Neighborhood Services Organization Inc

NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES ORGANIZATION, INC., WAS FOUNDED IN 1920 AND INCORPORATED ON AUGUST 19, 1969 AS A FAITH-BASED NONPROFIT CORPORATION. ITS MISSION IS TRANSFORMING LIVES AND ENCOURAGING INDEPENDENCE THROUGH SAFE, HEALTHY HOMES, DENTAL CARE, AND NUTRITION.

4A: WIC - WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES ORGANIZATION'S WIC CLINIC IS THE LARGEST INDEPENDENT WIC CLINIC IN OKLAHOMA AND PROVIDES SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD VOUCHERS, HEALTH CARE REFERRALS AND NUTRITION/HEALTH INFORMATION TO LOW-INCOME PREGNANT, BREAST- FEEDING, AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN AND THEIR INFANTS/CHILDREN UP TO AGE FIVE. IN 2020, NSO'S WIC CASELOAD WAS 63,000. OUR CLINIC SERVED AS A DIVERSION SITE, SERVING PEOPLE FROM 28 COUNTIES WHERE OTHER WIC CLINICS HAD TO REDIRECT THEIR PRIORITIES AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC. IN ADDITION, IN 2020 THE WIC CLINIC PROVIDED MORE THAN 7,000 MEALS TO CHILDREN THROUGH NSO'S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE REGIONAL FOOD BANK OF OKLAHOMA'S SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM - THIS WAS AN INCREASE OF 250% OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

4B: HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SINCE 1920, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES ORGANIZATION, INC. HAS SERVED CENTRAL OKLAHOMA'S MOST MARGINALIZED NEIGHBORS - THOSE LIVING IN POVERTY, THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THE UNINSURED/UNDERINSURED AND THOSE AT RISK FOR HOMELESSNESS AND HUNGER. THROUGHOUT ITS HISTORY, NSO HAS FOCUSED ON MEETING THE DYNAMIC NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. THIS INCLUDES INCUBATING INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS THAT MEET EMERGING AND UNMET NEEDS. SEVERAL OF THOSE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE OKC FOOD BANK AND OTHERS, WERE FOUNDED AND NURTURED AT NSO BEFORE BECOMING INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. NSO LEADERS CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. WE COLLABORATE WITH OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS TO IDENTIFY GAPS AND ELIMINATE DUPLICATION OF EFFORT. TODAY, OUR SERVICE PRIORITIES ARE HOUSING, NUTRITION, AND HEALTH. IN 2020, NSO'S HOUSING PROGRAMS INCLUDED HOMELESS PREVENTION, EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE WITH RENT AND MORTGAGES, TRANSITIONAL LIVING, AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. POPULATIONS SERVED INCLUDE YOUNG MEN AGES 18-23; MOTHERS AND CHILDREN; AND CHRONICALLY UNHOUSED ADULTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. THE CAROLYN WILLIAMS CENTER (CWC) IS A 24-MONTH TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM SERVING UNHOUSED YOUNG MEN AGES 18-23. MANY CWC RESIDENTS HAVE AGED OUT OF FOSTER CARE. THE CWC'S GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A SAFE, HEALTHY HOME FOR THE YOUNG MEN, WHILE HELPING THEM DEVELOP THE RESOURCES AND SKILLS NEEDED TO TRANSITION INTO A PERMANENT HOME. IN 2020, THIS PROGRAM SERVED 29 YOUNG MEN AND PROVIDED 950 HOURS OF CASE MANAGEMENT. NSO HAS TWO TRANSITIONAL LIVING PROGRAMS FOR UNHOUSED MOTHERS AND CHILDREN. AT MARTHA'S HOUSE, WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN HAVE A FURNISHED THREE-BEDROOM APARTMENT. AT GATEWOOD, MOTHERS WHO ARE PREGNANT OR HAVE A YOUNG CHILD HAVE A FURNISHED ONE-BEDROOM APARTMENT. THE GOAL IS TO ENSURE MOMS AND THEIR CHILDREN HAVE A SAFE, HEALTHY HOME FOR UP TO 24 MONTHS WHILE THEY GAIN THE SKILLS AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES IN PERMANENT HOUSING. IN 2020, THIS PROGRAM SERVED 49 PEOPLE. PALO DURO IS A PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAM SERVING UNHOUSED ADULTS WITH CHRONIC MENTAL ILLNESS. MANY PALO DURO RESIDENTS LIVED ON OKC STREETS FOR YEARS BEFORE COMING TO NSO. OUR GOAL IS FOR THEM TO MAINTAIN THEIR PERMANENT HOUSING, STAY HEALTHY AND BE PART OF THE PALO DURO COMMUNITY. IN 2020, PALO DURO HOUSED 25 ADULTS. IN 2020, NSO HELPED 173 INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS AVOID THE CYCLE OF HOMELESSNESS BY PROVIDING ONE-TIME RENTAL OR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE. ALL NSO HOUSING PROGRAMS WORK TO HELP RESIDENTS LIVE AS INDEPENDENTLY AS POSSIBLE.

4C: NSO LOW-COST DENTAL CLINIC: HISTORICALLY, OKLAHOMA HAS RANKED AT OR NEAR THE BOTTOM FOR ADULTS WHO HAVE APPROPRIATE ORAL HEALTH CARE. SINCE 1969, NSO HAS OFFERED SERVICES THROUGH ITS LOW-COST DENTAL CLINIC. IN 2020, NSO'S CLINIC REMAINED OPEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, CONTINUING TO OFFER SERVICES TO PATIENTS WHO HAD EMERGENCY ORAL CARE NEEDS. WE PROVIDED 8,000 PROCEDURES, DESPITE FACING CHALLENGES CAUSED BY COVID. THE DENTAL STAFF FIELDED 17,000 PHONE CALLS AND OUR ORAL HEALTH OUTREACH PROGRAM (AN EFFORT TO BRING EDUCATION, SCREENINGS, AND REFERRALS TO CHILDREN, ADULTS, AND SENIORS) SERVED MORE THAN 27,000 OKLAHOMANS.