Local churches can now meet local needs of families in crisis throughout Choctaw County 

CHOCTAW COUNTY –Oklahoma Department of Human Services stepped into Heather Pierce’s life 22 years ago – an intervention met with opposition that would lead to opportunities to serve. 

Pierce encountered Jesus and her life was forever changed. She now wants to help other families who find themselves where she did 22 years ago.   

“I’m very thankful that DHS did step in because if they didn’t, I don’t know where my family would be today,” Pierce said at the Choctaw County CarePortal launch event last week.    

Heather Pierce shares her personal perspective at the CarePortal launch in Choctaw County.

CarePortal, a growing connection network managed by 111Project, allows agency partners – like OKDHS Child Welfare – to submit requests to the community and local churches to serve families in need. 

“This is absolutely necessary – absolutely needed,” 111Project Regional Manager Jonathan Cox said. “DHS can’t handle it all. They weren’t meant to. We as people are meant to be in community together. We’re meant to show each other love. We’re just trying to help foster that.”  

Four churches including Victory Life of Boswell, Victory Life Hugo, New Life Family Church, Saint Jude Parish in Boswell and the Immaculate Conception Parish in Hugo were a part of the initial launch – 111Project would love to have many more in the community enroll. 

Choctaw County has 31 children in foster care as of Mar. 1, according to monthly numbers released by the OKDHS.   

“I don’t imagine we’re going to eradicate the need, but we sure can help,” 111Project Eastern Director Andrea ‘Dree’ Hogue said during the launch. “We sure can help prevent kids from going into care by stabilizing families. We sure can help by helping those be reunified with their families. We sure can show up and help.”   

111Project is a not-for-profit 501c3 with the mission to mobilize the local church so every child has family. The organization’s initial goal is to mobilize 1,000 churches across Oklahoma that can serve at least one family a month on CarePortal and recruit and support a foster family every year.     

If 1,000 out of the 6,200 churches in Oklahoma commit to recruit and support one foster family a year, and serve one family a month on CarePortal, the state will move closer to having more than enough help for children and families in crisis. 

Lance Hammon, Community and Faith-Based Engagement Coordinator for OKDHS’s Office of Strategic Engagement, said CarePortal has paved the way for communities to come together.  

“It’s wonderful to see the two – churches and the community – wrap around some of the families and also wrap around some of the staff that’s out there day to day working in child welfare,” he said. 

Hammon said they’ve learned that community members want to help, they’re just not sure how they can help.  

“This is one more tool that we can put in the toolbox to help us,” he said.   

Hammon said with the church stepping in, it helps take the burden off the social workers shoulders.  

Lance Hammon, left, speaks at the CarePortal launch in Choctaw County with Jonathan Cox, right.

Father Todd Nance, Saint Jude Parish in Boswell and the Immaculate Conception Parish in Hugo, said this program has touched his heart from the very beginning because it allows the church to come together for one purpose.  

“Everybody’s got a place to be on Sunday, everybody’s got their theology, their message – and that’s wonderful,” he said. “But we can come together for a common purpose. It’s nice to be able to be unified in this common purpose for families to support kids in this rural area, where resources are tight.” 

Child abuse and neglect is not a subject that many people want to discuss, Region 4 Deputy Director for OKDHS Child Welfare Services Jerrel Hoffman said during the launch.   

“The same things that you see on TV that’s happening in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, unfortunately, is happening here,” he said. So that’s where it takes a team to make sure that our kids and our families are safe and served. That’s why partnerships like this are so important.”  

Hoffman said CarePortal has been around for years, but they were unable to get it launched within their county until the partnership with 111Project.   

“So, the churches, thank y’all,” he said. “Without y’all, obviously, this would not be possible.”  

Hoffman echoed Hammon in saying DHS could not do this alone.   

“Thank you all for stepping up for the children and families in this community because I promise you there are families that need y’all,” he said. “And we need y’all.” 

Not everyone is called to become a foster parent, but there is an opportunity for everyone to help – whether it’s providing a bed or paying a utility bill.  

“It’s very, very important that we all come together as a community to help these families,” Pierce said.    

Choctaw is the third county launched in 2023 and is the 43rd county launched in total, which is more than halfway to statewide expansion.   

Okfuskee County launches April 19th and Dewey Counties launches in May.  

Any churches or individuals interested in learning more or getting involved can visit 111project.org. 

Choctaw County social workers, on the left, speak to members of Victory Life Church of Boswell, on the right.