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Hello to you and your family!
We at Upward Transitions are grateful for pumpkin spice, cooler days, warm cookies, colorful leaves, fuzzy socks, and most especially, our friends like you. We never forget that we could not do what we do to help our neighbors in need without the support you have given us, and we appreciate you.
| | Shelby: An Upward Transitions Client Victory Story | | | | |
Shelby has been sober for four years now. She is recently married, is working as a cosmetologist, is attending college, has paid off her legal fines, and has regained custody of her children.
She was referred to Upward Transitions by one of our community partners specializing in sober living. After getting sober, her next priority was to get her identification so that she could move forward and get back on her feet.
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Shelby experienced homelessness for 10 years and struggled with substance abuse from the age of only 12-years old. Her struggles with addiction as an adult caused her to lose custody of her children.
“Upward Transitions was huge because it helped me get identification to even proceed with services anywhere else.”
Her court cases were still pending, and she had active warrants.
“I was scared to even walk down the streets of Oklahoma City until I was able to get those taken care of, and I came in [to Upward Transitions] and I felt safe. I felt comfort – and very welcomed.”
When Shelby obtained her ID, Upward Transitions referred her to other community partners for more access to services to begin her journey of sobriety and gain emotional stability. She soon enrolled at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City to begin her education to obtain a drug and alcohol addiction counselor’s license.
She paid off all her fines and resolved her outstanding warrants, and then she regained custody of her children again.
When asked what she is most proud of, she responded, “My sobriety and this new life that I have been able to build. My life is so different now.”
We at Upward Transitions are all very proud of you, Shelby!
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Interested in more Client Victory Stories? | | | Upward Transitions Welcomes 2 New Board Members | | Meet Jeff Mulder and Rose Lane | | |
Jeff Mulder is the Oklahoma City Director of Airports and has been working with the Travelers Aid program in that capacity at OKC Will Rogers International Airport. He joins our Board of Directors already familiar with some of our programs and our mission.
A commercial, multi-engine pilot and a flight instructor, Jeff has more than 30 years of aviation and transportation experience and more than 20 years as an airport CEO at Appleton, Tulsa, Ft. Meyers, and Oklahoma City.
He is a past National Chairman of American Association of Airport Executives and a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award.
Jeff was chosen as the 2016 Airport Revenue News Airport Director of the Year.
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Rose Lane is the General Manager and Deputy Publisher of OKC Friday newspaper in Oklahoma City. She has covered some of Upward Transitions' activities in her publication and has featured our ads in special issues.
Rose was Assistant News Director for KRMS/KYLC Radio in Osage Beach, MO before joining the Daily Reveille/Lake Sun Leader as a reporter. She served as Associate Editor and Special Sections Editor for 15 years. In 1996, Rose helped start the Lake Week publication, and in 1998, she became the Editor and Sales Executive for Vacation News.
She is a member of the OPA's Quarter Century Club, she has worked with the Oklahoma Press Association, and in 2015, Rose was inducted into The Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame.
| | Please join us in welcoming these two distinguished and talented professionals to our Board of Directors. We're excited to add them to our community and honored to be working with them. | | It's United Way Campaign Season! | | |
As most of you likely know, Upward Transitions is a United Way of Central Oklahoma community partner. United Way has supported us since we began nearly 100 years ago, and their partnership is critical to the work that we do to help families and individuals in crisis in Central Oklahoma.
We, along, with more than 50 other United Way partners in our community are honored to be asked to participate in the annual United Way campaign. If you or your company participates in this yearly fundraising effort, you may see us at a campaign rally or agency fair in the coming weeks. Please feel free to take that opportunity to ask us any questions that you may have about our services and be sure to meet the United Way representative as well. Cental Oklahoma would not be the same without United Way and the agencies the organization supports.
If you are not taking part in the campaign but would like to or would like to volunteer for United Way of Central Oklahoma or one of its partners, you can find more information here:
Home - United Way of Central Oklahoma (unitedwayokc.org)
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United Way Pacesetter Rally
Each year, to kick off United Way's annual campaign, its partners have our own rallies to raise funds internally to support United Way of Central Oklahoma and, in turn, support our own organization and other United Way partners.
We have a wonderful time raising funds and learning about our fellow nonprofits in our area, and we consistently have 100% participation from our staff.
This year's theme was "Guardians of the Community."
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Left to Right: Rebekah Rusche, Brittany Dugger, Alicia Terry, Debbi Love, Periann Pulliam, and Jennifer Polingyumptewa in their superhero best
Upward Transitions' staff came to work in our superhero costumes ready to learn, be inspired, and donate to United Way and United Way partners and had a lot of fun at the same time.
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United Way of Central Oklahoma Day of Caring/Upward Transitions Food Truck Party!
Upward Transitions would like to extend a very special “thank you” to FORVIS, to Lolli & Pops Funnel Cakes, and to American Fidelity for their assistance with our United Way of Central Oklahoma Day of Caring Food Truck Party!
| | We enjoyed warm weather and had a great outcome. FORVIS sponsored our gift bags, and American Fidelity sent us a big group of very hard-working volunteers to work alongside our staff and Board members. | | | American Fidelity volunteers | | Lolli & Pops Funnel Cakes | | Lolli & Pops generously provided funnel cakes, chicken fries, and taquitos to the delight of our clients. | | We truly appreciate their generosity and hard work. Our clients benefitted and had a wonderful time because of their support! | |
United Way's
The Hole Shebang!
The Hole Shebang! is United Way of Central Oklahoma’s fundraising cornhole tournament, presented by Love’s Travel Stops and hosted by UWCO's Emerging Leaders at Scissortail Park. All funds raised from the tournament support United Way of Central Oklahoma’s annual campaign, and on October 3, 2024, Upward Transitions was there for it!
Our team of 2 cornhole competitors was made up of Volunteer Coordinator, Sharon Scott, and our own CEO, Periann Pulliam! Our team made a great showing and played several rounds cheered on by a squad of Upward Transitions' staff and friends.
| | Sharon Scott, UT Volunteer Coordinator, makes a great shot! | Periann Pulliam, UT CEO, lining up her shot through the hole! | | 100 YEARS OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITY | |
Join Your Legacy with Ours for Another 100 Years
Upward Transitions will be celebrating 100 years of serving our community in 2025, and we are planning Centennial celebrations all year long! One of our big projects in honor of 100 years of hope is our 100-year endowment campaign: Endowing a Second Century of Hope.
Since 1925, Upward Transitions has been serving those in need in Central Oklahoma, making us one of the oldest social services agencies in the community. Regardless of age, race, income, lifestyle, religion, or culture, people in need can always turn to Upward Transitions for help.
To ensure our longevity for another 100 years to serve those facing the threat of poverty and homelessness, we have set a goal to raise $1,000,000 for our endowment fund to sustain our services in perpetuity. We invite you to join in this mission and to link your legacy with ours for the next century.
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A gift to our endowment will give back its full value to us within 15 years and then continue to give more. In this way, your gift today is your legacy and will keep giving back again and again forever.
To learn more about our endowment, go to: Endowment Giving - Upward Transitions and/or contact Conna Dewart at cdewart@upwardtransitions.org or 405.232.5507 x 113.
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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.
$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: | | | | |
