Pictured left to right: Hans H. Thun, III, Advisory Board Chairman, The Salvation Army Central Oklahoma; Erika Warren, Manager, Grants and Programs, Oklahoma City Community Foundation; and Major Thomas McWilliams, Area Commander, The Salvation Army Central Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Salvation Army Central Oklahoma is pleased to announce it has received a $20,000 grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation and its Services for the Elderly iFund grant program. The grant will be used to assist in funding Senior Watch through The Salvation Army’s Senior Programs Department, which will allow the nonprofit to increase its level of service to the population it serves.

“We are so pleased to have received this grant,” says Major Thomas McWilliams, area commander. “These funds will enable us to continue to meet those critical needs being experienced by so many of our seniors. We appreciate the support of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.”

Through The Salvation Army’s Senior Watch points-of-service, Senior Programs staff are serving as advocates for the well-being of seniors and want to do what they can to help those who truly need assistance. This need may be one of independence or self-sufficiency. It may also fall into the area of urgent or critical need. The needs are as varied as the situation one may face such as receiving a terminal diagnosis and needing assistance to find care options; being relocated to hospice or assisted living; an air conditioning unit crashing in the middle of summer and funding out it is unrepairable; a wheel chair breaking down; refrigerator going out; or, and most heart wrenching, a senior needing a bed as he has been sleeping on the floor for several months, or even years.

The Salvation Army Central Oklahoma has been serving the elderly population for over 50 years. There are currently four senior centers in the Oklahoma City metro area serving approximately 350-425 seniors each week. The centers are open to anyone age 55 or older, free of charge. Wellness activities, lunch, Bible study, and reading and discussion groups are all a part of the current programming taking place. Those locations are:

DANFORTH CENTER
5301 N. Meridian
Oklahoma City, OK 73112

REDING CENTER
1000 SW 38th St.
Oklahoma City, OK 73109

SHARTEL CENTER
5415 S. Shartel
Oklahoma City, OK 73109

WARR ACRES CENTER
4301 N. Ann Arbor
Oklahoma City, OK 73122

For more information about Senior Programs, please contact Lisa Sydnor, senior programs manager, at 405-246-1120.

About Oklahoma City Community Foundation

Founded in 1969, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that works with donors to create charitable funds that will benefit our community both now and in the future. An initiative of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation Trustees, the iFund grant program utilizes gifts from donors to support services for children and elderly, as well as provide access to health care. To learn more about the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, visit www.occf.org.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination. Nearly 183,000 Oklahomans receive assistance from The Salvation Army Central Oklahoma each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. About 83 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyokcac.org. The Salvation Army Central Oklahoma Area Command is a proud partner agency of the United Way of Central Oklahoma. 

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