The ministry of OKC Compassion began 13 years ago with one simple but highly ambitious goal:  to bring direct help to those who were suffering in the community around the Penn Avenue Church of the Nazarene.

The near northwest part of Oklahoma City, once a thriving and prosperous sector, was experiencing the aftermath of suburban flight.  As the city had grown and evolved, well-to-do residents moved outward to the suburbs, taking with them their valuable resources.  Countless homes were dilapidated or vacant and most viable businesses had either closed or relocated far from the inner city.  By the 1990’s the area around NW 10th and Penn had become notorious for its crime, drug abuse, poverty and homelessness.

When Richard Bond accepted the call to serve as Pastor of the Penn Avenue Church of the Nazarene, he brought with him the vision that would become the foundation for this special ministry.  In December of 1998, he and several other dedicated individuals founded OKC Compassion Inc. - a faith based nonprofit organization with one overarching goal:

“To share the gospel of Christ by showing compassion to the disadvantaged, and encouraging others to do the same.”

Our volunteers form redemptive relationships with people in many ways.  Often these relationships start by connecting through the following programs.

This started by addressing simple needs.  Non perishable food items were collected and made available to local families.  In the Spring of 1999 a handful of volunteers began serving breakfast on Saturday mornings, simply inviting neighbors and friends to come in and share a good meal. The community breakfasts established the OKC Compassion Fellowship Hall as a place for people from diverse backgrounds to come together as a community.  Within the first year of this program, OKCC had established partnerships with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, Feed the Children and other local vendors. Grocers provided surplus items and a permanent food pantry was established.

In 2003, thanks to the help of a very generous donor, we expanded our hot meal program by offering lunch Monday through Friday at noon. This idea was well received, and we now serve a hot, well-balanced meal six days a week.  There are usually around 100 people at each of the meals. Many people in our area rely upon the community meals to meet their needs.  OKC Compassion also hosts special holiday dinners: large festive get-togethers on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

In the years since OKCC first started serving community meals we have learned how important this practice is – not simply to ensure that people are fed, but because sharing meals together brings them in off the streets to meet and get to know others. These interactions are the first steps in building a bridge to the church and spiritual renewal.

It became apparent early on that another critical need involved providing adequate clothing. Utilizing donations from many sources OKCC operates a clothing room on site. Once people learned that other necessary items were in demand, donations increased. Individuals are allowed to browse and select clothing, blankets and other household items at no cost.

Many of the people that we encounter are suffering from problems associated with addiction.  At its worst the disease of addiction leaves people with no resources, no hope, and nowhere to turn. Often these individuals have lost all that is valuable to them --destroying relationships with family, friends, and employers. In response to this perennial need, in late 1999 OKC Compassion opened its first recovery house.  Called the ‘Faith House,’ this residence is located one block from the Penn Avenue Church property, providing a safe and secure home environment for those healing from alcohol and drug addiction.  In 2009 we were offered the opportunity to purchase a residence adjoining the church and acquired that home for the program.  One year later we purchased a home that also adjoins the church property, one that included 3 small apartments.  This property was offered to OKC Compassion at for a price well below market value.  With a loan from a local bank we elected to purchase the property and it is now used as a women’s recovery house.  Our residents serve as volunteers in the on-site programs, attend church, and find a sense of belonging so that they can return to stable and productive lives.  OKC Compassion now operates 5 separate houses serving 30 recovering addicts.

In the fall of 2005 we began encouraging clients to participate in Celebrate Recovery Programs in our city. Celebrate Recovery is a faith based, 12-step program that goes beyond the issues of addiction to help people struggling with ‘hurts, habits, and hang-ups’ in their lives. In October of 2008 we began hosting CR meetings on site. The program has grown considerably and we now meet every Wednesday evening. The CR approach includes worship time, small group interaction and a time of fellowship.  It is Bible-based and places a high emphasis on personal accountability.  It also offers a heavy dose of group support and encouragement, reminding us that we need to be intentionally relational with others in order to grow, emotionally and spiritually.

Another area of focus involves working with at-risk children.  Children raised in poverty suffer in many ways, as adult caregivers are often absent or simply neglectful.  It is not uncommon for very young children to be left alone or in the care of other siblings.  Due to the instability in the homes, the children are more likely to be absent from school, receive poor medical care and get into real trouble.

It was these conditions that lead OKC Compassion to create an ambitious summer program focused on helping school-age children.  Summer Kids Club was started in 2000 by Amy Harmon, a local schoolteacher who cared deeply about the children in the inner city.  She responded by designing an 8-week long, academically-focused program to address the unhealthy and hazardous situations that existed in our neighborhood. Using a startup grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, Summer Kids Club was launched and grew each successive year.

Over the years OKCC has hosted several regular events to provide services and to connect with our community.

• Toward the end of each summer we hold a Back-to-School-Block Party. This event combines a festive picnic with an opportunity to provide backpacks and school supplies to local children.  
• OKCC has traditionally hosted a holiday gift event in which needy families are allowed to ‘shop’ for Christmas gifts in an improvised store located on site.  Gifts are wrapped by volunteers and then provided to the families.  
• In winter months we are a source for blankets, warm coats, and other cold-weather essentials. 
• In 2007 a student intern from Southern Nazarene University started a small tutoring program on site, focusing on elementary age children.  The program includes transportation to and from the church one afternoon each week.  Tutors and students meet in classrooms for one-on-one assistance with homework.  Our hope is to expand this mentoring-tutoring effort in the coming years.
• When individuals are released from incarceration, many are turned back on the street with essentially no means to survive. Expecting people to start over with nothing increases the chances that they will repeat the same patterns that resulted in going to jail in the first place.  It is these people, who are seemingly overlooked by the rest of our society, that are offered comfort by OKC Compassion.  We invite them in for meals, offer clothing, fellowship, a place of worship, and other assistance wherever and however we can.

The primary partner of OKC Compassion is the Penn Avenue Church of the Nazarene. We share the facilities at 10th and Penn and enjoy an ongoing, fruitful relationship.  Providing a place of worship to those who feel lost or forgotten is one of our greatest joys.

The area around OKCC is well-known for its problems associated with the crime, drug abuse, poverty and homelessness.  Since its inception, OKC Compassion has met these challenges head on, helping hundreds of people who are suffering and struggling in the face of extreme adversity.  Equally important however, is the way that this unique ministry and its partner, Penn Avenue Church of Nazarene, have become a vital source of emotional and spiritual centering for people at a time when they feel broken and lost.

In the ten years since its founding, when one Pastor and a handful of volunteers made the decision to take action against poverty, this compassionate ministry has touched many, many lives, truly giving hope where there was none.  We are convinced that this work is worthy, that this is where God has called us, offering help and hope to our neighbors in need.