Delta Community Action Foundation

Last month, the Commerce team spent time in Lindsay, Okla., to visit with Karen Nichols, Eecutive Director of the Delta Community Action Foundation (DCAF) to learn more about the foundation’s programs and successes. Karen has worked for DCAF for more than four decades and has served the organization as Executive Director for 32 years.

“Karen has a true compassion for helping people with the services that DCAF directly provides and helping individuals connect with other agencies and services that might not be readily known,” commented Alicia Hibbet, Community Development Director of Programs – Monitoring for Commerce. “It is evident to see, when visiting with Karen that her job has been and still is truly a calling.”

DCAF serves the counties of Garvin, Stephens, and McClain. Its 18-member Board of Directors is composed of six members from the low-income sector, six from the private sector, and six from the public sector. The board actively works to see that DCAF programs meet the needs of individuals in the foundation’s service area. The directors, along with county commissioners and local businesses, also work to secure donations, products and local services that add to the success of day-to-day administrative needs and meeting the needs of clients and potential clients. Examples of this include the City of Lindsay offering DCAF a former City office building for a minimal monthly rent if the foundation moved their offices from Duncan to Lindsay. The city also remodeled the building to fit the needs of DCAF programs and staff. Additionally, the foundation’s office in Purcell is possible due to a discounted rent.

“These examples and the other collaborative efforts highlight that people and organizations throughout the DCAF service area that believe in the foundation’s mission and want to help give a hand up, not just a handout to the residents in need throughout the communities in Garvin, Stephens and McClain counties,” said Hibbets.

Below is a highlight of some of Delta’s programs and their successes. These programs are funded through state, federal and local funds.

Senior Companion Program

The success of this program is under the direction of Christy Lawrence who has a long family history of people helping family, friends and neighbors. Christy is very proud of the 24 volunteers she has for this program and that the program is able to provide these individuals with a stipend for their efforts. The program requires volunteers to be 55 and older and meet poverty guidelines.

Christy told a story of how one of her volunteers went the extra mile for a client who hadn’t eaten in three days, not because she didn’t have any money but because she didn’t have a way to go to the store. The volunteer heard this story and immediately went to the individual’s house and took her to the store. This was not a unique instance; Christy stated her volunteers are all willing to go the extra mile, even when it may be after hours.

Foster Grandparent Program

Rhonda David is the Director of this program and exudes appreciation and caring when she speaks of her 56 volunteers. Her oldest volunteer is 94 years old and is described as being “feisty” but loves to rock the babies. The volunteers work one-on-one in the classroom with children who might have special needs or exceptional needs. Typically, the volunteers will work with their assigned child for 2-3 years.

This program has special events they call “Day of Service. One is 911 Day of Service where the volunteers gather school supplies and donate to Duncan schools. Another is Martin Luther King Day of Service where volunteers hold a food drive and give the items to food banks and blessing boxes.

Head Start Programs

One of the newest directors of the DCAF team is Alecia Walling. While Alecia has been the Director of the Head Start Program for less than a year, she has worked with the program for 13 years.

The Head Start program is really two programs under one umbrella:

• The Child Development program (ages 3-5) collaborates with 9 public schools and has 12 centers that operate in Duncan, Purcell, Marlow, Blanchard, Lindsay, Whitebead, Paoli, Pauls Valley, Stratford, Dibble and Comanche. This program strives to encompass all things a child might need, from physical and emotional needs through social assistance, to prepare a child to enter school. The program also assists parents in developing effective parenting skills.
• The Early Head Start Program (ages birth-3) offers four centers in Purcell, Lindsay, Pauls Valley and Duncan. This program provides child development and family support services year-round for qualifying families.

Alecia has successfully implemented a Stabilization Grant from the State of Oklahoma to help stabilize childcare workforce during and after COVID. Before the availability of this grant, the DCAF childcare centers were rated as three-star centers. Today, all are five-star centers. Thanks to Alecia’s diligence in this area, DCAF was able to secure a $1.2-million grant to use for stipends for workers, upgrade playground equipment, provide child and staff mental wellness and provide take-home kits for extended learning into the home. These examples are just a few critical services and supplies Delta has been afforded.

Lastly, the DCAF Head Start Program was the recipient of an anonymous donor for an acreage and a building to be built to the specifications for the program. This is a true testament to the amazing work Alecia and her staff.

Housing & Transportation

Jasmine Tadlock is the Housing Director for DCAF’s properties in Duncan and a 28-unit apartment complex in Pauls Valley. By officing at the apartment complex, Jasmine can provide lunches and snacks during six weeks in the summer for the children who live in the apartment complex. Jasmine was successful in collaborating with the Oklahoma City Food Bank to donate all the food for the lunches and snacks.

Terrell Turman is the Director of the Transit Program. Terrell has been instrumental in transporting underprivileged children in Lindsay at Christmas time to attend the Shop with Cops. He donates his time for this project to help the children have a positive holiday experience.

The City of Lindsay senior citizens can ride for free due to the efforts by Frankie Minton to secure donations that ranged from in total between $8,000-$10,000. Frankie was a retired school teacher from Lindsay. When she passed away in December 2023, the Beta Sigma Phi took over the donation drive in Frankie’s name. Already in 2024, they have raised approximately $9,000.

McClain County/Purcell Office

Becky Glover and Tina Tucker are the faces of DCAF’s presence in the McClain County/Purcell office where they connect individuals with the services DCAF provides. Becky also manages the RX for Oklahoma Program which helps medically-needy Oklahomans access prescription assistance programs provided by pharmaceutical companies. Volunteers are beneficial in assisting with determining the eligibility of an applicant.

Becky and Tina’s efforts to coordinate donation events are also noteworthy. Some examples of donation events include:

• Preparing 700 food baskets for individuals in need – DCAF has food pantries in Garvin and McClain Counties. The food is received from the Regional Food Bank for Garvin County. Donations are also received from many delivery drivers who have tried to make a delivery to the Walmart Distribution Center but, for whatever reason, the delivery is declined. These drivers and their companies find donation sites and Delta is fortunate a regular site.
• Postal Food Drive, in which donations go to Purcell residents
• Emergency Phase 41 for McClain County – A utility assistance program. Applications are usually accepted on July 1 every year. For 2024, there have already been 30 applicants submitted.
• Annual Toy Rodeo at the McClain County fairgrounds – This project asks people to bring unwrapped gifts that eventually are dispersed to children of need in the county.
• “Operation Christmas” – This is for McClain County residents who need help and receive food and toys. The Delta Board of Directors Chair leads this project with the help of other county commissioners. Applications for this project start in September every year.

Senior Nutrition Program

DCAF has sponsored the Delta Nutrition Program since 1976. The program is funded through the Older Americans Act and state funds provided through the Association of South Central Oklahoma Governments (ASCOG) and their Area Agency on Aging. Through this program, senior citizens 60 and older living in McClain, Grady, Caddo and Stephens Counties can access a hot congregate meal, while those who are homebound can receive a home-delivered meal. This program serves approximately 800 hot meals daily at nine congregate sites. Approximately 390 meals are delivered to those who are homebound.

To find out more about the Oklahoma Association of Community Action Agencies or to find available services in your area, please visit OKACAA.