ENID, Okla. — No community is perfect.
Among the many benefits of living in Enid, there are areas in need of improvement. Each resident has their own opinion on where Enid falls short and where it shines.
United Way of Northwest Oklahoma provided an evaluation of the community’s needs and strengths through its recent community needs report.
“We collect information to basically kind of guide where our strategic plan goes, how we prioritize giving,” said Dan Schiedel, United Way CEO and executive director. “Because if, you know, childcare or early childhood education, or let’s say it’s mental health, if those are the issues that are on the rise and the things that we need to address, then we try to target those areas to try and resolve some of the problems that we see in the community.”
Schiedel said United Way found Enid to be a generous, supportive community with a strong culture of philanthropy.
“A few (needs) that are on our radar include childcare availability, transportation, mental health care and addiction services, health access and equity and educational supports for all ages,” he said. “Additionally, we know that food insecurity continues to be a major driver of problems in our communities. Housing is also a critical need, and not just for those who are unhoused, but those in danger of eviction, foreclosure or losing shelter.”
United Way provides funding to organizations and charities that provide solutions to these issues, such as Garfield County Child Advocacy Council’s Yellow House and YWCA Enid.
Dustin Albright, executive director of Garfield County Child Advocacy Council, recalled a time when the name United Way carried no meaning.
When Albright worked at Enid Police Department, United Way donation slips occasionally circulated throughout the department. Unaware of what United Way was, Albright said he would write his name and $0 next to it each time a slip landed on his desk.
He did so for years, as did many others.
Now, Albright shares his story to encourage others to donate.
“This is how you help the community,” Albright said. “If you give money to them it benefits these agencies like (the Yellow House). There’s nonprofits that help everyone in this community.”
Albright has since left EPD and works for the Yellow House, an organization that aids local child wellness.
“Mental health counseling, food, shelter, you know, whatever they need, we try to help them find it,” Albright said.
Albright described the Yellow House as a friendly home meant to minimize secondary trauma for children who have experienced a sexual assault, abuse or other issues. Many children find the police station unwelcoming, and the empty interview room proves intimidating for many young victims.
The Yellow House provides a safe space where a child can be evaluated after experiencing trauma.
But children are not the only Enid residents who face abuse and trauma.
According to Courtney Dennis, executive director of YWCA, Oklahoma is No. 1 in the nation for occurrences of domestic violence.
YWCA serves anyone in Northwest Oklahoma who needs emergency shelter, advocacy services, a counseling program, sexual assault examinations, free clothing and more. Although YWCA is classically a women’s organization, Dennis said the organization will not turn away any man, woman or child in need.
YWCA offers a 24-hour crisis hotline for victims to call or text at (580) 234-4244. Communications are anonymous and confidential.
Dennis said YWCA serves between 3,000-5,000 people per year.
“So, really, United Way is absolutely pivotal to help us continue to run all these programs that are so vital to the community,” Dennis said. “So, really, we cannot do this without United Way.”
And United Way cannot fund these organizations without help from donors and the community.
“A lot of the funding comes from the community, mostly our annual employee campaign with all of the employers, and those that are involved with us and they generate probably well over half a million dollars,” Schiedel said. “And then we have major donors that helped generate a lot of that.”
But there are plenty of ways to aid United Way and the organizations it funds without spending a dime.
Both the Yellow House and YWCA offer volunteer opportunities. Dennis said the YWCA is in need of volunteers from office tasks to advocacy. Both organizations offer advocacy training for those interested in helping victims directly.
United Way funds multiple other organizations within the community to address the area’s diverse set of needs.
“Our primary focus is on education, income and health,” Schiedel said. “Those are kind of three areas that we focus on with United Way because we figure that if you can address education, then a lot of that will take care of income and health. But you’ve got to address education, income and health … they’re the building blocks of a good quality of life, and that’s what we’re there for. We’re trying to help everyone to get to that point of having a better quality of life.”
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