Letter to the Editor: Hubbard, WOFCC - 12/22/2011

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Published on Friday, 23 December 2011 11:59

Holiday Greetings!

Hope deferred makes a heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12. Each day we see how God works to transform lives by renewing "Hope" where despair once flourished. The Western Oklahoma Family Care Center Hope Dental Clinic has been seeing patients since April 15 and the Hope Medical Clinic will be open soon. There is also a Career Center, Counseling, Financial Management, Job Placement, in addition to assistance in providing clothes, utilities, rent, etc. for those individuals whose lives have been impacted by poverty.

We would like to Thank all of our friends and former students for their generous donations, both for the construction phase and the fundraiser banquet held at the Civic Center. We would like to apologize to Tana Smith Feldman for her misspelled name and to the GFWC-OK Arimathaea/Iris Garden Club for being omitted from the list of Silver Partners during renovation.

We heard so many compliments on the delicious dinner catered by Elegant Events. That you to the Reverend Terry Koehn for the Invocation and the New Day Band from the United Methodist Church. Praise and Worship music is always a wonderful addition to any Christian event and they were great!

Much praise also goes to the Reverend Jesse McKinnon for having the vision to transform the old National Guard Armory as a service to help those less fortunate in Western Oklahoma.

Nancy McKinnon is the Executive Director of WOFCC and the "oil" that keeps the operation running smoothly. The unsung volunteer is Tim Ball the Assistant Director, Financial Manager and also assists in the dental lab. A man of all trades who treats his job as a full-time employee and all this without any pay. Jeanette Click is very efficient and sits at the desk that opens to the window and greets clients.

Many thanks go to Dr. Pete Stover, the Dental Clinic Director and Dr. Roy Thornbrough from Sayre who donate much of their time and have seen over one hundred patients with over one hundred more on the waiting list. From the first of November, they have provided more than $50,000.00 worth of services for free. The Doctor's Cathy and Danny Fuchs are doing permanent fillings in their clinic free of charge. We hope more dentists will volunteer so the clinic can operate several days a month. Dr. Joe Phillips who brings his dental hygienist from the school at Weatherford every Wednesday for free teeth cleaning and dental hygiene, told us he is so grateful the towns can work together and share. Elk City has the only free dental clinic in all of Western Oklahoma.

Soliciting individuals and businesses for auction items were Marilyn Lewis, Figiana Horn, Neva Pyatt and the McKinnons. 

A thank you to them and all those donating gift items. We are very grateful to Brad and Vera Gilbert for the Wacky Playhouse, L.C. Price for the half of beef, Pat Mag of Canute for her painting, and Anne Smith for the donation of a romantic get-away at the Standifer Bed and Breakfast. Mike and Cindy Grant and their assistants volunteered as the auctioneers for the event. We were unable to stay for the auction and were told the guest speaker bought the Western Dinner Bell made by Dale Tracy of Cheyenne. 

We really appreciate the interest shown in helping us raise money from those out of town. Sponsoring tables were Linda Sinor (widow of former student Tim Sinor) owner of EMS at Clinton, Ross and Jane Hutchinson who brought friends and filled two tables with the help of Mary Lee French of Sayre, Geneva Farris who has family from Sentinel and sponsored three tables and Robert Hefner, Jr with GHK in Oklahoma City.

Both Elk City Newspapers have given front page space for colored photos and articles. A 'special appreciation' goes to Liz at the Elk City Daily News (who shares the same birth year as our oldest grandson) who was the first person to sponsor a table. She also gave time from her busy schedule to come and tour the old armory, and we'd like to invite everyone to come and see what has been accomplished in one year's time. 

Jesse and Tim with assistance from DOC have transformed "the old to an impressive new." Other tenants sharing the building are Action Associates (domestic abuse), Baptist Disaster Relief, Help, Inc., (food pantry), Red Cross and Salvation Army.

As we sing 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in "at this time of giving, the reason for the season is Jesus who preached "It is more blessed to give than receive," Acts 20:35. The Community Care Center at 609 W.E. is truly a "Blessed Gift for Western Oklahoma in the year 2011 and for all time." Merry Christmas and Happy Healthy 2012.

In Christian Love,
Bill and Lois Hubbard