Help a Worker

Helping the less privileged in your community has a lot of benefits. Sure, giving money to a cause overseas is nice, but giving to someone in your own city makes it possible to directly see the benefits your hard work creates.

The Adopt-A-Worker program has been in Tulsa since 2002 and creates a link between the Department of Human Services and faith-based organizations around the area.

"It's a faith based program for DHS workers in Tulsa," said Mary Carlile, Program Administrator with Adopt-A-Worker.

Workers at OKDHS can sign up to receive faith-based help, both tangible and intangible. Each worker has a liaison, who is his/her direct connection with the volunteer group.

The liaison contacts their adopted worker at least twice a month, and Carlile said the group "lifts them up through the Lord." Sometimes the help is in the form of prayer, but other times help is more visible. "They send cards and in certain cases we've had clothing given, food given and jobs found," Carlile said.

When workers contact Adopt-A-Worker, they can specify which faith-based organizations they would like to be paired with, and those are always contacted first.

Faith-based organizations are encouraged to get involved. It's easy and personalized to each congregation, as there is no financial commitment and each congregation gets to control their level of involvement.

Essentially, the collaboration pairs members of the religious community who want to help with the less-privileged Tulsans who could benefit. The three aims of Adopt-A-Worker are to give emotional and spiritual support to workers in DHS and their clients, to enlighten congregations about the needs of the worker and their community and to provide opportunities for congregations to meet needs of the worker and their clients. To find out more information or get involved, call 499-8933.