World Neighbor's "Work of Women" to be Honored October 4

At their 31st annual Woman of the Year Gala on October 6, The Journal Record is also honoring five Oklahoma nonprofits that benefit women. One of the five honorees this year is World Neighbor's Work of Women! (WOW!).

Members of the WOW! program are committed to improving women's lives in poor, rural villages throughout the world. By joining together in this work, their efforts are multiplied and truly create change.

In keeping with World Neighbors approach, members partner with women in World Neighbors program sites to support collective work that builds skills, community trust and better living conditions. Women are encouraged and supported to join together for development work that moves them beyond subsistence, improves their and their families' health and inspires increased participation and leadership in their villages and beyond. Involvement with this work changes our lives as well.

WOW! members join this effort by donating $35 ($25 for students) or more per year to WOW! at World Neighbors. Membership is spread throughout the world, but WOW! members are predominately girls and women living in the U.S. of all ages, backgrounds, races and religions.

Suited For Success to be Honored Oct 6

At the Woman of the Year Gala on October 6 in Oklahoma City, The Journal Record will honor five outstanding nonprofits that benefit Oklahoma Women.

One of the five organizations to be honored is Suited For Success. This nonprofit provides professional clothing and career development services to low-income women who have completed a job training or job readiness program and are actively seeking employment.

They strive to empower clients to successfully obtain and maintain employment thus ensuring their economic independence. These services are available at no charge. Clients are referred by a number of social service agencies and job readiness programs in Central Oklahoma. Clients range in age from 18 to 65; many entering the job market for the first time. 95% are single mothers, many of whom have been abused, and many come from area shelters. They recently opened their doors to those coming out of prison, too. Almost all of the clients report incomes of less than $10,000. Suited For Success is the only organization in the central Oklahoma region providing these services.

Journal Record to Honor "Stand In The Gap" Oct 6

This year, The Journal Record is adding a new feature to their Woman of the Year Gala on October 6. They are honoring five nonprofits benefiting Oklahoma women. One of the honorees is Stand In The Gap.


This nonprofit encourages and trains churches to equip their members to reach out to... Stand in the Gap. They are located at 3939 S. Harvard, Ste. 120 in Tulsa, OK. The organization was founded in 1997 by three businessmen wanting to help individuals in poverty. 


In early 2007, they launched the "Women in Transition" project which prepares women in Oklahoma prisons for their release to the community, and in some cases forming Stand in the Gap™ ‘families’ to support them long term following their release. They have launched a pilot program with Prison Fellowship International using their method as part of a holistic continuum of support for prisoners re-entering society. Additional partnerships and programs include the Catholic Diocese of Eastern Oklahoma, the David L. Moss Tulsa County Jail, DaySpring Villa Shelter for Battered and Abused Women, the Tulsa Boys Home & The Bair Foundation, Boys and Girls Town of Missouri & the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home and Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago.

Okie Woman Kelli O'Hara Booked for Broadway

Elk City native Kelli O'Hara is set to star in the new Broadway play "Nice Work If You Can Get It" opposite Matthew Broderick. O'Hara has been nominated for a Tony Award three times. A graduate of Deer Creek schools and Oklahoma City University, she is also a singer; her second album, "Always," was released last 

May. Read more at http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/kelli-ohara-will-star-opposite-matthew-broderick-in-nice-work-if-you-can-get-it/

20 Tulsa "Women of Distinction" Honored Today

Congratulations to all the women honored by the Tulsa Business Journal as "2011 Women of Distinction" at a luncheon today at the Hyatt Regency in Tulsa. Honorees are:


Kelli Bailey, executive partner and president of GiANT Partners;
Billie Barnett, director of the Barnett Family Foundation;
Felicia Collins Correia, CEO of YWCA Tulsa;
Paula Bryant-Ellis, senior vice president of BOK Financial Corp.;
Nancy Feldman, community activist and co-founder of the Tulsa Global Alliance;
Lynn Flinn, president and managing partner of The Rowland Group of Staffing Cos.;
Becky Frank, chairman and CEO of Schnake Turnbo Frank | PR;
Peggy Helmerich, philanthropist;
Roxane Jolley, senior manager of marketing at Cherokee Nation Entertainment;
Karen Keith, Tulsa County commissioner for District 2;
Gail Lapidus, CEO of Family & Children’s Services;
Moscelyne Larkin, co-founder of the Tulsa Ballet;
Kara Gae Neal, superintendent of Tulsa Technology Center;
Lori Pumphrey, vice president of finance for U.S. Beef Corp.;
Rose Washington Rentie, executive director of the Tulsa Economic Development Corp.;
Kelly Jo Rickman, director of sales for Post Oak Lodge;
Mary Smith, director of the aerospace division for SpiritBank;
Jan Slater, CEO of the Oklahoma State University Medical Center;
Kathy Taylor, attorney with McAfee & Taft; and
Wendy Thomas, executive director of Leadership Tulsa.

Okie Woman Valerie Naifeh Sells Jewelry on Shop NBC

Oklahoman Valerie Naifeh recently debuted her jewelry on the home shopping network Shop NBC. This Tulsa native started her business in 1993 and initially sold out of Samuel Gordon Jewelers. She set up her own business, Naifeh Fine Jewelry, in 1998. Naifeh is a graduate of Tulsa University and now has her own store in Casady Square in Oklahoma City. You can follow her on Twitter at  http://twitter.com/#!/Valerienaifeh or on Facebook. She also blogs at http://naifehfinejewelry.blogspot.com/.

Journal Record To Honor Shelia O. Lee

Shelia O. Lee will be honored posthumously at the Journal Record's 31st Woman of the Year gala. The former Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, Lee was a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma Class XVII. She was a victim earlier this year in a tragic murder-suicide incident. 

Is Oklahoma Becoming a Granny State?

Over the past few decades, grandparents have more and more filled in for absent parents, incarcerated parents, and parents with an addiction. They have also been called upon to pay for life's extras, provide babysitting, etc. Today 8% of all children in the United States live with grandparents which is the largest number in 40 years.

Source. Yen, Hope. Grandparents' roll with children grows. August 26, 2011, NewsOK 

Oklahoma Artist Jean Ann Fausser Exhibits at State Capitol

The work of Tulsa artist Jean Ann Fausser is currently on display at the Oklahoma State Capital in Oklahoma City. Entitled "Roots and Connections," the show involves fiber work, sculpture, and quilt work. Words can't do it justice. If you are in the Oklahoma City area, swing by the State Capital and see for yourself. This exhibit is sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council.  

FaithLinks Hosting Oct Grandparent Conferences

The Oklahoma Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (Faithlinks) will host a  "Being a GRANDfamily" conference for grandparents raising grand-children. This event will be offered in Ardmore (Oct 7), Oklahoma City (Oct 12),  and Ponca City (Oct 28).  Watch for more details coming from  Faithlinks at http://www.faithlinksok.org/FeaturedEvents.htm

Heart Disease is the #1 Killer of Women

One in 30 women's deaths in 2007 in the US was from breast cancer while 1 in 3 was from cardiovascular disease. But way too little research focuses specifically on women - especially minority women. 

Research does show that heart disease presents itself differently in women. What issues are unique to women? Microvascular disease is more common in women as is high blood pressure, diabetes or related complications during pregnancy. Two-thirds of women who die suddenly of heart disease report no previous symptoms. Women experience chest pains... but can also experience shortness of breath, nausea, and/or pain in the back or jaw during a heart attack.

Source. Women's Health Research and womensheart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.

Okie Woman Blogger: Britt Greenwood & Tulsa Art Spot

It has been a while since I added a new blog to my Oklahoma Women bloggers list so I appreciate Britt Greenwood for telling me about hers.  Check out the Tulsa Art Spot blog which is dedicated to current and upcoming Tulsa area artists. It is new. It is beautiful. And it is going to be fun to monitor!  http://tulsaartspot.com/

Household Changes in Oklahoma

Paul Monies with The Oklahoman did a great article on July 14, 2011 on the changing face of state households. A followup article on July 17 added even more detail. Here are some snippets from these articles:

~ Out of 1.46 million households in Oklahoma, 722,435 were husband-and-wife households in 2010.
But the share of husband-and-wife households fell to 49.5 percent. That's down from 53.5 percent in 2000.

~ At 168,633, single-parent households grew by 18.7 percent since 2000. The majority of those households still are made up of single mothers, but single-father households jumped by 40 percent in the last decade. That compared to single-mother households, which grew by 12 percent.

~ The number of households with unmarried partners increased by 63 percent in the past decade from 53,307 to 86,694 (i.e., from 3.9 percent in 2000 to 5.9 percent of all households in 2010).

~Most of the unmarried-partner households in Oklahoma were male and female, but about 9,800 were same-sex couples in 2010. This represented an increase of 70 percent from 2000. Same-sex households make up a small part, 0.67 percent, of all households in Oklahoma.

~ More than 79,580 children were living with a grandparent last year. The census did not ask that question in 2000. Earlier estimates from the Census' American Community Survey put the figure at 75,000.

~ The number of households made up of men living alone rose to 12.5 percent in 2010, up from 11.4 percent in 2000. Female-alone households fell slightly to 14.9 percent in 2010.

~ Married couples with no children at home accounted for 28.1 percent of households in 2010, up 6 percent.

Read the July 14 article at http://newsok.com/census-2010-south-and-central-americans-help-boost-hispanic-population-in-oklahoma/article/3585489 and the July 17 article at http://newsok.com/census-2010-the-changing-face-of-oklahomas-families/article/3586521

Causes of Homelessness in Oklahoma

According to the Homeless Alliance in Oklahoma City, the leading causes of homelessness in Oklahoma are poverty, lack of affordable housing, unemployment or underemployment, physical or mental disability, substance abuse, and domestic violence. The Homeless Alliance is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the system of care for the homeless in Oklahoma City through collaboration with government, faith-based and nonprofit service providers, city government, and local businesses. The ultimate goal of the Homeless Alliance is to rally the community to end long-term homelessness in Oklahoma City by both preventing homeless and increasing the supply of affordable and permanent supportive housing to move those who are currently homeless back into housing. For more information about the Homeless Alliance, see www.homelessalliance.org.

Free African American Women’s Health Forum, OKC, Sat, Sept 17

INTEGRIS Health, The Links Incorporated, and the Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City will present the fifth annual African American Women’s Health Forum, Saturday, September 17, 2011, at the Cox Convention Center, One Myriad Gardens, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Admission is FREE,  however space is limited so reservations are required and on a first-come; first-served basis. Women may register by calling the INTEGRIS Health Line at (405) 951-2277.

Registration and continental breakfast begin at 8 a.m. with the forum immediately following at 9 a.m. In 2010, more than 1,200 African American women attended this event to learn how to live healthier and more productive lives. Featured keynote speakers are Dr. Marilyn Gaston and Dr. Gayle Porter, co-directors of the Gaston and Porter Health Improvement Center and co-authors of Prime Time: The African American Woman’s Complete Guide to Midlife Health and Wellness. Dr. Gaston’s and Dr. Porter’s mission is to revolutionize the way women think, feel and act about prioritizing their physical and emotional health and wellness. They will educate and motivate women to make lifestyle changes; such as managing stress, improving nutrition and increasing physical activity. There is also a popular Ask the Doctor session. 

Other participating organizations include Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Incorporated—Upsilon Eta Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Eagle Ridge Institute, the Faith-Based Healthy Community Collaborative, National Institutes of Health—Office of Research on Women’s Health, Oklahoma Society of the National Medical Association, and the Oklahoma Women’s Coalition. African American women from all walks of life are invited to attend.

OkieWoman Debbie Schramm Named Saxum President

Oklahoma public relations and marketing firm Saxum recently promoted Debbie Schramm to President. She previously served as Executive Vice President and General Manager. Congratulations, Debbie. Saxum is based in Oklahoma City and also has an office in Tulsa.

See http://www.saxum.com/news/saxum-names-debbie-schramm-president/

Five "Programs Making a Difference" to Be Honored Oct 6

On October 6, not only will The Journal Record name the 2011 Oklahoma Woman of the Year. They will  also honor five "Programs Making a Difference" in Oklahoma. This year's honorees are: Stand In the Gap Ministries; Suited for Success; Women's Leadership Initiative; Work of Women; and YWCA of Oklahoma City.

Can't Afford a Mammogram? Think Again.

The University of Oklahoma's Breast Institute provides 600 uninsured women a year screening and diagnostic mammograms and ultrasounds. 

How do they do that? Through grants from the National Breast Center Foundation and Susan G Komen for the Cure.  

To see if you qualify, call the OU Breast Institute at 825 NE 10th Street in Oklahoma City (405-271-4514)