‘One Day’ only
Faith-based nonprofit will host drive-thru event
Love OKC, a nonprofit envisioned by a local pastor, is hosting its annual outreach once again. The One Day outreach will be held as a drive-thru event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Plaza Mayor, the former Crossroads Mall at 7000 Crossroad Mall.
Crystal Manu, communications director of North Church, said free groceries, pet food and items like infant diapers will be offered to the first 1,000 families who attend the event.
Medical and dental services have been offered during the community effort in previous years but Manu said those activities won’t happen this year to limit the spread of COVID-19.
However, she said One Day was particularly pleased to partner with organizations including World Vision so that household goods and items like power drills and small appliances such as air fryers will also be given away to families. “It’s just been a real blessing to bring it back,” she said. “Through our many partnerships, we are excited to make this happen for the first 1,000 families who show up.”
Manu said the Rev. Rodney Fouts, founder and senior pastor of North Church, had the vision for Love OKC: a faith-based nonprofit that would serve the needs of the greater Oklahoma City metro area.
She said the One Day outreach is Love OKC’s biggest initiative. “One Day is the day where we come together with several organizations and churches to serve our community and help them with basic needs,” Manu said.
Families attending previous One Day outreach events were given free groceries, haircuts, family portraits, medical and dental services. The outreach also offered individuals opportunities to focus on obtaining employment.
One of the key components of the event has been the absence of registration or sign-up requirements. All families have had to do is show up and Manu said that will also be the case for Saturday’s drive-thru effort.
She said the typical large-scale One Day effort was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, but the nonprofit did end up hosting a drive-thru event in which more than 600 families in Oklahoma City, Guthrie and Checotah were provided with free groceries.
The drive-thru model was adopted again for this year’s event due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“For this year, we certainly had to keep the safety of our volunteers and honored guests at the forefront,” Manu said.
“We wanted to be able to bring the event back in the safest way possible while serving as many people as possible. The idea of doing it as a drive-thru event but on a larger scale was birthed.”
She said this year’s sponsors include: Hobby Lobby, World Vision, Feed the Children, North Church, Santa Fe South Schools, Inkling, Pet Food Pantry, Pastor Derrick Scobey and Ebenezer Baptist Church, Pastor Christine Byrd and New Life Bible Church, Saint Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, MAKO Products, American Truck Training, IBEW Local 1141 and The House FM Radio.
As in previous years, the event will offer a prayer component. Manu said keeping face-to-face contact at a minimum will be key during the community service effort but there will still be an area where volunteers will be praying for and with families that desire it.