After 10 years of journeying on The Road to 77, working to mobilize churches in every Oklahoma county to support children and families in need, we finally reached the final stop – Murray County.
On March 28th, 2025, our 111Project staff, church leaders, OKDHS representatives, volunteers, community champions, and family members – 60+ attendees in total – gathered together in Sulphur, Oklahoma, at Crossway Church to celebrate Murray County as the 77th and final county to launch CarePortal. CarePortal is an innovative online tool that connects local churches with the real-time needs of children and families in crisis, as identified by child-serving professionals. This is an important step towards serving vulnerable children and families in that community.
Brady Sharp, 111Project Regional Manager, oversees the network of care and the running of CarePortal in Southeastern Oklahoma. Brady worked diligently with local church leaders, OKDHS, volunteers, and members of the community to make this launch a reality and plan a celebratory event to mark the milestone.
We are so thankful for the hospitality of the Crossway Church leaders, who provided their beautiful space for the event.
This milestone was made possible by the collaboration of several local churches, dedicated volunteers, and child welfare advocates. Churches from the community that were present for the event included Crossway Church, The Home Church, Calvary Baptist Sulphur, Arbuckle View SDA, Pathways Church Davis, and Central Church Fellowship of Believers.
The event’s program began with a special welcome from Brady Sharp and Chris Campbell, 111Project’s Executive Director. Time was spent going around the room and having each person introduce him/herself and their position/title. The legacies of advocacy and action represented in the room were powerful, especially in the context of the completion of statewide mobilization.
Dr. Deb Shropshire (former OKDHS Deputy Director) and Cecil Boydston (OKDHS District Director of Stephens, Jefferson, and Cotton counties) took the time to tell the story of CarePortal’s inauguration in the state of Oklahoma after its success in other states.
Listen to Dr. Deb and Cecil tell the story of CarePortal’s beginning by clicking HERE.
Brady Sharp and Kristin Langrehr, 111Project’s Western Oklahoma Director, then spoke to the attendees about the Oklahoma Opportunity, describing the need for support for children and families before, during, and after foster care. Everyone can do something to engage in this opportunity, whether it’s in helping prevent a child from entering foster care in the first place, helping make or preserve a foster care/kinship placement, or helping reunify a biological family.
The program ended with the first CarePortal request for Murray County being presented to the community. Individuals in the room volunteered in that moment to help provide for the family, and the rest of the request was filled that same day. This was a beautiful picture of the unity and action held by the Murray County community. They are ready to serve children and families in their area!
This event, the final stop on The Road to 77, was a tremendous success. Not only was it a celebration of Murray becoming Oklahoma’s 77th county launched with 111Project’s CarePortal, but marked the end of a decade-long journey that started in Stephens County in September of 2015. The Lord has been so faithful every step of the way, opening doors where there weren’t any and igniting the hearts of people across the state to advocate for those who are vulnerable. To Him be all the glory!
There is still much work to be done, but this milestone takes us a step closer to seeing more than enough support for Oklahoma children and families. Will you join us in the movement?
Be Part of the Movement
The impact of CarePortal in Oklahoma is undeniable. More than 780 churches statewide have helped serve over 44,800 children, contributing to an economic impact in Oklahoma of over $20 million since 2015. Even though every county is now activated with 111Project’s CarePortal, your support and action are needed more than ever, and we believe everyone can do something to help!
We invite every church across Oklahoma to get involved in this movement. Enrolling in CarePortal is free and provides real-time opportunities to support local families. Together, we can be the hands and feet of Christ, responding to needs as they arise and showing the love of Jesus through action.
Enroll today by going to 111project.org/careportal!
Help us spread the word! Share this post on your social media and let’s continue building a network of care and support – one church, one family, for one purpose – so every child has family.
