools. The primary goal of the new
Collaborative will be to provide additional services to address the academic
needs of Eugene Field and Mark Twain students. The highly integrated, hands-on
lessons and activities target the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s PASS
Core Curriculum areas of reading, mathematics, science, language arts, social
studies, and the arts. In addition, the center will utilize the expertise of the
Tulsa Alliance for Families through the expansion of family support services,
including family literacy activities, family fun events, summer camp, adult
education, and GED classes which will be held during the evenings and week-ends
on a year-round basis.
Promote Community Integration of
Persons with Disabilities
CSC’s Tulsa Alliance on Disabilities (the Alliance) continued to provide
leadership at both the state and local levels to further improved community
integration of persons with disabilities. The Alliance worked to create
Oklahoma’s first plan, through the new Olmstead Planning Task Force, to ensure
that all people with disabilities have access to community services in the most
integrated settings possible.
Over 1000 people attended the 2003 Job Fair, co-sponsored with the City of
Tulsa, and over thirty employers participated.
The Alliance’s longtime Director, Laura Dempsey Polan, resigned to take another
position in the health/disability field and a new Director, Carla Tanner, was
hired in November. Work began in late 2003 on a new initiative focused on
increasing community understanding and action on improving early childhood
development opportunities for young children with disabilities. Research on this
issue will lead to a new “Count Us In” awareness campaign in 2004.
Address the Needs of
Tulsa’s Growing Hispanic Population
Since completion of a major study on this trend in 2001, CSC has focused much
attention on addressing this issue throughout its work. In 2003, examples have
included:
- A survey of almost 200 Hispanic households with preschool age children
was conducted to begin assessing the need for increased quality child care and
other early learning programs.
- The Child Care Resource Center’s referral service added a separate line
for Spanish speaking parents, and hired bi-lingual staff to help facilitate more
Hispanic families accessing licensed child care.
- The Family Health Coalition sponsors an association of outreach and
other Hispanic health related providers to address common concerns.
- The East Tulsa Prevention Coalition collaborated with the Library’s
Hispanic Resource Center to secure a MetLife “Libraries for the Future” grant.
The Tulsa program, “La Vida Loca,” focuses on middle school age gang prevention
through reading selected works of Hispanic literature in a multi-age setting.
The goal is to create a safe environment by sharing thoughts between the
immigrant parents and their “Americanized” adolescents. This innovative project
is a key step in helping immigrants find a common understanding of the
American/immigrant tradition.
- CSC’s Public Policy Committee endorsed state legislation to help
increase access to higher education for Hispanic students.
- In response to the growing Hispanic population of Tulsa County, the YDD
Program began a Spanish language version this fall. A Spanish-speaking
interpreter facilitates the YDD program requirements of site visits to a
rehabilitation center, victim impact panel, and alcohol/drug education class.
Link People Early with
Needed Help
Helpline has been in the forefront of the community’s response to individuals
and families adversely affected by Tulsa’s economic decline. In 2003 Helpline
responded to a record number of requests for help, especially related to
financial assistance and health care.
The Tulsa 2-1-1 Helpline project has advanced the potential for 2-1-1 to become
a viable service throughout the state of Oklahoma. Critical negotiations and
technical assistance by CSC have led to the creation of Oklahoma Corporation
Commission (OCC) regulations for telephone companies and future 2-1-1 call
centers. The Oklahoma 2-1-1 Advisory Collaborative, with principal leadership
from CSC, was created to fulfill OCC requirements, advance Oklahoma’s ability to
coordinate the delivery of 2-1-1 in different regions of the state, and attract
new funding for this important service.
At the local level, coordination with organizations providing specialized
information and referral for child care and services for the aging and those
with disabilities have advanced their joint capacity to more effectively assist
callers through a new multi-agency computer based information management system
called Sharelink.
Babyline and Kidsline are being merged into the new adult appointment function,
Healthlink, and all will be a part of the broader community-wide Sharelink
system.
Respond Effectively to
Community Emergencies
The Tulsa Human Response Coalition effectively provided opportunities for
strengthening collaborations, inter-agency debriefings following emergencies
such as the Air Gas explosion, and preparedness training for agencies that must
work together during local disasters and emergencies. Disaster recovery and
service continuity planning, developed in 2003 and designed for non-profit
organizations, will be become available in 2004. These efforts are supported by
a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service and the City of
Tulsa Mayor’s Citizen Corps.
Enhance Basic Needs
Services
Homelessness among those suffering from economic difficulties, mental illness,
domestic violence and substance abuse continued at high levels in Tulsa. The
average nightly use in seven Tulsa shelters during the first six months of the
year was relatively unchanged between 2002 (545) and 2003 (542). On the first
very cold (low temperature of 23 degrees) night of 2003 (11-24-03), 601 persons
stayed in Tulsa shelters.
CSC’s Homeless Services Network furthers collaborations among non-profit,
public, and faith based service providers. In addition to its traditional
monthly activities, the Network sponsored two special provider groups whose
purposes were to apply for new federal grants requiring inter-agency
collaboration. Extraordinary effort was made this year to align the homeless
management information system function with similar initiatives in health care
and job training. This intense community planning effort organized Sharelink, a
multi-agency computer based information management system.
The Tulsa Weather Coalition’s increased community education efforts focused on
additional public awareness. It coordinated efforts among EMSA, the Tulsa City
County Health Department, the National Weather Service, the Tulsa Fire
Department, and other organizations to provide public education about the
dangers of summer heat. This work generated 15 contacts with the electronic and
print media that in turn generated greater public awareness about the dangers of
summer heat.
Link Volunteers and
Promote Volunteerism
Connecting Volunteers
Website re-designed with database online… Utilizing the talents of
a volunteer, the website at www.tulsavolunteercenter.org was redesigned with a
fresh look. The website includes a database listing nonprofit organizations and
their need for volunteers. Now people can “shop” for volunteer positions online
or contact the Volunteer Center for more personalized “shopping assistance.”
Referrals for volunteer jobs… Almost 1300 individuals were
referred for specific volunteer jobs, including about 150 individuals referred
from the court for community service. Just over 6,000 persons were referred for
group volunteer opportunities, and almost 550 referrals were made through
e-mail. 360 agencies list 1308 job opportunities through the Center.
Promoting Volunteers
Volunteer of the Year Event… More than 450 people attended the
Volunteer of the Year recognition luncheon on April 28 at the Renaissance Tulsa
Hotel. Ten people were honored for exceptional service to the community with
beautiful awards and monetary gifts to the agencies they represent. Former
University of Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel was the keynote speaker; Karolyn
Garland chaired the event. Presenting sponsors were IBM and Zarrow Families
Foundation. Additional sponsors included Senior Star Living, SouthCrest
Hospital, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Bank of Oklahoma, and the Renaissance
Hotel.
Kids In Action… Youth volunteerism is on the rise, and kids, younger
than ever, want to help their communities. In an attempt to meet these needs,
the Volunteer Center, together with a group of young people ages 8-18, created
the Kids in Action Coalition. KIA plans to publish a Guidebook, create a youth
speaker’s bureau, and form a peer-mentoring program to help other kids learn how
they can serve their communities. KIA’s first project was the Kids HeART River
Parks Mural Project in July 2003. Members, working alongside adult volunteers,
painted murals on eight storm drains along the River Parks Trail.
20th Anniversary Quilt Project… The Tulsa Volunteer Center’s 20th
Anniversary Quilt Project, in cooperation with the Green Country Quilter’s
Guild, began with a quilt block contest in November 2002. The blocks were pieced
together by a team of artisans from the Green Country Quilter’s Guild, and then
machine quilted by Lyla Pack, Rainbow Custom Machine Quilting, Bartlesville, to
create the two “Community Quilts” in time for the awards presentations in
February 2003. The quilts have been on display throughout the community at
libraries, events, etc.
National Mentoring Month… To celebrate January as National
Mentoring Month the Mentoring Coalition sponsored a one-day workshop presented
by Dr. Steve Grissom, Chief Psychologist, State of Oklahoma, Office of Juvenile
Affairs. More than fifty people attended
the training, “Understanding and Helping At-Risk Children” on January 30 at CSC.
Using the national theme, “Who mentored you? Pass it on. Mentor a Child”, the
Coalition developed a 30 second television and radio PSA encouraging people to
volunteer as mentors. Libby & Doug Kleve created the PSA using local talent and
included a Spanish-speaking child and his mentor.
Building Community Capacity by Supporting Volunteerism
Volunteer Management Training for non-profit organizations… More
than 130 managers of volunteer programs attended a one-day workshop on September
15 at Hardesty Library. Betty Stallings, a nationally recognized trainer,
presented the program and received excellent comments from the participants. The
afternoon session included Betty, David Vaughan, Rep. Ron Peters, Teresa
Burkett, Robert Norman, and John Lieber discussing risk management,
confidentiality and liability issues for volunteer programs.
Mobilizing Volunteers for Addressing Major Community Needs
Volunteers recruited and trained for the On Call Emergency Center…
Plans were finalized to establish an Emergency Call Center staffed by volunteers
to connect unaffiliated spontaneous volunteers with agencies in need during a
disaster. Forty-eight people have attended a one-hour orientation meeting to
prepare them to work at the call center.
Citizen Corps Language and Culture Bank… Working with the Mayor’s
Citizen Corps in the war against terrorism, crime, and natural disasters, the
Volunteer Center established a Language and Culture Bank to match people with
foreign language skills or multicultural experiences, with community agencies
needing their assistance with health and safety issues. These volunteers are
helping to build stronger relationships between diverse ethnic and religious
groups and making Tulsa a safer community.
Volunteers promoting early literacy skills (READ NOW Program – formerly
Avid Readers)…
- During 2003, 55 volunteers (37 adults and 18 youth) read, one-to-one, to
197 children for 1362 hours at 8 child care centers. Five additional volunteers
read for 37 hours to approximately 60 children in reading circles at one child
care center. There were 72 Cascia students who read to 92 children, one-to-one
and in reading circles at 1 child care center for 144 hours. Twenty Bishop
Kelley High School students read to 51 children at one child care center for a
total of 40 hours. There were 19 DHS employees who read to 112 children,
one-to-one and reading circles for a total of 76 hours on September 11, for the
United Way Day of Caring.
- The David and Cassie Temple Foundation committed funding to help support
the program for three years to expand it through participation in the federal
VISTA match program of the Corporation for National Service. Five VISTA
supervisors will be engaged by the first quarter of 2004. They eventually will
oversee the work of almost 200 volunteers reading to young children.
- Crosstown Learning Center, 76 N. Zunis, Crosstown On The Line, 5000
Charles Page Blvd, A Child’s Place, 2001 N. Lewis, Day Schools Sheridan, 2437 S.
Sheridan, and Day Schools Darlington, 2327 S. Darlington are long time
established program sites. Three new sites were added in 2003: Hutcherson YMCA,
YWCA North, and McClure Head Start, 6150 S. Yorktown. All of the child care
sites have more than 70% of the children receiving DHS, Head Start, Creek Nation
or Cherokee Nation aid.
- More than 1450 books have been given to children at the sites and more
than 1500 books have been provided to parents at the sites.
The Community Service Council sincerely thanks our board members, staff members, volunteers, agency partners and colleagues, Friends of the Council, other contributors, and the Metropolitan Human Service Commission Partners. Your support and involvement make our work possible!