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A community that breathes hope and affirmation - and serves kids

Spot 31, Inc., has its roots in the congregation of Hope United Methodist Church in Eastside Tulsa.

One evening in the summer of 2011, a small group of Hope United Methodist Church adults sat down for their Wednesday evening meal and worship service. As they served the meal, two elementary-aged children walked in the door. The adults invited the children to join them. They all ate and talked for a while. The congregation found out the children lived right next door and told them they were welcome to come by anytime.

The next week, the two neighborhood children returned to Hope and brought along two friends. These friends then brought their friends, and these friends brought more friends. In just a matter of months, the church went from serving twenty adults to feeding fifty, sixty, seventy, and eventually 80 neighborhood childrenand anyone else - who would show up on a Wednesday evening.

Hope had no children’s program, no gym, no fancy playground; yet every Wednesday at 4:30 sharp, the crowd of elementary and middle school kids would begin to gather. They just wanted to hang out until dinner, talk to each other and the adults, and then hang out some more.

Hope took a good look at their Eastside Tulsa neighborhood and discovered it was one of the most diverse, multicultural neighborhoods in the country. Located on 31st Street between 129th East Avenue and Garnett Road, the neighborhood is 41 percent Anglo, 32 percent Latino, 13 percent Black, four percent Asian, and an additional 10 percent comprised of a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Hope also discovered that more than 20 percent of area children lived below the poverty line. At least a third of the children were experiencing food insecurity, with some area schools providing subsidized meals to 100 percent of their students. The neighborhood was poorer than 75 percent of the country. The church also discovered that public schools were overcrowded and underfunded and that the area crime rate was three times the US average.

The congregation finally understood. Their unexpected visitors were after a hot meal and a place to feel safe for a few hours among trusted adults. They wanted a community that breathed hope and affirmation. These children found in Hope UMC persons to step up to the plate for them and tackle some of the larger social, educational, and physical needs of Eastside Tulsa. Because of this, Hope UMC’s small, aging congregation soon became “The Spot” for children and youth to gather.

In the fall of 2014, Hope United Methodist Church formed Spot 31, Inc., an independent charitable organization to do even more for children.

Spot 31 started out tutoring and feeding children at the church, but soon grew to become an on-site after school program. The organization currently serves around 170 children at three elementary schools in the Tulsa and Union school districts, with a director, Debbie Gant, and 12 parttime paid staff providing tutoring. This makes more sense and doesn’t require transportation of students.

Additionally, Spot 31 offers two seven-week summer camps complete with enrichment programming, field trips, and tons of fun! The camps accommodate two different age groups, and number around 70 each year.

“Every day, we have art, baking, science experiments, outdoor play, karaoke, beading, Legos, and gardening. We incorporate other activities into each week,” Gant described. “We have EMSA, police and the Fire Department visit. The Tulsa Zoo visits, along with the Tulsa Library, Southwest Dairy Association, 4H, OSU extension, and many more. The older group has field trips and many handson activities.”

When a church looks around at what’s already happening and sees a need and then acts to fill it, that is true Christian service at its finest.

“It’s quite a deal, and it’s very badly needed in our area,” said Rev. Rich Brasher, pastor at Hope UMC. “They go to the schools and tutor the kids. They feed them, too.”

Brasher noted that many children served by Spot 31 are food insecure and may not have access to healthy food at home.

He also explained that Gant is the organizer, planner, and executor of the program. And she does it all as a volunteer. She definitely has a calling to ministry.

“When we first began Spot 31, I had yet to learn what direction we would go in,” said Gant. “I met with local schools to see what the needs of our community were. I soon learned that this community needs help making ends meet - 90 percent of the families in our community work outside the home but do not earn a living. The schools are overcrowded and underfunded. Daycare in our area stops when children reach kindergarten.

“Families are desperate for a place where their children can go after school and in the summer to feel safe, learn, have fun, and be around adult mentors who can assist their children in building positive assets. I have a deep love and now a bond with this community. Families are so grateful for Spot 31 and the services we provide.

“We see their children grow and sometimes come back and work for us at Summer Camp. We have some families whose children attend from kindergarten through sixth grade. When parents see you in the grocery store, they hug you and tell you how much they appreciate Spot 31. We have parents who tell us we taught their children to read and how much they love Spot 31.”

In a nutshell, Gant said, “I have loved every minute of getting to know our community and the families who live in it.”

If your church is interested in starting something similar, or supporting the work of Spot 31, check out the Spot 31 website or reach out to Hope UMC in Tulsa.

This story includes the origin story from Spot 31’s website, along with additional information provided by Hope UMC treasurer Linda Johnson, Spot 31 director Debbie Gant, and pastor Rev. Rich Brasher.

All photos courtesy Spot 31.

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