HOPE Center needs good Samaritans

James Coburn

EDMOND — Edmond begins the Christmas season with a generous heart. Children are clothed and fed, and many elderly seniors on fixed incomes have their electricity bills paid due to the generous community support for the HOPE Center of Edmond.

The Edmond Sun Christmas Samaritan Fund Drive benefiting HOPE Center marks its 20th year as a public service to the Edmond community. Contributors to the five-week campaign have given more than $2.343 million in emergency assistance to those in need.

Catastrophic emergencies caused by disease, unemployment, child abuse, homelessness, domestic violence and divorce have been the main reasons people seek assistance at HOPE, a nonprofit agency. It also provides a prenatal health clinic for mothers.

“We’ve seen a lot of new people this year, people who have lost jobs,” said Chris Sperry, executive director. “The people who never thought they’d be here are people in sales-type jobs and commission work who saw their commission almost evaporate.”

All of the proceeds from the Samaritan Fund Drive will allow HOPE to keep up with an increase in clients qualifying for emergency assistance.

Patrons of the Samaritan Fund Drive provide nearly one-third of HOPE’s annual budget. This year’s goal is to raise more than $150,000 for HOPE. The $151,738 generated by the 2008 Samaritan Fund Drive has allowed HOPE to keep up with an increase in clients qualifying for temporary emergency assistance, Sperry said.

“Now we’re beginning to see people in service jobs. It’s kind of a trickle down,” Sperry said. “Those commission people aren’t using their services anymore, so we’re seeing people who are waiters and waitresses, even shop clerks from stores that are cutting back.”

HOPE, which stands for Helping Our People in Emergency, was founded in 1984 by the Edmond Ministerial Alliance, an interdenominational council of churches, and the Edmond Women’s Club, a local civic organization.

“To be in need and to know that there are people around you who care and share brings the gift of encouragement and hope,” said Pastor Paul Klassen of Memorial Road Mennonite Brethren Church. “It also encourages people to believe that there is a God who cares about them.”

HOPE clients must live in an Edmond or Arcadia ZIP code to receive assistance. Referrals are made for those people who do not qualify for temporary support.

Evaluating a client’s income is based on the Department of Human Services poverty guidelines for food stamp recipients. For a single person, poverty is defined as living with less than $1,107 monthly income. A family of six earning less than $2,992 a month would qualify, Sperry said.

“A very high percentage of our clients are single mothers, who may be trying to finish school,” she said.

No one should be embarrassed or hesitant to contact HOPE, because the staff wants everyone to feel loved, she said. A financial crisis can happen in all economic stratum. More than 550 families visit HOPE each month, so the community’s help is needed more than ever, Sperry said.

“A lot of times, we see women who maybe had quite a good life,” Sperry said. “And because of divorce, they suddenly have nothing. They’re living in an apartment. They’ve never lived in an apartment in their life. They’ve never had to deal with the actual scraping. It seems like we have more people who are just eking it out than before.”

Every single donation is a blessing to HOPE, Sperry said. The agency spends nearly $5,000 a month on fresh food items not covered by the canned food donated to the center.

More than 400 families are adopted each year by HOPE’s volunteer Christmas sponsors. By adopting families, sponsors agree to provide gifts for the children of a family, Sperry said. Samaritans also provide groceries for their adopted family to make Christmas dinner. Clients need only fill out an application form. HOPE Center matches families’ needs with what a sponsor would like to do.

“We give families toys and gifts from what’s been donated or by direct sponsorship,” Sperry said.

HOPE also provides clients with bus passes to help with their transportation needs. HOPE provided more than 1,000 students with school supplies this year.

University of Central Oklahoma students often receive extra credit for volunteering at HOPE, Sperry said. Boy Scouts complete service projects to support their community.

“It’s amazing that for 25 years, the community has supported and continues to support an agency like this that is here just to help our neighbors,” Sperry said. “It really just borders on a miracle that it continues with the level of support and the (150) volunteers that we have.”

HOPEfully Yours volunteer Carol Wright was part the HOPE staff 20 years ago when the Samaritan Fund Drive began.

“I think it is a great compliment to the community because they do care about those who are in need. They do generously give,” Wright said.

HOPEfully Yours, 1251 N. Broadway, is a quality resale shop for HOPE to fully utilize all of the donations it receives for its prenatal/O.B. clinic. Revenue generated from the shop also is used to buy the milk, fruit and meat included in food packages for clients.

“I think of that scripture (Matthew 10:8), ‘Freely you have received, so freely give,’” Wright said. “So that’s what my thought is — I’ve been blessed — now I need to bless others.”

jcoburn@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 114