A local agency is facing what is described as a ‘dire’ situation that could result in the end of assistance that has been available for almost 30 years.
The Okmulgee County Homeless Shelter has been providing a much needed service for the area since 1995. The non-profit organization serves not only Okmulgee County, but also McIntosh, Hughes and Okfuskee counties. It is a 30-day temporary emergency shelter that houses men, women, and children, to move them from their homelessness to self-efficiency.
The Times sat down with the executive director and a board member to discuss the financial woes being encountered by the agency, and to address some of the misconceptions or rumors that have been encountered around the area.
OCHS board vice chair Rose Lynch and Executive Director Brenda Brewer spoke out the agency and what it is tasked with providing.
The OC Homeless Shelter is the only such service within a 45-mile radius, with just over 30 beds “available for people who are in in emergency situations that are wanting to remove themselves from the crisis of being unhoused,” Lynch said. “That can be due to fire, to medical tragedies, to job loss and not for ‘druggies’ which is sometimes people’s perception.”
Brewer stated that anyone wishing to avail themselves of the services provided by the shelter must first pass a background check, along with drug testing, before being admitted as a client.
“That is for the other clients’ protection.” Brewer added that anyone that is removed or asked to leave the facility is because of failing to follow the rules, which include drug use or attacks on staff or other clients.
“You don’t get kicked out for just any reason,” she said. “There are guidelines like any business,” Lynch said, adding that the potential client should be “actively (involved) in their own recovery, actively looking for work or working with our other partners in the community … Our clients are actively wanting to be a productive neighbor in our community.”
Case management begins immediate work to get residents into housing, and assisting in job search and retainment.
Right now, according to Lynch, the shelter is in a ‘dire’ financial situation. Several grants that have funded that facility for years have stopped, been altered for the season, or is on a cycle that the OCHS can’t apply for a brief time period.
“We are in dire need of funding,” Lynch said. “So thankfully we have the thrift store, that’s been supported by the community and through donations and people buying, but we are requesting and also we’re working on obtaining newer grants. Currently, we’re waiting to hear from them.”
Only a portion of the money raised at the OCHS Thrift Store is used to support the shelter. Simply put, without additional funding, the shelter is at risk of closing, possibly within three months.
When it first opened, the shelter was designed to house approximately 15 people, families included, for just a short period of time.
However, just within the last 8-10 years, according to Brewer, those numbers have almost doubled, serving now on an average of between 25-30 clients.
Right now, the center is in need of basic hygiene supplies such as shampoo, deodorant, body wash, sheets and pillowcases. Brewer thanked the community for the immense help in providing food supplies for the agency.
Certain times of the year, including extreme cold or heat, those numbers tick up. The community has seen an increase in the homeless or unhoused population over the last few years.
However, the administration points out that the clients that they serve are those who have been forced into a situation (such as job loss or a residence destroyed by fire) and only see the services provided on a temporary basis.
On the other hand, there are those individuals who choose to live ‘unhoused.’ The reasons vary which may be mental health issues, family and personal tragedies, or other unknown situations.
Lynch and Brewer thanked the Okmulgee community for their support over the years.
“This community is a loving, supportive community that wants to help,” they said. Lynch suggested monthly recurring donations, or biannual gifts, or other opportunities for the community to help through the dire times.
Lynch also spoke about recent misconceptions or rumors, stated there “have been zero financial misappropriations or misconduct” found with the agency.
“This (situation) is not about financial misconduct,” she said. “We are trying to stop it before it avalanches to where we lose the center.”
Anyone with concerns is asked to reach out to Lynch or Brewer for more information.
There is also a desperate need for new or updated facilities to house the clients.
The current homeless situation in the area, which involves individuals who are not using the services provided by the OC Homeless Shelter, is the primary concern of a new task force committee that has been formed by Okmulgee Mayor Mickey Baldwin and members of the city council. The committee met last week, and is comprised of advocates, business and civic leaders, and concerned citizens.
The homeless situation is a source of concern for both small and large towns and cities as a solution is sought, and adequate resources are provided.
“The homeless population has grown severely over the last two years,” Lynch said. “The shelters are full … We do get overflow, because we’re not going to discriminate just because they’re not in the counties we serve. They’re human beings…” For more information about the Okmulgee County Homeless Shelter, call 918-756-9098.
