Dedicated to Serve

TULSA, OKLA. – God’s people recently shared His love in caring service for their community with a ceremony and inaugural event for the new Tulsa Community Service Center (TCSC). The event’s participants were blessed with violin music from AnnaRose Jones and Sean Shin; an introduction by Apple Park, Oklahoma Conference executive secretary; prayer by Carlos Portanova, Oklahoma Conference treasurer; an inspirational history of the center by Park and Bill Carlile and a motivating dedication sermon and prayer by James Shires, Oklahoma Conference president. Through the love of God, we were encouraged to love others and provide for their needs as if we were serving Jesus himself as described in Matthew 25:35-40.

The facility is now officially open to provide health, medical, optometry, and legal and spiritual services, along with cooking classes and a food pantry. TCSC hopes to provide dental services within the next year. The TCSC goal is to serve our community, and its inaugural event to fully dedicate the center was a massive food giveaway organized by the TCSC board and the Go Fresh company. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Go Fresh company was awarded a $50+ million grant from the FDA to help farmers distribute their products. Farmers were going to lose their crops and income, and people impacted needed food. Go Fresh brought a truckload of 1,500 boxes of food, which weighed more than 20 tons and was valued at more than $50,000. Our team helped stage the rows of cars and kids with signs directing them where to line up for the food distribution. We had eight teams of food distributors split into two rows ready to receive each car and give them a box of food and milk, one per family. With this arrangement, God’s love and people willing to serve, we gave away all 1,500 boxes in three hours to many happy people in the Tulsa area. I witnessed the blessing of great teamwork, loving hearts, hard, sweaty work and smiling faces on both those serving and those receiving. We ask for your prayers and support to continue to serve our community. For more details about the center, visit the Tulsa Community Service Center on Facebook.

By Brit Whittington