Catholic Charities

[Rover]

Oklahoma has accepted a total of three Syrian refugees so far, they were placed in Jenks with family that already lived there.

Yes, and with all due respect to the tea partiers clamoring to ban Syrian refugees, in the entire US over the last year, only THIRTY SIX have been admitted. People need to know the facts, not just the hysteria. Politicians jump on hysteria and ride it to gain power. They do stupid and uniformed really well.

[Spartan]

Yes, and with all due respect to the tea partiers clamoring to ban Syrian refugees, in the entire US over the last year, only THIRTY SIX have been admitted. People need to know the facts, not just the hysteria. Politicians jump on hysteria and ride it to gain power. They do stupid and uniformed really well.

I have never been so ashamed... wow

[Rover]

Uh, okay.

[dankrutka]

The U.S. doesn't have a great history when it comes to refugees. The U.S. refused to take Jewish refugees during the Holocaust -- only filling 10% of the legal quota. While the efforts to deny refuge were largely attributed to anti-Semitic state department officials (namely assistant secretary of State Breckinridge Long), it was supported by the American public, which held anti-Semitic views on the whole. Lots of other historical examples.

[Martin]

guys... there are other places we can talk about syrian refugees. let's stick to topic. -M

[Eddie1]

Okay i'll ask the question a different way...what will be the primary focus of this building? A meeting area, headquarters, or church-like building for congregation, etc?

[Brett]

Okay i'll ask the question a different way...what will be the primary focus of this building? A meeting area, headquarters, or church-like building for congregation, etc?

I would think that the primary focus of Catholic Charities and its new building is to provide social services to anyone who is in need. Just looking at the attached interior blueprints gives an idea of how the building will operate. I highly doubt that the size of the chapel would support a congregation. St. Joseph's Old Cathedral and St. Francis of Assisi are catholic parishes that are in close proximity that are large enough to support congregations.

[baralheia]

Okay i'll ask the question a different way...what will be the primary focus of this building? A meeting area, headquarters, or church-like building for congregation, etc?

From the Oklahoman:

Mass Architects Inc. designed the 33,860-square-foot, two-story structure to fit existing program needs while allowing for future growth. In addition to allowing the space necessary for Catholic Charities’ 16 programs, the facility will also feature a community-use conference center sponsored by the Chickasaw Nation, a chapel dedicated to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta funded by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and warehouse space that can be converted to office space as needed.

Their programs are listed here: Catholic Charities | Welcome

[shawnw]

Catholic Charities of Oklahoma City is not owned or operated by the catholic church. It is a non-profit that operates with the blessing of the Archbishop of Oklahoma City, and in line with Catholic social teaching, but is essentially independent. There is a chapel in both the present and future facility. But it will be an office building much like the United Way or Sunbeam building performing the administrative functions of the agency.

[okatty]

Pretty sure the brick guys messed up in regard to the pattern on the building. You have to look at it to see what I mean, but appears an oopsy to me.

[Pete]

[HOT ROD]

LOVE the massing along Classen.

[Pete]

[warreng88]

Hope and change: Catholic Charities’ move to new building opens space for other nonprofits

By: Molly M. Fleming The Journal Record March 1, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY – A domino-like change in two nonprofit organizations’ locations will start in April.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City moves into its new 33,860-square-foot headquarters next month, said Sonny Wilkinson, senior director of mission advancement. Internally called Project Exodus, 60 employees are relocating from 1501 N. Classen Blvd. to 1232 N. Classen Blvd.

Catholic Charities raised $10.5 million in donations to fund the building and an endowment fund. Wilkinson said an additional 10,000 square feet that can be converted into office space if needed in the future. The 5,000-square-foot first floor warehouse can be changed, as well as 5,000-square-feet of second floor storage area.

“If we need to expand, there’s room,” Wilkinson said.

Mass Architects designed the building, and Anderson & House Inc. is making the plans a reality. The project broke ground in December 2014 and the slab was poured in May. Wilkson commended the construction company for meeting deadlines and keeping the project on track. Construction wraps up in late March.

The building’s exterior has a logo painted on the south side, which plays off the facility’s warehouse-inspired design, Wilkinson said. The parking lot is outfitted with running water and electricity in case it ever needs to be a staging site during a natural disaster.

“We put in some neat things to make it useful to the community,” he said.

Once Catholic Charities makes its move south, Education and Employment Ministry moves west, relocating from 14 NE 13th St. to the old Catholic Charities building. TEEM transplants itself in June, said Lance Evans, TEEM’s communications coordinator.

TEEM is buying Catholic Charities’ building, but the sale is still being finalized. The nonprofit partnered with the Oklahoma County community sentencing program in fall 2015. The program will move from it s downtown office. In all, 25 people will work at TEEM.

Evans said TEEM is planning to renovate the building, but those updates will not be made until after the organization has seen how it operates in the space. The office is 10,000 square feet larger than its current location. The organization has been in the same building since its founding 29 years ago. TEEM will sell its existing building once it departs.

“The new office gives us room to grow,” Evans said. “We serve 250 people a year. This will allow us to extend out into the community.”

Evans said some nonprofit agencies that work with TEEM may have offices in the building as well, but those plans are being finalized.

With TEEM, Catholic Charities and Sunbeam Family Services on N. Classen, agency leaders are calling the area the Corridor of Hope.

“This will be a landmark move for us,” Evans said. “We really want to build upon the Corridor of Hope and build something that offers a lot of services to the community.”

[Brett]

There is an advertisement in the latest edition of the Sooner Catholic that states May 3rd will be the grand opening for the new location.

[Pete]

I'll take some new pictures soon.

They are putting the landscape and finishing up.

[Harbinger]

As I drove by this on Classen, I literally did a double take. I drove back around so I could snap a picture of this. Notice the holes in the feet. Extraordinary message.

[Pete]

Yes, this project has turned out great.

I promise to soon take photos as I live very nearby.

[OKCPetro83]

As a Catholic, I think this a total waste. Looks nice but I don't think it serves the mission. I would have liked to have seen them take over a large space and with much less expensive total build out. It could have been done easily.

[Pete]

You can see a good part of the facility is devoted to what looks like a food pantry.

[Montreal]

As a Catholic, I see this project as a home run. It's a very well-built structure in a key location, so they can serve the needy for a long time to come. Being in a central location, while more expensive will allow those who need the services the most to be able to access them. And the permanent nature of the structure shows the long term commitment they have to their mission.

[aDark]

I think the structure looks fantastic. It really improves the street and they should be proud. I must admit, however, the mural on the south wall looks... out of place? Is it finished being painted?
I hope not.

[Bellaboo]

As a Catholic, I think this a total waste. Looks nice but I don't think it serves the mission. I would have liked to have seen them take over a large space and with much less expensive total build out. It could have been done easily.

As a NON-Catholic, I'd never heard of the Catholic Charities until about 6 years ago. A good friend of mine is Vietnamese and fled Vietnam in a boat back in the 1980's. Long story short, they landed in the Phillipines and after a few months was sponsored by the Catholic Charities to come to America. He came to Oklahoma, got a job and started working on a college degree. After about a year he had saved up enough money to pay in full back to the Catholic Charities the price of his plane ticket that they had bought for him.

As a result, my friend has two daughters, one in Medical School and the other in Nursing school.

The Catholic Charities should be commended for making a difference.

[dcsooner]

As a NON-Catholic, I'd never heard of the Catholic Charities until about 6 years ago. A good friend of mine is Vietnamese and fled Vietnam in a boat back in the 1980's. Long story short, they landed in the Phillipines and after a few months was sponsored by the Catholic Charities to come to America. He came to Oklahoma, got a job and started working on a college degree. After about a year he had saved up enough money to pay in full back to the Catholic Charities the price of his plane ticket that they had bought for him.

As a result, my friend has two daughters, one in Medical School and the other in Nursing school.

The Catholic Charities should be commended for making a difference.

Thank God for charities in general and this Catholic charity in particular for making a difference

[OKCPetro83]

As a NON-Catholic, I'd never heard of the Catholic Charities until about 6 years ago. A good friend of mine is Vietnamese and fled Vietnam in a boat back in the 1980's. Long story short, they landed in the Phillipines and after a few months was sponsored by the Catholic Charities to come to America. He came to Oklahoma, got a job and started working on a college degree. After about a year he had saved up enough money to pay in full back to the Catholic Charities the price of his plane ticket that they had bought for him.

As a result, my friend has two daughters, one in Medical School and the other in Nursing school.

The Catholic Charities should be commended for making a difference.

No doubt do they do amazing, amazing work. I just think those funds could have been used. I believe they could have redone a building perhaps bigger and cheaper and then had more funds to do stuff like you just mentioned. That is my only beef.