Caring for Kids Book by Book
Hello everyone! I’m Will Readmore, the mascot for Bank of Oklahoma’s Caring for Kids Book By Book Literacy Campaign.
I want to encourage you and all the friends of Volunteers of America of Oklahoma to bring new or gently used books to any of Bank of Oklahoma’s 84 statewide locations from June 1-30. We are looking for books for children ages 6 months to 12 years.
Through its Books Are Cool program, Volunteers of America of Oklahoma provides all donated books to children and their families who have a limited number or no books of their own.
Volunteers of America works with several literacy partners to distribute the books throughout Tulsa, including Neighbor for Neighbor, the San Miguel Project, John 3:16 Mission and several public housing projects as needed.
In addition to working with Volunteers of America of Oklahoma, Bank of Oklahoma also is partnering with The News on 6, The CW 12/19 and News 9 to promote literacy and education. Watch these stations in June to learn more about the book drive and how you can help!
During past book drives, we’ve been able to give away more than 100,000 books to children in need. We need your help us make this year’s drive the most successful yet!
Giving is easy! Clean out your bookshelf, shop at a garage sale, visit a discount store to pick up books.
A Mentoring Success Story
Four years ago, Breanne was living with her mother and two younger sisters in a Tulsa shelter for the homeless. Her father was in prison, and other than attending classes at Mark Twain Elementary School, Breanne did not have much contact with the rest of the world.“One day my mother asked me if I would like to have a mentor,” Breanne said. “It would be someone I could do things with, to get away from things for a bit. I thought it would be pretty cool, so I said yes.”
Breanne was paired with Donna Nichols through Volunteers of America. “I do a lot of volunteer work, for organizations like CASA,” Nichols said. “This was a program to provide mentors for children who had parents that were incarcerated. All they told me was the age of the child I would meet.”
That first meeting went well, to the point that Breanne said, “I really didn’t want her to leave.” more>
Donors Can Now Make Tax-Free Gifts from their IRAs
Congress has re-authorized legislation that allows donors to make charitable gifts from their IRA accounts during tax years 2008 and 2009 without incurring income tax on the withdrawal. If you are age 70 1/2 or older and are required to take minimum withdrawals, this may be a great way to make a gift to one or more qualified charities. For more information, visit our legacy planning section.
Volunteers of America of Oklahoma Breaks Ground
Volunteers of America of Oklahoma broke ground on a new senior housing complex in Broken Arrow. This 37-unit complex is set to be completed by the summer of 2009. The new two-story complex will have about 31,000 square feet and will feature a library, crafts area, lounge and a clubhouse for community activities. Located at 2314 South Ash Court, the Broken Arrow Sequoyah Creek development will be the fifth affordable senior housing complex for the organization. Volunteers of America of Oklahoma also operates four senior facilities in the Oklahoma City, Kingfisher and Choctaw areas for individuals 62 years of age or older, or who have a disability, and meet the low-income requirement.
This project is funded through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Volunteers of America is one of the largest providers of affordable housing in the country. Nationally, the organization operates over 300 affordable housing properties in 31 states and are the largest recipient of HUD-awarded funding for senior housing and housing for the disabled. more>
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