4 minute read
NSO releases annual report, good news
from The Contact 2-21-24
by okumc
"You can’t be all things to all people,” or so the old saying goes.
“Challenge accepted,” or so our friends at NSO seem to say.
Neighborhood Services Organization (NSO) is an extension ministry that Oklahoma United Methodist churches have the option to support through pledges.
The organization offers housing, dental care, a WIC clinic, rent and mortgage assistance, and so much more.
The organization’s recentlyreleased annual report offers some statistics from 2023.
Housing
The Carolyn Williams Center serves young men aging out of foster care. It provides transitional housing for two years as they gain independent living skills and make the transition into adulthood.
The center has room for 17 young men; the current construction project will grow that number to 21.
Martha’s House serves as a twoyear transitional housing program for unhoused pregnant and parenting mothers with multiple children. All furnishings and household items are provided, along with case management and life skills classes.
Gatewood, similarly, is a two year transitional housing program. It is geared toward pregnant women or mothers with a child under five years old, and offers the same comprehensive support as Martha’s
House. Between the two programs, NSO has served 24 mothers and 50 children in 2023.
Palo Duro I and Palo Duro II provide single, unhoused adults living with mental illness, a permanent home. The residences offer space for 36 individuals, with case management and independent living.
The two homes served 39
individuals in 2023, but they had calls from over 2,700 people seeking assistance.
Rent and Mortgage Assistance
NSO keeps families and individuals in their homes or helps them find their first home by assisting with rent, mortgages, and deposits. In 2023, the Rent and Mortgage Assistance Program prevented 68
families, comprising 160 adults and children, from becoming homeless.
Dental Clinic
NSO’s dental clinic is a low-cost clinic with no restrictions to qualify for its services. Staffed full-time, including weekends, the clinic provides dental care for all who need it.
In 2023, NSO’s dental clinic provided over 11,700 procedures, serving over 1,600 patients.
Additionally, NSO participates in the Oral Health Outreach Program, which educates adults and children alike about the importance of oral health.
Staff of the clinic provided oral hygiene education and screenings to over 27,000 people in Oklahoma City.
WIC Clinic
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is a vital, national program providing supplemental food, nutrition education, and nursing support for pregnant women and mothers of children under five years old.
NSO’s WIC clinic is the largest clinic in the state, with an average of more than 900 appointments per month.
NSO WIC Clinic has a caseload of more than 58,000, with over 117,000 calls in 2023.
NSO WIC also participates in the Summer Food Program through the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank. The organization provided over 2,300 meals to children in 2023.
If all of this is not enough, NSO WIC Clinic held its first ever Family Fun Health Fair in 2023, with over 500 attendees and 15 community vendors. The event provided children’s immunizations, vision and dental screenings, infant supplies, and games and activities.
What’s Next
NSO needs volunteers in order to continue its vital ministry. Church groups and individuals are encouraged to sign up to help at NSO.
In addition to working, like the organization’s Outdoor Beautification Project, volunteers can put together homeless hygiene kits, hold donation drives, provide a welcome basket to a young man in the Carolyn Williams Center, or volunteer with ICE Angels, serving the homeless population.
Additionally, volunteers can help with meal prep or catering boxed meals for the Carolyn Williams Center.
For more information or to find out how you can get involved, click here.
