The Shawnee Lions Club presented checks for $500 each to Family Promise of Shawnee and Stand in the Gap Ministries. The checks were presented at a recent meeting by Lions Club President Brandon Hokit. “at the beginning of the year when we prepared our budget, I requested funds for 2 organizations that I feel strongly about and Julie and I are involved in, and I know that others are involved in. I had these organizations specifically in mind when I started my term as president.”

Family Promise

The Mission of Family Promise is to help families in need achieve self-sufficiency through volunteer-based mentorship. We strive to alleviate the trauma of homelessness and assist families in securing a stable home. This is accomplished by providing a caring, dignified environment of overnight hospitality in church facilities, and by providing supportive services to help families become independent.

 

David Henry accepted the check on behalf of Family Promise. “Family Promise exists because of volunteers and donations like this. Family Promise works with children and families with children. We take 4 families at a time to live with us and we provide everything that they need – food, transportation, training – and in return they have things they must do. For example they have to get a job in 30 days. They save 80 to 90 percent of everything they earn and help them pay off little debts and get them ready to move into permanent housing.”

Stand in the Gap Ministries

Stand in the Gap was founded in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1997. They have staff in Tulsa and Oklahoma City and primarily serve those metro areas. Today, they impact the the lives of more than 3000 orphans, widows and prisoners annually. Funds are raised through generous donations from individuals, churches and businesses as well as various foundation partners

 

Rhonda Sokoff accepted the check on behalf of Stand in the Gap Ministries. “We serve widows and orphans and prisoners. We have a small group model with three to four volunteer mentors around a widow or orphan or woman in transition from being incarcerated to help them be successful in society. Volunteer leaders serve a 1 year commitment.”