Hello Deluxe friends! We know you are aware of some amazing, progressive and creative things happening in our great state. Please tell us about them! We love guest bloggers, and would be happy to link back to your site.
Tell us your story! Email sara@deluxeok.net and include a couple photos of your topic and one of yourself if you want. Thanks for your contribution!
What is your organization’s mission?
Easter Seals Oklahoma is committed to enhance the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities so they may live with equality, dignity and independence.
Who is your target population?
Oklahomans with disabilities.
What are the greatest needs you are seeing from your clients now?
Financial assistance is always the greatest need.
How do you meet these needs in our community?
Our programs include Direct Services, Medical Rehabilitation (including speech, physical therapy and occupational theapy), an Adult Day Health Center and an inclusive and intergenerational Child Development Program.
What volunteer opportunities do you have?
Volunteer in our Adult Day Center or Child Development Center to be a mentor, assist with art projects, read, partner with adults on field trips, lend professional expertise, Endless possibilities!
Organization name
LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma
What is your organization’s mission?
To promote organ, eye and tissue donation
Who is your target population?
All Oklahomans
What are the greatest needs you are seeing from your clients now?
There are approximately 110,000 Americans waiting for organ donation and approximately 700 of those are Oklahomans. Thousands more are waiting for tissue.
How do you meet these needs in our community?
We educate on the great need for Oklahomans to register to become a donor.
What volunteer opportunities do you have?
Health Fairs, Speaking Engagements, etc…
Is there anything else you’d like shoppers to know?
Register to become an organ, eye and tissue donor on your drivers license, state ID card or at www.lifeshareregistry.org
What is your organization’s mission?
The Metropolitan Library System facilitates the free flow of information and ideas by providing access to materials, services, and programs to Oklahoma County’s diverse community.
Who is your target population?
Our primary service area is Oklahoma County and our primary customers are its citizens. For us, that includes anyone who lives or attends school in Oklahoma County, or who owns property here. We also have a reciprocal borrowing arrangement with the neighboring Pioneer Library System, which includes libraries in Cleveland, McClain and Pottawatomie Counties.
What are the greatest needs you are seeing from your clients now?
We have a diverse population with varying needs. Our community, economy, and technology are changing.
How do you meet these needs in our community?
You can expect the library to try new things that reveal how pertinent and valuable the library is to this community, to you and to your family. You can also expect to always have the traditions of books, library catalogs, storytimes and the Summer Reading Program at your library.
What volunteer opportunities do you have?
Our volunteer mission is: To increase service provided by the Metropolitan Library System, extending the community ownership of the library through the skills and talents volunteered by exceptional individuals within Oklahoma County. Interested volunteers can visit our volunteer page.
Is there anything else you’d like shoppers to know?
Our customers can reach us online!
Website
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
What is your organization’s mission?
OKC Midtown Rotary is part of Rotary International, a service organization with 33,000 clubs in over 200 countries. Rotary International’s motto is Service Above Self. The OKC Midtown Rotary Club was chartered in 2009 with the goal of involving younger professionals in the service, fellowship and ideals of Rotary International. Our club takes a hands-on approach to address challenging and worthwhile needs both locally and internationally. We are always seeking individuals who want to shake up and rewrite what it means to be a Rotarian in this day and age.
Who is your target population?
The main focus of our volunteering efforts is the arts community in the Oklahoma City area. Because we are a group comprised of younger professionals, we try to keep our hands-on service opportunities fun and focused on events that have helped to energize Oklahoma City’s community. We also actively seek service projects that allow us to promote arts education in Oklahoma City. Currently, we are working with an under-served high school to purchase tools for set building in their drama department.
What are the greatest needs you are seeing from your clients now?
There are many local arts organizations that are doing great work but, as with any non-profit group, they could use help in the form of volunteer labor and donations.
How do you meet these needs in our community?
We continue to develop relationships with local organizations and through these relationships, they know they can come to us for help. While our pockets may not be deep, our warm bodies are able to provide support through volunteering and when the check book permits, support them financially. Additionally, Midtown Rotary is always seeking projects in the community that we can address or events that we can support.
What volunteer opportunities do you have?
We try to volunteer at least once a month as a club. In December, we are volunteering for Vilakazi’s Rock, Paper, Scissors fundraiser benefiting children in South Africa and we are excited to supporting Deluxe for the second year. Other events we have volunteered our time with include deadCENTER Film Festival, Festival of the Arts, IAO, and Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park to name just a few.
Is there anything else you’d like shoppers to know?
OKC Midtown is dedicated to making a positive change in our community one step at a time. This isn’t your grandparent’s Rotary so we encourage anyone interested in creating change to visit our club. You can find us every Tuesday evening, 6 – 7 p.m. at James E. McNellie’s Public House in Midtown. For more information, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
What is your organization’s mission?
The main goal for the group is to create a community of like-minded people for families to take part in, similar to what religious people might find in a church setting.
Who is your target population?
Our target population is anyone raising children without organized religion or a specific dogma.
What are the greatest needs you are seeing from your members now?
So far the members of our group mostly seem to want a place to feel they belong, where they can meet like-minded families and talk openly about their beliefs.
How do you meet these needs in our community?
We schedule various get-togethers for our members and their children to come together to play and get to know one another in order to create a community for ourselves consisting of families with similar beliefs. Our site also has a message board where members can look to others in similar situations for advice on any questions they may have involving raising children without religion.
Is there anything else you’d like shoppers to know?
Not really. We just want anyone who may have been feeling alone to know that we are out here!
What is your organization’s mission?
To put a video game system in every room at every Children’s hospital in the US. We also need to collect carts or security devices for the games so they are not stolen, unfortunately that happens. I am sure with budget cuts the hospitals could use volunteers to help install games and security devices.
How were you inspired to start this organization?
Katie Hall, the founder of Give Kids Games, was a patient at Children’s hospital and was very bored. Children’s has great programs at the hospital but they all require the kids to go to other areas to do them. 
Katie was in lots of pain and didn’t feel like leaving the room but would have loved something in her room. We personally bought movies, games, and toys to keep her happy. Most people in Children’s are on Medicaid and purchasing such items wouldn’t be financially possible so we want to give something for each room.
How do you meet these needs in our community?
We have given over 60 systems and 300 games to Children’s hospital in OKC to date.
What volunteer opportunities do you have?
We need people to help collect new or used games. We would also like more schools or businesses to get involved in this by having drop off locations.
Is there anything else you’d like shoppers to know?
How much this is needed. Katie can tell you how something like this would have made a difference while she was at the hospital.
This prize pack is full of gifts for a budding crafter or a seasoned stitcher.
A Sublime Stitching Ultimate Embroidery Kit with Dutch and Russian image transfers, with everything you need to create stitched gifts and goodies. This Austin-based company, owned by Jenny Hart, makes the coolest embroidery patterns in the world.
A Free class of your choice at Oklahoma Quiltworks – selections include quilt making, basic sewing and even serging.
This is arguably the best fabric store in Oklahoma, and the instructors are knowledgable and friendly. Classes are held in a spacious classroom inside the store, and are suitable for all skill levels, from beginner to expert.
Free business card design from T & S Web Design. Presenting an appropriately crafty image to potential customers is important, and you’ll appreciate the professionalism and respect you get from T&S Web Design.
A $50 Gift Certificate to No Regrets Tattoo. Ashley Smith, the shop’s owner, is a talented tattoo artist in addition to being a new Deluxe artist – visit her booth called Hook Line & Sinker.
A gift bag from DNA Galleries containing: Handmade jewelry, buttons, stickers, a Dylan Bradway 5″x5″ Art print and a handmade journal.
Raffle tickets can only be purchased at Deluxe on December 11, so come get in the running for this great prize! Don’t forget, 100% of raffle ticket sales go directly to ProjectOKC, a local charity that matches volunteers with opportunities.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma is very excited to participate at Deluxe! We strive to be very visible and approachable to the community of Oklahoma City, and thanks to opportunities offered by partners like Deluxe, we are able to be in more places and touch more lives.
Big Brothers Big Sisters offers professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships to children who are at-risk of negative behaviors. Children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma are among the most vulnerable, often living in single parent households, growing up in poverty, or coping with parental incarceration. Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mentoring programs help these children beat the odds.
By spending consistent time with a volunteer Big Brother or Big Sister, the children in our program benefit from having extra support to handle the obstacles in their lives. Within the first year of the match 83% of Oklahoma City Littles have showed an increase in self esteem. By the second year of their match, 65% of Littles are showing improvement in their school work. The program works, and it only takes a few hours a few times a month to make a difference in a child’s life forever!
Please consider becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, or signing your child up for a mentor. Visit our website at www.bbbsok.org. You can also follow us on facebook or twitter! We strongly encourage you to attend Deluxe and visit us at our booth to talk with a recruitment specialist about all the specifics. Thanks again to Deluxe for offering such a fun event to Oklahoma City and for caring enough to invite Big Brothers Big Sisters to participate as well!
Each year, Deluxe chooses a local nonprofit to fundraise for at our annual event. This year, our raffles will benefit ProjectOKC. Look for more information about our raffles later this week.
What is your organization’s mission?
ProjectOKC is a group of online and offline friends committed to loving and serving Oklahoma City. We partner with non-profits, churches, schools, civic organizations and businesses to bring good to the community.
It might be a party for urban children, movie night with senior citizens, basketball with students, and even random acts of kindness. We want to network with groups and individuals alike, not caring about who gets the credit or recognition. Only caring about the families we are able to connect with.
Who is your target population?
We are focused on improving OKC so many of our volunteers and the people we serve are local. We recruit from social networks and help people in need all over the city.
What are the greatest needs you are seeing from your clients now?
We are a pretty unique non-profit, one that focuses on getting people to volunteer. In an odd way, our clients are everyday, busy people that need to get off their computers and do some GOOD! We help kids, seniors, get people plugged into the arts, and are involved in acts of kindness towards people in need.
How do you meet these needs in our community?
VERY PRACTICALLY! We give box fans to seniors in nursing homes because the home couldn’t afford the AC bill. We create birthday cards for children in foster care. We feed the homeless, clothe the poor, and support the MANY non-profits doing so much GOOD in our city. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, reinvent services, we can assist those already doing great work by providing volunteers.
What volunteer opportunities do you have?
Almost any volunteer opportunity you can imagine, check out projectokc.com for more information.
Is there anything else you’d like shoppers to know?
We know what it’s like to be busy but still want to give our time in the community. ProjectOKC makes it easy to give just a few hours at a time while still making a measurable difference.
