Life's Hope provides for community needs across county and beyond
Apr. 14—Though national partnerships, a local humanitarian relief organization gets semi-truck loads of food and dry goods a couple times a month and distributes them across the county.
Life's Hope sponsored the Duncan Chamber of Commerce's monthly breakfast and representatives talked about ways the nonprofit serves the county, as well as serve in disaster relief areas.
Life's Hope's mission is to care for human needs around the world and assist with area needs. In the past months, they flooded several nonprofits and schools with deliveries from their local supply chain.
Brent Justus, with Life's Hope Inc. in Duncan, said Life's Hope works with three major groups: Feed the Children from Oklahoma City, Convoy of Hope from Springfield, Missouri, and For Good Community from Kentucky.
He said Feed the Children will get them anywhere from two to four semi loads a month.
"We'll bring that semi in and it will have anywhere from eight to 10 different items on it," he said. "We'll unload that semi. We'll split it up into six to eight different groups."
He said they put it back on pallets and call different schools, churches and nonprofits to arrange for pick up.
"Usually when we get a load it's gone the same day," he said. "We want to be a great blessing to the nonprofits here."
Justus said they partner with Stephens County and area schools during the summer to help feed kids while schools are out of session.
Aside from food donations, Justus said For Good Community sends Amazon semi loads.
"Ten percent are returns, 90% never got shipped anywhere," he said. "Each semi is about 32-34 pallets. Each semi averages anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000 a load."
During school visits, kids get one gift for themselves and one gift to give away.
This month, Life's Hope will go to Duncan Middle School and next month, they will go to Duncan High School.
Aside from getting to every school in Duncan, Life's Hope went to Empire, Central and Bray.
Justus said part of Life's Hope need is for a three-quarter ton diesel truck. He said they offer a lot of disaster relief and they need a truck to haul supplies.
Life's Hope is in need of a building as well. He said they could use a 30,000-50,000 square foot building.
Justus thanked Tilley Trucking and Heritage Rentals for their partnerships.
"We distributed $7.5 million last year in our community," he said.
For a city update, Councilwoman and Vice Mayor Patty Wininger said they had a successful and well attended Community Planning Forum in March. She said there was great insight about what residents want to see in Duncan.
Wininger said they are working toward finalizing plans for the new fire station at Camelback and Highway 81 and noted the remodeled fire station at Chestnut.
"Also, the one on Chestnut is where the baby box is going to go," she said.
She said they received a CDBG matching grant to do road construction and repair some of the oldest roads in southeast Duncan.
The next Duncan Chamber of Commerce Breakfast will take place May 2. For more information about Life's Hope, visit Life's Hope at www.lifeshopeok.com, Facebook, Instagram or email info@lifeshopeok.com
In other news, the following events are upcoming:
—April 17: Dorpers Sheep Show at the Stephens County Fair and Expo Center
—April 19: Friday Night Car Cruise, Main Street Duncan
—April 19-20: EBC Two Bulls Challenge at the Stephens County Fair and Expo Center
—April 20: Chisholm Trail Car Show, Main Street Duncan
—April 20: Plant Swap at the Stephens County Fair and Expo Center
—April 22: Community Planning Forum from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at City Hall in Duncan
—April 25: Battle on the Prairie Heifer Futurity at the Stephens County Fair and Expo Center
—April 26: Plain Dirt Farms Texoma Spring Classic Longhorn Sale at the Stephens County Fair and Expo Center
—April 26: DRH Health Foundation Gala at the Simmons Center
—April 26: Legislative Coffee at Cameron University
—April 27: Happy Hens Auction at the Stephens County Fair and Expo Center
