Speaker 1: Good morning, good morning, good morning. Welcome, welcome, welcome it.
Speaker 1: It is time now for our community connection right here
Speaker 1: on Kate one You Trust, brought to you in part
Speaker 1: by Tall Grassmotors and Wesley and Kitty College. And today
Speaker 1: it's a beautiful day. It's a beautiful day in more
Speaker 1: ways of one sunshine and everybody appears to be pretty
Speaker 1: healthy today. But it's also a day where we're going
Speaker 1: to do some of the best good we possibly can.
Speaker 1: We have Whitney in from our Best Bank and also
Speaker 1: the Foundation, and also Misty in here from Mary Martha Outreach,
Speaker 1: and we're talking today about the million Meals campaign. That's
Speaker 1: a lot of meals.
Speaker 2: It is, and we're super excited to do it again
Speaker 2: this year. This is our fifteenth year. We started in
Speaker 2: twenty eleven, and so we get to partner with great
Speaker 2: food partners like Mary Martha Outreach, Misty and her team.
Speaker 2: But our goal is to make sure that we address
Speaker 2: food and securities and the communities that we serve here
Speaker 2: in Oklahoma. We're fifth in the nation for food insecurities
Speaker 2: and so we know people are wondering where their next
Speaker 2: meal is and so at our best we want to
Speaker 2: help with that and so we know that folks like
Speaker 2: Misty and her team do a great job. If we
Speaker 2: can donate some funds to them, that they will get
Speaker 2: the meals to the people who need them.
Speaker 1: Now, Misty, we know this is very real, but you
Speaker 1: see it up front, and a lot of times you
Speaker 1: would never know unless you did know, because a lot
Speaker 1: of people that they.
Speaker 3: Pass on through right, right, and a lot of people
Speaker 3: it's hard to ask. And the time now is even
Speaker 3: more prevalent than it has been in the past. It's
Speaker 3: and we're seeing a major food desert. Even with the
Speaker 3: food we're receiving now, so to be able to buy
Speaker 3: it with our proceeds from you know, like our vest,
Speaker 3: it's we wouldn't be able to operate.
Speaker 1: Really wow, that's amazing. And it is such a smooth
Speaker 1: operation too. We hate to see any kind of disruption
Speaker 1: or interruption. Now, Whitney, how do we average citizens participate
Speaker 1: to make sure that we keep Mary Martha rolling here?
Speaker 2: Absolutely well. We're taking donations from April to first, all
Speaker 2: the way through May thirty first. There are three ways
Speaker 2: that you can donate. You can come to any of
Speaker 2: our branch locations and donate here in Bartlesville, or Dewey,
Speaker 2: and all of those funds go directly to Mary Martha.
Speaker 2: Or if time's a crunch for you and you just
Speaker 2: can't get to the bank, you can go to rvest
Speaker 2: dot com forward slash million Meals make a donation that way,
Speaker 2: or if you're an Ourvest customer, you can go directly
Speaker 2: to your Rvest app and make a donation that way.
Speaker 2: We try to make it as easy as possible for
Speaker 2: folks because we know that people's lives are busy they
Speaker 2: can't always get to the bank. But we're also doing
Speaker 2: some really fun things in the bank. Last week we
Speaker 2: had a bake sale, Yeah you did, and there were
Speaker 2: some yummy treats, and we'll have more baked sales throughout
Speaker 2: the end of this month and through next month. But
Speaker 2: also this week we're doing our Cutest Pet contest, and
Speaker 2: so if you are an animal lover, come and vote
Speaker 2: for one of the cutest pets, make a donation. We
Speaker 2: would love to see you in any of our branches.
Speaker 1: You know, I've been this Million Meals campaign very successful
Speaker 1: for over fifteen years, and when you think about how
Speaker 1: many people were helped and probably saved a few lives,
Speaker 1: this is amazing. And this is something that's just not here,
Speaker 1: but throughout the whole our best footprint.
Speaker 3: That's correct.
Speaker 2: So in the last fifteen years, we've raised twenty five
Speaker 2: million meals for folks with food insecurities, and that's through
Speaker 2: our four state footprint Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, in Kansas and
Speaker 2: monetarily we've raised four point five million dollars. Last year,
Speaker 2: we were able to raise here in Bartlesville three thousand,
Speaker 2: five hundred dollars and we want to increase that by
Speaker 2: fifteen percent this year because it is our fifteen year anniversary,
Speaker 2: so got to have a goal exactly so we know
Speaker 2: we can do it. We know we can do it
Speaker 2: with the help of folks out there who just have
Speaker 2: a heart for giving. And just please note that we
Speaker 2: take no your full donation. One hundred percent of the
Speaker 2: proceeds go directly to Mary Martha and Mistery.
Speaker 1: Getting back to your organization for the people who haven't
Speaker 1: lived here all their lives or we've only been here
Speaker 1: for a little bit, maybe just heard the name. Tell
Speaker 1: us a little bit more about the organization.
Speaker 3: Correct, Okay, So we are a food print pantry and
Speaker 3: we provide food weekly to families in need. They need
Speaker 3: to be within two hundred percent of poverty level, which
Speaker 3: and I'm not real you know, particular about that. If
Speaker 3: they're a little bit over, I'm not going to let
Speaker 3: anybody go hungry. But we're open from Monday through Wednesday,
Speaker 3: nine to eleven and Thursdays twelve to two. But we
Speaker 3: also have a clothing room and we do toiletries the
Speaker 3: first of the month, and we do back to school
Speaker 3: clothing and coats. Yes, we do coats for the wintertime.
Speaker 3: But we couldn't do that without the extra proceeds from
Speaker 3: people like Arvest. Arvest is our largest local sponsor, wow,
Speaker 3: besides the Unit of Way. Absolutely, so it's very important
Speaker 3: that our people come together and help help continue this cause.
Speaker 1: How long have you been around.
Speaker 3: Mary, Martha has been around twenty five years.
Speaker 1: Wow. So you guys kind of got a little anniversary
Speaker 1: thing going twenty five to fifteen. So why don't you
Speaker 1: just kind of put it together, folks and make this
Speaker 1: a big deal. Yes, this would be a great time
Speaker 1: to do that. Anytime, it would be a great time
Speaker 1: to do it, but now in particular.
Speaker 2: Yes, and you know, people can donate a dollar and
Speaker 2: that makes a difference absolutely, you know, I think that's
Speaker 2: one thing is it doesn't have to be a very
Speaker 2: large donation. Everyone's donation counts and that's really important to us.
Speaker 2: You know, each year we also have a change drive
Speaker 2: during this time. So even if you want to come
Speaker 2: in and give us some change, we would love to
Speaker 2: take that. Everyone has some pennies laying around in a
Speaker 2: in a junk drawer or a bolder. Yes, so we
Speaker 2: will take as little or as much as you would
Speaker 2: like to give or you can give. We know that
Speaker 2: everyone can't always give a lot, but when you can
Speaker 2: give means a lot to us, and I know it
Speaker 2: means a lot to Mary Martha, and we would love
Speaker 2: any donations.
Speaker 1: Well, that would be great. So folks, you know, come on,
Speaker 1: it's just a little bit, but it goes a long way,
Speaker 1: and let's try to hit that fifteen percent increased goal. Okay,
Speaker 1: this is all. This is really wonderful. Now you say
Speaker 1: online we can read a little bit more about it
Speaker 1: and make the donation at the same spot.
Speaker 2: Sure, absolutely, yes, anybody can go online to Harvest dot com,
Speaker 2: forward slash million meals and make that donation and read
Speaker 2: about Mary Martha. But also I just want to make
Speaker 2: a little plug. There is an article and be monthly
Speaker 2: right now as we speak that our marketing manager Stevie
Speaker 2: Williams and with partnership with Misty wrote and it's out there.
Speaker 2: And so if you want to learn a little bit
Speaker 2: more about Million Meals, pick up a b monthly today
Speaker 2: and please feel free to read that article.
Speaker 1: Wonderful and work. We find out more online about Mary Mile.
Speaker 3: Outreach, so Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma and search for
Speaker 3: Mary Martha. And we also have a Facebook page, oh yes,
Speaker 3: a group and we try to be very active on
Speaker 3: that as well. And one thing I wanted to say
Speaker 3: too is fundraiser that they're doing now is my most favorite.
Speaker 3: They're doing the Easter egg hunt or hiding. They will
Speaker 3: you go and they will do it all for you
Speaker 3: and the Easter Bunny just shows up. So yeah, you
Speaker 3: go to the east Side Branch.
Speaker 2: Yes, you go to the east Side Bridge. It's called
Speaker 2: egg My Yard. If you are someone who can't maybe
Speaker 2: you're not physically able to go and get Easter eggs
Speaker 2: and fill them with candy, or you still have time,
Speaker 2: you can. You can make a donation and have your
Speaker 2: your yard egged. And that means that we will come
Speaker 2: out and we will hide eggs in your front yard
Speaker 2: so that your kids can go out and be able
Speaker 2: to hunt eggs.
Speaker 3: Favorite. I do it every year from my kids and
Speaker 3: I legitimately don't know that it happened. Yeah, amazing.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's at our east Side location over off of
Speaker 2: Adams Boulevard. They're running that all through the week. I
Speaker 2: think they're taking donations all the way until Thursday, and
Speaker 2: then Thursday and Friday they'll go in egg your yard.
Speaker 1: My goodness. So we have the locations here downtown east Side,
Speaker 1: and we have a branch up in Dewey.
Speaker 2: We do. We also have one south of town near Colonial.
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, yeah, yes, any of those locations they're accepting donations.
Speaker 2: And again our food partner here in Bartlesville and in
Speaker 2: Dewey is Mary Martha.
Speaker 1: Well this is gonna be great. So folks are dig deep,
Speaker 1: let's go. You can do it, and let's make this happen.
Speaker 1: Million meals, My goodness, six fifteen years in the business,
Speaker 1: helping an agency that's been around for twenty five prolonged,
Speaker 1: and of course make sure that folks who need it
Speaker 1: most get it. That's great, What a great story and
Speaker 1: what a great event. It is, so you know what, listeners,
Speaker 1: we got to make it happen.
Speaker 2: That's right, And we just want to say thank you
Speaker 2: for all those folks that have donated before. Thank you
Speaker 2: so much for your donations. And those are that are
Speaker 2: considering making a donation, thank you very much for your consideration.
Speaker 2: And we just really appreciate being part of this community.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much.
Speaker 3: Thank you.
Speaker 1: All right, new folks, you've been watching and listening to
Speaker 1: our Community Connection program. It's been brought to you in
Speaker 1: part by Tall Grass Motors and Wesley and Kitty College