South Peoria Neighborhod

SOUTH PEORIA NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTION FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO "HELP A LITTLE, EMPOWER A LOT"

SOUTH PEORIA NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTION FOUNDATION (SPNCF), DBA SOUTH TULSA COMMUNITY HOUSE (STCH) IS A "ONE STOP" SOCIAL SERVICE CENTER IN ONE OF TULSA'S MOST VULNERABLE AND OVERLOOKED NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS AREA, KNOWN AS THE RIVERWOOD COMMUNITY, COVERS THE FOUR SQUARE MILES FROM 51ST TO 81ST AND FROM RIVERSIDE DRIVE TO LEWIS AVENUE. THE 61ST AND PEORIA QUADRANT IS INCLUDED IN THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE. OVER THE PAST FISCAL YEAR, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED FLUCTUATED BETWEEN 800 AND 1,200, WITH APPROXIMATELY 450 FAMILIES SERVED. AMONG THEM ARE LOW-INCOME SENIORS, VETERANS, FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS, WHO RELY ON THE SUPPORT FROM STCH TO MAKE IT FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT. UNDER NORMAL CIECUMSTANCES, WE PROVIDED DIRECT SERVICES (FOOD, HYGIENE, COMPUTERS, BUS TOKENS AND MORE) AT OUR SOUTH TULSA COMMUNITY HOUSE FACILITY. WE HAD IN-HOUSE PARTNERS WHO WERE ALSO PROVIDING COUNSELLING SERVICES, EMERGENCY INFANT SERVICES AND LEGAL AID. DUE TO THE COVID RESTRICTIONS, STCH HAD TO CURTAIL SOME IN-PERSON SERVICES, WHILE EXPANDING OTHER EMERGENCY SUPPORT SERVICE.PRIOR TO JULY 31, 2020 A MEDICAL CLINIC (DESIGNED TO HELP IMPROVE HEALTHCARE SERVICES ) LEASED A 1,300 SQ. FT. SPACE FROM SPNCF. THE MEDICAL CLINIC HAS VACATED THE SPACE AND INSTEAD THE SPACE HAS BEEN UTILIZED FOR OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES.

IN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2021, STCH WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO A TOTAL OF 5,910 PEOPLE IN 3,289 HOUSEHOLDS. RIVERWOOD IS TULSA'S SECOND MOST DENSELY POPULATED NEIGHBORHOOD, SECOND ONLY TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA. OUR COMMUNITY HOUSES A THIRD OF ALL SECTION 8 HOUSING IN TULSA AND HAS LEVELS OF CHILDHOOD POVERTY HIGHER THAN THE CITY OF TULSA OR STATE OF OKLAHOMA ACCORDING TO THE LAST CENSUS. THE GREATEST DEMAND FOR SERVICES DURING THIS YEAR WAS FOR FOOD, MAINLY DUE TO COVID-RELATED LOSS OF WORK. WE THEREFORE PUT OUT AN EMERGENCY APPEAL, TO WHICH PARTNERS RESPONDED VERY GENEROUSLY. WE WERE ABLE TO DOUBLE THE PROVISION OF FOOD EVERY 30 DAYS (2 MEALS PER DAY/10 DAYS). STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS PROCESSED ENOUGH DONATED AND PURCHASED FOOD, TO MAKE 104, 060 MEALS. LIMITED MOBILITY IS ANOTHER POVERTY BARRIER. TO HELP OVERCOME THIS, SPNCF DISTRIBUTED 1,718 BUS RIDES TO HELP CLIENTS OBTAIN INCOME AND BENEFITS, SECURE HOUSING AND ATTEND VITAL APPOINTMENTS. RESTRICTED INTERNET ACCESS AND CONNECTIVITY IS A THIRD POVERTY BARRIER. DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE REPORTING PERIOD SPNCF'S COMPUTER CENTER WAS OPEN DAILY AND WAS TYPICALLY SUPPORTED BY STAFF OR VOLUNTEERS. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30,2021, 650+ INDIVIDUALS USED THE COMPUTERS TO SEEK WORK, PREPARE RESUMES, PAY BILLS, COMPLETE/SUBMIT APPLICATIONS AND NUMEROUS OTHER TASKS.

WITH THE SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS, RETAIL STORES, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS, SPNCF IS WORKING HARD TO "HELP A LITTLE, EMPOWER A LOT". WE ENVISION A COMMUNITY WHERE ALL MEMBERS CAN ACCESS THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT. IN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2021, VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 3,454 HOURS TOWARDS OUR MISSION OF REDUCING HUNGER, COMBATING POVERTY, AND PROVIDING A PATHWAY TO EMPOWERMENT.