Emergency Shelter Services Are at Risk — Community Action Needed Now
We call on our community to join us in advocating for the protection of emergency shelter funding and to support local organizations that provide these vital services.
Payne County Youth Services
Janet Fultz, NCC, MS, LPC-S
Executive Director
janetf@pcys.org
www.pcys.org
Wings of Hope Family Crisis Services
Brandi White, MA CPH
Executive Director
bwhite@sdvs.org
www.wingsofhopeok.com
At Wings of Hope and Payne County Youth Services, we share a fundamental belief: every person—whether a woman fleeing domestic violence, a child seeking safety, or a teen with nowhere to go—deserves a secure place to stay in times of crisis. Emergency shelter is more than just a bed for the night; it is a critical lifeline that provides safety, stability, and the opportunity for a better future.
Beyond emergency shelter, both of our organizations provide ongoing support to help individuals rebuild their lives. From mental health counseling and case management to advocacy and long-term housing support, we ensure that those we serve have the tools they need to heal and move forward. Our services empower survivors, guide youth toward independence, and strengthen families in crisis.
Recent governmental policy initiatives threaten the funding that makes these lifesaving services possible. While we remain committed to adapting and strengthening our programs, we cannot do this work alone. The need for emergency shelter in our community is not going away, and neither is our commitment to standing together to provide hope and protection for those in need.
Wings of Hope and Payne County Youth Services are not just service providers-we are local employers. Together, we employ over 60 dedicated professionals who live and work in this community, ensuring that critical resources remain available for those in need. These jobs support our local economy while directly contributing to the health and safety of our neighbors. In some cases, we also provide internships and training opportunities to prepare the next generations of counselors, case managers, front line workers, and advocates for children, youth, and families. Prevention programming and enrichment opportunities, suicide prevention and crisis intervention as well as provision of basic necessities are just a few of the myriad impacts our organizations have on the immediate and long-term safety of some of our most vulnerable members of our communities, many of whom are abuse and neglect victims. Together, our organizations are awarded an estimated $1M in federal dollars that benefit our local economy and to support those in need. These dollars are at risk of across-the-board elimination with no alternative funding in sight, in spite of our programs receiving outstanding results in audits.
We call on our community to join us in advocating for the protection of emergency shelter funding and to support local organizations that provide these vital services. Direct actions you can take now include:
- Place a call or send an email to your state and federal legislators and demand that state and federal funding be protected for victims, mental health, and homeless adults and youth
- Place a call or send an email to your state and federal legislators to demand that policies at the state and federal level protect funding and services to these populations
- Share this information with your neighbors, co-workers, friends, churches, and civic groups, via social media, direct conversation, and email, and connect with donors and organizations that may support our missions
- Make your own tax-deductible financial donation. Wings of Hope and Payne County Youth Services are each 501 C 3 organizations
Whether through financial contributions, volunteering, or sharing our mission, your support makes a direct impact. Together, we can ensure that no victim, child, or youth in our community is left without a safe place to turn.
Stand with us. Support emergency shelter and services for children and families.
About the Organizations:
Wings of Hope Family Crisis Services provides shelter, counseling, and advocacy for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Last year we provided more than 200 women and children with safe shelter in our community and more than 1,300 services.
Payne County Youth Services provides emergency youth shelter, mental health, crisis, and substance use counseling, prevention, intervention, Safe Place, community education and advocacy services for children, youth, and young adults. Our services are free to service recipients. Across services we served over 1,500 children and youth in direct services and 5,000 in community education.
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