New Human Services office to link Oklahomans with faith-based, nonprofit groups
Gov. Kevin Stitt speaks at a news conference at the state Capitol on Thursday, announcing the new Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. (Screenshot image)
OKLAHOMA CITY — A new division within Oklahoma Human Services will serve as a connecting point between state government, religious institutions and nonprofits.
Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives will link state agencies and their clients with organizations and houses of worship willing to offer services and volunteers.
Gov. Kevin Stitt announced the office on Thursday, saying it will focus on family and youth-related needs, such as foster care, addiction recovery and services for recently released inmates. He said any nonprofit organization, not only religious groups, can take part.
"We wanted the government to be able to share and to be able to organize and bring these groups together because at the end of the day it's about neighbors walking with neighbors that are going to fix these problems, not another government program," Stitt said in a news conference Thursday.
The office, though housed at the Human Services Department, is tied to four other state agencies: the Department of Corrections, the Office of Juvenile Affairs, the Department of Health, and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
Its staff also coordinate the "Be a Neighbor" campaign that invites churches and community groups to donate food, clothing, housing and other necessities.
House Bill 3840 created the office this year to act as a liaison between public and private services. Rep. Ajay Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville, were the bill's authors.
Pittman said faith-based institutions are a crucial resource for vulnerable Oklahomans. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, churches provided food, child care and internet access for students doing schoolwork, she said.
"Whether it's through mentorship programs, after-school support, family counseling or basic services, our faith-based communities have shown time and time again their commitment to bringing hope and stability to those who need it most," Pittman said.
Life.Church Shawnee associate pastor Ian Brown said his church recruited 17 families, including his own, to become foster parents. The church also developed a network of members who agreed to support the foster families.
Brown said the church worked with Oklahoma Human Services and Pottawatomie and Lincoln counties to make the initiative a reality. He said his family ultimately adopted the three children placed in their home.
"It's still been the partnerships that I've had with (Human Services) and Pottawatomie and Lincoln county and my church that's helped us to navigate the ups and downs of being a family that goes through that," Brown said at Thursday's news conference.
