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Happy New Year to you and your family!
As we start this new year, we at Upward Transitions would like to thank you for your continued support. You are an important part of our family, and we simply could not do what we do without you. We hope your holidays were safe, warm, and joyful, spent with your loved ones.
There is much for which to be thankful, but there is also a lot of work to be done. We look forward to moving into the future with you. Together, we have helped many people obtain and maintain a home, improve their stability, and feel more empowered, but there are still so many who need our help.
We assisted nearly 4,000 people in FY2023, with a staff of only 11. Because of your support, we have now added an additional case manager and can help even more people in the next year.
With incredible hope, we step forward into this new season ready to begin again to change lives and prevent generational poverty in Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County. We're so glad to have people like you beside us.
May you have an extraordinary year ahead!
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FY2023-24 Annual Campaign Continues and We're Counting on Supporters Like You
In the last year, Upward Transitions assisted 3,956 people in 2,615 households:
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1,808 clients gained access to financial and housing stability when they obtained birth certificates and State IDs.
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792 people in 285 households maintained stable housing when they received rent or utility assistance, and 74% maintained stable housing with utilities connected for up to a year.
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68 clients increased their safety by traveling to a safe place with a support system.
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1,182 children benefited from our services.
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3,164 clients stated that they felt more hopeful after receiving our services.
Also, in FY2023, 89 cents of every dollar donated to our mission went directly to our client programs!
Your support is so crucial to what we do. Without supporters like you, none of this would be possible. Our mission to prevent generational poverty through community collaboration, emergency relief, and empowerment, therefore inspiring hope in our neighbors experiencing housing instability depends on our partners and supporters, our fellow agents of hope.
If you haven't made your donation to our FY2023-2024 Annual Campaign yet, please send your gift today:
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SAVE-THE-DATE
AMERICAN TOURIST - NEW ORLEANS!
May 10, 2024
At the Historic Farmers Public Market
311 S. Klein Avenue in OKC
For more information, go to:
AMERICAN TOURIST 2024
| | | | Debbi Love, case manager, and Periann Pulliam, CEO, greet guests at the Client Holiday Party. | | |
Upward Transitions put all-hands-on-deck to give our neighbors experiencing homelessness and poverty with a little holiday fun and cheer on December 8th.
Dressed for holiday fun, our staff and some helpful volunteers decorated the office and prepared gift bags and refreshments for our guests.
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With the help of event sponsors, Olsson Foundation, each guest received a gift bag filled with cold weather care items and toiletries and were invited to relax in the festive party room while they enjoyed refreshments of coffee, punch, sandwiches, and cookies.
Board members Taylor Fudge, Andrea Weig, and Sarah Lucy volunteered their time to help serve refreshments, fix broken toys, and play with excited younger guests.
| | Taylor Fudge, UT board member (left) fixes a toy for Julian Griffiths, guest (right). | |  | Taylor Fudge and Julian Griffiths playi with a toy car. | | | Sarah Lucy, UT board member (left), Jennifer Polingyumptewa, case manager (center), and Alicia Terry, community outreach program director (left) are ready to serve party guests. | | Clients wait in line to receive lunch and cookies before heading into the party room. | | Jennifer Polingyumptewa and Charla Essman, case managers and Sharon Scott, volunteer coordinator, visit with a client at the beverage station in the party room | | | Kristie Drury with Olsson Foundation and Kevin Drury, a Travelers Aid volunteer, joyfully hand out gift bags to guests. | | | | |
TRAVELERS AID CELEBRATED 50 YEARS AT WILL ROGERS WORLD AIRPORT
On Friday, November 17th, 2023, Travelers Aid hosted a volunteer appreciation luncheon to celebrate its 50th anniversary partnering with the Will Rogers World Airport.
Since 1973, our Travelers Aid volunteers have served travelers at the airport providing a helping hand along the way.
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The luncheon was held at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Gaylord-Pickens Museum in Oklahoma City. Guests enjoyed a buffet luncheon and anniversary cake. Volunteers received special recognition, gifts, and door prizes and everyone was treated to stories and pictures from throughout the half century of service.
Upward Transitions and Travelers Aid look forward to another 50 exciting years with our friends at Will Rogers World Airport and our amazing volunteers.
| | Kim Sanders, volunteer; Sharon Scott, volunteer coordinator; Paul Sanders, volunteer; and Sami McMahan, Will Rogers World Airport Public Information and Marketing Coordinator join in the celebration. | |
Join Our Circle of Hope!
The members of the “Circle of Hope” are those supporters of Upward Transitions who have chosen to support the mission of preventing generational poverty by giving a monetary donation at a level of $1,000 or more in a calendar year.
The “Circle of Hope” will be recognized at our annual American Tourist fundraiser and invited to a special Partner celebration in the fall of each year. This year's Circle of Hope appreciation event was held at the exclusive El Sueno mansion and sponsored by the Fudge family and Claims Management Resources (CMR).
$1,000 dollars is a meaningful investment in the work of Upward Transitions. Research reveals that a “one-time assistance of $1,000 with rent or utility payments can prevent a family from becoming homeless for up to 2 years and 76% less likely to become homeless after 6 months.”
The “Circle of Hope” members are making a significant investment in the work of Upward Transitions. We are grateful for their partnership and for the hope they inspire every day through the work of community collaboration, emergency relief, and empowerment.
Learn more about Upward Transitions' Circle of Hope
| | At Upward Transitions, our mission is to prevent generational poverty through community collaboration, emergency relief and empowerment, therefore inspiring hope with our neighbors experiencing housing instability. | | Follow Upward Transitions on social media: | | | | |
