Get to know our Midtown Worship Location - The Citadel

 

Come by and learn about all the programs and worship opportunities that are available at The Tulsa Citadel! 

~Lindsay

Midwestern Tornado Relief

The Arkansas-Oklahoma Division is responding to storms across the Midwest. The Tulsa mobile feeding unit was dispatched last night to the Joplin area with Captain Warren Jones from our Sapulpa Corp and one volunteer ready to serve. In Joplin, they will serve alongside other officers and volunteers to help all of those in need. Please continue your prayers for all of those affected.

To give a gift to support relief efforts text the word JOPLIN to 80888, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY or give securely online here.

New “Mabee Baby” Honored with Trip to Disney World

The National Salvation Army honored North Mabee Boys & Girls Club member and McLain High School senior Ramone Malone and his family recently by giving them a complimentary weekend trip to Disney World and showing a video of Ramone’s life at the National Advisory Organizations Conference. The video illustrated how Ramone had overcome obstacles in his life with support from the North Mabee Club. 
After the video, Ramone and Major Roy Williams stood on stage in front of 2,000 people and Ramone thanked the Salvation Army and the North Mabee Club for helping him. He received a standing ovation. The stage had been occupied by former first lady Laura Bush and her daughter Jenna the day before.  Ramone has been accepted to North Eastern Oklahoma State University in the fall and is looking forward to studying business. Long-time North Mabee Club Director Mrs. Jo Bright said Ramone is a “true Mabee Baby”,  her nick name for former members of the Club who have become  outstanding adults.  “Time spent, lessons learned and appreciation shown has been Ramone’s history here at the Club. He was always willing to help, try new things and he worked hard to be the best he could be,” Mrs. Bright said. 
Congratulations to Ramone, his mother Christi and eight-year-old brother Ja'Shaun, who is also a member of the Club. It was great to see you at Disney World and watch you represent Tulsa with dignity and grace. I hope you had the time of your life!

-Sallie

Ramone was also featured in this National Salvation Army commercial seen on television across the country this past holiday season!

Mary's Letter

This letter was sent to our Center of Hope and I wanted to share. It is always nice to know that our work each day touches lives and makes a difference :)  Mary applied for utility assistance and an $80 payment kept the water on in her home.  Utility assistance programs like this keep many from becoming homeless. ~Lindsay


Dear Salvation Army,

I am writing you this letter to thank you so much for helping me with my bill. At that time I was needing help BAD! I am very thankful for you all and your help. You paid my water bill, thanks very much for your assistance. I say again, from the bottom of my heart God bless you and your caseworkers and workers and their families.

Know that God loves each one of you.

Mary

PS. Remember you're always in my prayers, always. Just remember you help a lot of people Salvation Army. Smile.

Breakfast Celebrates Volunteers

It was a beautiful spring morning when the Tulsa Area Command honored its volunteers by treating them to breakfast and giving them their Presidential Awards.

 Volunteers from four of six Boys & Girls Clubs and the Center of Hope came to the Central Center at Centennial Park to hear comments from Major Roy Williams and each of the Tulsa Area Command directors who count on their volunteers. “Without you, we could not do what we do,” Major Williams said.

The variety of volunteers was impressive; an 88-year-old Aquatics teacher, four ladies from US Cellular who translate Spanish at the Center of Hope and a lady who rings bells five days a week at Broken Arrow Walmarts. 

Volunteer Coordinator Rhonda McDaniel told the story of the Presidential Awards, which are divided into bronze, silver and gold categories, and are signed by President Obama.

 Congratulations to all our volunteers. We appreciate you more than you could ever know!
-Sallie

Women Helping Women through Golf

Warm hearts and cold hands filled the dining room at the Fourth Annual Women Helping Women Golf Tournament held at Meadowbrook Golf Club Monday.  It was 40 degrees at the shotgun start of the tournament, but the “saving grace” from the cold was the lack of wind and rain, Michael Dishman, Salvation Army Special Events Director said.  The women’s tournament raised $50,000 that will help women and children staying at the Salvation Army Center of Hope homeless shelter and social services center. After playing golf, 14 women’s teams settled into the club dining room for a delicious lunch of warm taco salad. Advisory Board Chair Billie Barnett said that the Center of Hope helps an average of 60 women and 60 children every night. She thanked tournament chair Sandi Pittman for her dedication to taking the event “up to the next level.” The women had such a good time at the club that they have already scheduled next year’s tournament at Meadowbrook June 4, 2012. With a little luck, they won’t need to wear warm up suits next year! Thanks to everyone who braved the cold to do the greatest good for women and children who need it the most.

-Sallie

Claremore Kids Skip Prom to Paint Playground

Many thanks to Matthew Patrick who recently skipped his prom at Claremore High School to paint playground equipment at the West Mabee Boys & Girls Club. Matt brought a group a friends from the "Next Generation" youth group from First United Methodist Church of Claremore. Members included: Nakylan Walker, James Jones, Tommy Howe, Jose Ibanez, Jaime Willis, Paige Fingerle, Nicole IbanezCassandra Scott. A reporter and photographer from the Tulsa World were also on site to get the story of this amazing group of kids.

Thank you to Matt and your amazing friends - you did a great job! 


Sallie

Happy Easter

Are you and your family looking for a place to celebrate and worship this Easter? Join us in Sapulpa, Sand Springs or Broken Arrow!

The Sand Springs Corps will be combining for a "SonRise Service" at 8 a.m. with the Sapulpa corps at their building (1721 S. Hickory). Afterwards, there will be a breakfast at 9 a.m. at the Sapulpa Corps for attendees.

The Sand Springs Corps will then be hosting their Easter Celebration service at 11a.m. at their facility (4403 S. 129th West Avenue) in Sand Springs.

The Sapulpa Corps will open a Good Friday Prayer Station Service beginning at 1 p.m on April 22. On April 23rd they will have an amazing Youth Easter Rally with musical entertainment by “Consumed by Fire” a local Christian Rock Band.  On Easter, they will have the early “SonRise Sevice” (see above) as well as their main Easter Service at 11 a.m. at their facility (1721 S. Hickory) followed by a lunch and Easter egg hunt!

Broken Arrow Corps is conducting their annual Community Easter Egg Hunt at their facility (1400 W. Washington) on Thursday April 21st at 5:30 (ages 0-12)  with 5 prize baskets per age group. Easter Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning.

Easter is a great opportunity to find a place to worship that meets your spiritual needs. We hope that you will join us. Hoppy Easter :)

~Lindsay

In Sand Springs, Tuesdays are totally fit and totally cool!

The problem of childhood obesity is in the news every day and one Boys & Girls Club in the Tulsa area is rising to the challenge of doing something about it. “Totally Fit Tuesdays” at the Sand Springs Boys & Girls Club make it fun for kids to eat healthy, stay active and learn to reduce stress.  Program director Nathan Nevers said he is already seeing results. “We’ve only taught the program for two months, but I can see a change in attitude.  Kids are getting more involved in playing,” Nevers said. 

Nathan said kids who used to think that exercise had to be strenuous to be good for them are learning that any kind of activity is not only good for them but fun.  Every Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Nathan and program aides Mary Bechtold and Jennifer Bryant divide sixty plus kids into three rooms where they teach three twenty-minute sessions about nutrition, fitness and relaxation techniques. Of course, Boys & Girls Clubs are well known for organized sports, but on Totally Fit Tuesdays the kids play games in which kids of all ages and sizes can feel competent, such as jumping rope.

Happy National Volunteer Week! This is a week of Celebrating People in Action. The Tulsa Area Salvation Army saw 122,300 hours of volunteer action 2010. The dollar value and savings generated from these volunteer hours is well over two million dollars. That’s incredible, and just imagine the lives changed with all those hours given. We have the best volunteers!

Here’s what we are doing to honor our volunteers this week:

1.  Thank You Posters: You’ll find bright posters saying “thanks” at all The Salvation Army locations this week. These posters were made especially for us by a local Girl Scout Troop of volunteers.

2.  The Center of Hope: Every volunteer that comes in this week will receive a heartfelt thank you card and a 100 Grand candy bar. They are worth 100 Grand to us!

3.  North Mabee Boys and Girls Club: The club will host their 18th annual Daddy's Invitational Tournament (DIT) run by alumni; Rocky Bright. This event will be filled with celebrating volunteers. Each year volunteers play a game of basketball, and the kids of North Mabee referee.

4.  West Mabee Boys and Girls Club: The club will host a Volunteer Awards Ceremony Friday, April 15th at 7:00 p.m. to honor volunteers, spotlighting basketball coaches.

5.  Area Command: This week the directors of each Boys & Girls Club and the Center of Hope homeless shelter will hand out invitations that read like a proclamation and looks a lot like the Presidential Proclamation for Volunteer Week. Selected volunteers are invited attend a Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast to be held May 12th. More than 100 volunteers with The Salvation Army will be awarded the Presidential Volunteer Award for their service at the breakfast.

6.  Overall: We will spend a lot of time this week one-on-one just saying a personal “thank you” to volunteers.

If you are a volunteer in our community THANK YOU. To learn more about volunteering with The Salvation Army CLICK HERE.

Women Helping Women

 

It is time!! Get your team together for this great annual event.  The tournament will be an 18 hole, 4-person scramble format. Participants may select their own teams or allow our staff to place them. Sponsorships are still available from a $125 hole sponsorship to the $10,000 title sponsorship.  To view the tournament brochure, click here.  If you have questions about signing up a team ($500) or individual ($125) call Michael at 918-407-6885. I was very lucky to attend last year and I can assure you, a girls day on the golf course is full of fun! 

~Lindsay

Mabee Red Shield Member to be a Duke Scholar

The Salvation Army Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club congratulates Dishon Liamore and his mother, Jessica, for Dishon’s PERFECT SCORE on the OCCT math exam and the resulting invitation to join the Duke University's Young Scholars Program. In addition to doing his homework at the club, Dishon often helps other club members with their homework - especially in math. All of the club staff, including Jerome Smith, unit director; Sam Berry, athletic director; Jamecia Marshall, program director; Miss LaDonna, Young Rembrandts teacher; and program aides Chasity McBride and Niva Grayson send Dishon their best!


 
-Sallie

Batter Up!

Spring sports are in full swing at the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs with T-ball and Coach Pitch baseball already underway at three clubs. The first game of the season is Monday with North Mabee playing at O’Brien Park at 6 p.m.

At the Mabee Red Shield Club, Athletic Director Sam Berry has kids ages four through six playing T-Ball. For more information, call the club at 918-834-2464.

West Mabee Club Director Jamar Giddings has 15 kids playing T-ball. He’s still accepting kids in the program and said that if he gets any more, he’ll split the kids into two teams. He can be reached at 918-582-4237.

The Sapulpa Boys & Girls Club’s T-Ball team for ages four through six has been practicing and their first game is Sat., April 16. In late April, Sapulpa will start baseball and softball tournaments for all ages. For more information call Athletic Director Teresa Bowers at 918-224-4415.

North Mabee Athletic Director Kenny King said he hopes to have three teams this year with pre-K thru second graders playing T-ball, fifth and sixth graders playing Coach Pitch and Middle School students also playing Coach Pitch. For more information, call the club at 918-425-7534.

-Sallie

Tulsa Boys & Girls Clubs Honored at State Banquet

Jean Smith was named  Outstanding
Administrator for Boys & Girls Clubs
in Oklahoma

Alex Walker (see below) isn’t the only one who walked away with some wonderful awards given recently at the annual Youth of the Year Boys & Girls Club State Banquet in Oklahoma City. Jean Smith, administrator for all the Tulsa clubs, won the Outstanding Administrator award for the state. “Jean totally deserves this award. She always goes above and beyond her responsibilities. Plus, she’s a great sounding board for me to run ideas by,” David Litterell, Tulsa Boys & Girls Clubs Executive Director said. 

Greg Parker won Outstanding Contribution
to the Profession and his "Totally Fit Tuesdays" won
Outstanding Fitness Program

Greg Parker, Unit Director of the Sand Springs Boys & Girls Club, won the Outstanding Contribution to the Profession award and a program his staff created won the Outstanding Fitness Program award. “Totally Fit Tuesdays” in Sand Springs addresses the issue of childhood obesity by teaching kids about nutrition, staying active and handling stress. Totally Fit Tuesdays was created and is taught by program aides Mary Bedhtold, Nathan Nevers and Jennifer Bryant. “The younger you can teach kids about healthy habits the better,” Greg said. Let’s hear it for Jean and Greg! 

-Sallie

18th Annual Daddy's Invitational Tournament

 

We hope you will join us for this great annual event.  Click image to enlarge!

Tulsa Kid is STATE Youth of the Year!

Broken Arrow's Alex Walker, Oklahoma's Youth of the Year,
with Governor Mary Fallin

For the first time in over a decade, a young person from a Tulsa area Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club has won the state Youth of the Year contest, qualifying him for the regional competition. Alex Walker from the Broken Arrow Boys & Girls Club competed with kids from six Oklahoma clubs to take the honor. After being selected as Tulsa’s Youth of the Year, Walker had to wow the judges at the state level. All of the Youths of the Year gathered in Oklahoma City last Tuesday to hear Governor Mary Fallin make a speech and meet the other young people. Walker, an Eagle Scout, distinguished himself with good grades, involvement with the BA club and many community activities. “But what made Alex stand out here at our BA club was how the other kids responded to him.  He is a leader and has compassion for those who need extra help.  Alex has a servant’s heart and wants to make a difference in someone's else's life,” Janis Fraley, BA unit director said. Congratulations Alex! 

 -Sallie

Chili Yum Yum

 

Click to enlarge. Hope you can join us!

Eat Pancakes for a GREAT Cause!

Celebrate Boys & Girls Clubs, Volunteer!

It's National Boys & Girls Club Week! Every year across the country hundreds of communities celebrate all that Boys & Girls Clubs are doing for local youth.  This year, why don't you celebrate by volunteering at your local club?

Want to play with kids, make a difference, and do the most good? Come volunteer at a Boys and Girls Club. There are 6 Boys and Girls Club locations in the Tulsa area to chose from. Call the Volunteer Coordinator, Rhonda McDaniel, at 918-587-7801 x113 for more information.

Boys & Girls Club Locations:
Mabee Red Shield - 1231 N. Harvard, Tulsa;
North Mabee - 3001 N Cincinnati, Tulsa;
West Mabee - 2143 S Olympia, Tulsa;
Broken Arrow - 1400 W. Washington, Broken Arrow;
Sand Springs - 4403 S. 129th West Ave., Sand Springs;
Sapulpa - 1721 S. Hickory, Sapulpa.

Opportunities for Individuals:

Bus Ride Along- Connect with and encourage kids before and/or after school while on the Boys & Girls Club bus (no driving necessary).
Commitment: School Year (at least once a week)
Hours: 1-2 hours either before or after school, starting 30 minutes before the beginning/end of day. Hours vary based on school.

After School Program Volunteer- Help coordinate projects and play with children during the after school programs.
Commitment: minimum of 1 day per week for 2 hours.
Hours: 3:30-5:30

Summer Day Camp Counselor- Be a model for team work and help campers have FUN in a safe environment.
Commitment: First Day of Summer to Last Day of Summer (must work at least one day a week for a half day or more)
Hours: 8AM-6PM (flexible)

One Time Opportunities for Groups:
Clean-Up Crews- help keep the clubs beautiful and safe for kids.
Commitment: One day, average 2-4 hours

Youth Outreach Groups- bring your youth group to do a skit, drama or teaching and/or just to play with the kids for a half or full day during summer day camp.
Commitment: One day, minimum of 2-4 hours

To sign for any of these opportunities, call 918-581-7801 x113 or e-mail Rhonda.

Systems Manager & Tutors Needed!

Positions Available, read below for more information!

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Systems Manager
Full-Time

Monitors, troubleshoots, and maintains the day-to-day operations of all Tulsa Metro locations to keep computer hardware and software at an optimal level of functioning. Plans and performs installation of new computer equipment.  Coordinates schedules and leads training classes and provides individual training sessions for end-users.  Researches and purchases new PCs, peripheral equipments and applications. Monitors, troubleshoots and maintains the telephone systems, fax machines, copiers and postage meter and security systems.

Special Knowledge, Skill and Ability Requirements:
Knowledge of the principles and practices of computer programming logic.  Knowledge of operating system and data base capabilities, installation and maintenance. Knowledge of the capabilities of microcomputers and peripheral devises. Operation and application knowledge of the following: MS Windows Operating Systems, XP, Lotus Notes, Vista & Windows 7, knowledge of MS office including Access, printers/copiers troubleshooting, software and phone systems maintenances. Ability to meet attendance requirements and to read, write and communicate the English language. Lifting up to 50 lbs, travel, walking, and standing.

Education and Experience Required:
Two years college or technical school degree in Computer Science or related filed. Three years progressively responsible experience selecting, installing, troubleshooting and repairing a variety of computer information systems and computer environments common to the Salvation Army. Or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.