OKLAHOMA CITY (JR) – The Neighborhood Services Organization has recognized three local community leaders for honors.
In a release, the NSO said it would present Good Samaritan Awards to Leonard D. Benton, Matilda Clements and the Rev. Dr. Robert E. Long.
Benton is board chairman of the nonprofit Freedom Center of OKC. In 2018, he was the court-appointed receiver of the Freedom Center building, a landmark in the civil rights movement, which was abandoned and in disrepair. He subsequently reconstituted the board, created a new nonprofit and began the process of raising funds to restore the building. Now, he and others are in the planning stages for the Clara Luper Civil Rights Center, a 17,000-square-foot complex, located south of the Freedom Center building on Martin Luther King Avenue. According to an NSO release, the $26 million undertaking, part of MAPS 4, will transform that section of northeast Oklahoma City.
Clements has been an active community volunteer and entrepreneur since moving to Oklahoma City from Fort Worth, Texas, in 1984. A graduate of Southern Methodist University, she attributes her passion for volunteerism to experiences with the Junior League of OKC and earlier with the Children’s Hospital of Oklahoma Volunteer Auxiliary. Other organizations Clements has contributed to include: Girl Scouts, NSO, Rainbow Fleet, Casady School, All Souls’ Episcopal Church, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Festival of the Arts, YWCA, Oklahoma City Community Foundation and Impact Oklahoma. Currently, she serves as president-elect of the Oklahoma Breast Institute Community Advisory Board.
Long is in his 31st year as senior pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, which has a membership of more than 7,000. His popular “Something to Think About” radio series can be heard weekday mornings on several radio stations, reaching more than 250,000 people. Under Long’s leadership, St. Luke’s has been the fastest-growing United Methodist Church in Oklahoma for the last 10 years and is consistently one of the top 15 fastest-growing Methodist churches in America. It has embraced the nonprofit Mobile Meals program, a community-wide, volunteer-driven food delivery service, which began several decades ago under NSO’s leadership. Long has served as chairperson of the Russia Initiative of the Oklahoma Annual Conference and helped found the Ulyanovsk United Methodist Church. He also has served as chair of the Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation and as a trustee for Oklahoma City University.
The awards will be presented during a live event planned from noon to 1 p.m. April 28. It won’t be open to the public; however, a livestream link will be available at nsookc.org/LiveGSA.
“NSO is proud to be able to honor these three truly outstanding and philanthropic individuals,” a release states. “This annual event also serves as a vital fundraiser for NSO’s programs and services. Donations can be made online at nsookc.org/give or by mail to 431 SW 11th St. OKC, OK 73109.”
"local" - Google News
April 09, 2022 at 05:27AM
https://ift.tt/cCNBnQM
Neighborhood Services Organization to honor local leaders - Journal Record
"local" - Google News
https://ift.tt/4TeWAab
https://ift.tt/zDAU1Y6
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Neighborhood Services Organization to honor local leaders - Journal Record"
Post a Comment