WIND HOLLOW FEATURES IN DC SUMMIT.
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Photo: Shawn T Moore - Official Dept. of Labor Photograph August 10, 2012
Pictured above is Secretary of Labor, Hilda L. Solis with Theda McPheron-Keel of Wind Hollow Foundation, the private Not For Profit Foundation established in Maryland in 1997, and currently based in Anadarko, Oklahoma.
Dr. McPheron-Keel was a featured speaker at the Department of Labor's event: 'Summit on Reentering through Employment; a Comprehensive Approach to Reintegrating the Formerly Incarcerated" which was held in the Great Hall of the Francis Perkins Building, Washington DC on Tuesday, July 31, 2012. Over 600 delegates were present from Community, Foundation and Government partners, with the intention of using the days discussions to further develop the Department of Labor's best strategies to get the best outcomes.
Following the summit, Dr. McPheron-Keel had a number of one-to-one discussions with senior agency employees and has been invited back to Washington DC in late August for further discussions with senior representatives from Labor, Agriculture, Commerce, Energy and Defense Departments.
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| WORK STARTS ON INCUBATOR, FARMERS MARKET |
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Work has finally commenced on Wind Hollow's Business Incubator, at 212 E Main St. Anadarko. The first phase of the conversion of the old John Deere Building is being funded by the USDA under a Rural Business Enterprise Grant awarded in July 2011. However, before work could start, a group of students from OU's College of Architecture completed 'as built' drawings for the existing building and then produced new plans outlining their proposals for the conversion.
Project architect, Rob Elliott of Elliott & Co. of Oklahoma City then had to sign off on the plans before the USDA gave their final approval earlier this year. Phase 1 will involve the provision of office space at the front of the building, before work moves on later this summer to the creation of a new Commercial Kitchen and Sewing Room within the original factory premises.
First Nations Development Institute have also supported the project with an award under their Walmart funded 'Native Agricultural Food Systems Initiative' (NAFSI). As well as funding the purchase of some of the expensive Kitchen equipment, the NAFSI award will also pay for electrical work at the old Anadarko Farmers Co-op at 214 E. Main St, which re-opened as Wind Hollow's Farm Store in January 2012. The electrical work will provide for exterior lighting for the building, as well as installing ceiling fans and electrical outlets for the permanent Farmers Market that will open later this summer.
Pictures show insulation material being delivered that will be used in the conversion, and also highlights the signs announcing the changes coming to Anadarko!
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WIND HOLLOW RECEIVES $30,000 GRANT FOR COMMUNITY INCUBATOR PROJECT
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| The first load of feed is delivered at the Farm Store |
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Wind Hollow Foundation (WHF) recently received a $30,000 Native Agriculture & Food Systems Initiative (NAFSI) grant from the First Nations Development Institute of Longmont, Colorado. This award will support the efforts of Wind Hollow's Agricultural Services site and the adjoining Business Incubator.
Wind Hollow is about to start work on the next phase of the redevelopment of 212-214 E Main, where the defunct Anadarko Farmers' Co-op recently reopened as Wind Hollow Ag. Services Farm Store. The First Nations funding will be used to have the new Farmers Market stalls wired for power - to provide lighting and ceiling fans for the benefit of vendors. Where the dilapidated grain store has been torn down, WHF intends building a Community Greenhouse to grow heirloom variety vegetables and traditional plants.
Some grant funding will also go towards the purchase of heavy duty equipment for the new Commercial Kitchen that is to be built inside the adjoining 'John Deere' building which is about to be converted into a Business Incubator - which will have a strong agricultural focus. It is expected that the development of the Kitchen will be finished by the late summer. Wind Hollow President & CEO Theda McPheron-Keel remarked "The support of First Nations will really allow us to accelerate our efforts to revitalize the buildings that once served Anadarko and its' long agricultural heritage. As we continue to bring these buildings back into use we will help provide opportunities to the whole community."
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WIND HOLLOW EPA GRANT GAINS
FINAL APPROVAL
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Wind Hollow Foundation has received formal EPA confirmation of the award of its' Environmental Justice Grant.
Wind Hollow submitted its' application in March 2011, requesting a $25,000 grant to help address issues relating to the presence of toxic materials such as Lead Paint, Asbestos and mold in older properties in Anadarko. Any buildings of pre-1978 vintage may possess Lead and Asbestos and to minimize risk to home owners when renovating or repairing their properties, Wind Hollow proposed:
- To have a certified Inspector carry out a number of property inspections, with the grant covering the cost of all laboratory tests. The Inspector agreed to donate his time to Wind Hollow free of charge.
- To ensure that local contractors were fully aware of potential risks, to use grant funds to provide access to subsidized certified training at local Technical Colleges.
- To use an element of grant funds to promote a public awareness campaign highlighting the risks of these toxins in the home.
Wind Hollows' budget stated that grant funds will not provide for any of the Foundations' staff positions or administrative costs. 100% of grant funding is paid as reimbursement of direct program costs: e.g. Lab. fees, training fees, advertising and brochures, etc..
The EPA required each project selected for funding to complete a detailed Quality Management (QM) plan, outlining key staff, responsibilities and management processes to be used, how the project would minimize risks to both homeowners and inspection staff, how samples would be collected and processed and so on. This was required before funding could be confirmed and also required two staff to undergo training in Austin, Tx during September last year.
After a great deal of hard work from WHF's staff team, in November 2011 Wind Hollow was finally advised that its' 63 page QM document had been accepted and that grant funds would be available as needed.
Full details of the program will be released to the public in Spring 2012.
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WIND HOLLOW HONORED AT
WHITE HOUSE SYMPOSIUM
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Wind Hollow Foundation, a 501 (c ) 3 Non Profit, established in 1997 to empower Native American tribal people, came to Anadarko, Oklahoma in 2009 and has embarked on a series of Economic Development programs for the benefit of the whole community. First Wind Hollow wrote successful funding bids for the Delaware Nation that set up the tribes new environmentally friendly Transit Program and also provided for their HQ's new solar roof.
At present WHF has three programs of its' own in place, funded by the USDA, the EPA and now First Nations Development Institute. WHF is working closely with a number of partners including the University of Oklahoma, whose College of Architecture helped design the layout of the new business incubator that will be located in Andarko's old John Deere plant, providing new and growing local businesses with affordable office space, a commercial kitchen and sewing room, and eventually, workshop and small manufacturing space.
Wind Hollow's efforts were recognized when President and CEO Theda McPheron-Keel was invited to represent WHF as one of only five featured organizations at a White House symposium for Faith Based Initiatives & Neighborhood Partnerships on September 22, 2011. Ms McPheron-Keel discovered that uniquely, Wind Hollow had been nominated for this honor by three different Federal agencies. "While the trip to DC and the symposium was a humbling and gratifying experience," said Ms McPheron-Keel , "the really hard work starts now, ensuring that our tribal population and indeed, all residents of Anadarko and Caddo County are able to benefit in some way from the programs we are running."
Further details of Wind Hollow's work in Anadarko can be found at www.windhollow.org or by calling (405) 247-5452.
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| WIND HOLLOW EPA GRANT AT FINAL SELECTION STAGE |
July 20, 2011
The Environmental Protection Agency contacted Wind Hollow today to advise that the Foundation had been shortlisted for an Environmental Justice grant.
In March, Wind Hollow discussed the submission of their grant with the City of Anadarko. WHF was seeking modest funding to be used to inspect up to 50 local properties for the presence of Asbestos, Lead Based Paint and Mold. WHF advised the City that it had been approached by a certified Inspector who had offered to make a donation to the Foundation by inspecting local properties at cost price, rather than the normal commercial cost of between $1,500-$2,000 per property. A portion of the grant monies will also be used to provide subsidized training in Asbestos, Lead Paint and Mold remediation to local building contractors. The entire grant ($25,000) will be utilized to provide services, with the cost of administering the program being met by Wind Hollow from its' own resources.
As grant finalists, Wind Hollow staff are scheduled to attend training at Austin, Tx in August to be EPA compliant to UFP-QAPP Certification.
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| 20,000 SQ FT BUSINESS INCUBATOR TO BE OPENED IN ANADARKO |
July 12, 2011
After being funded by USDA to open a small Business Incubator in its' office building last year, Wind Hollow Foundation (WHF) has been awarded a second grant of almost $100,000 to start work on the conversion of the old John Deere building on E.Main St in Anadarko into a larger Incubator facility.
The 20,000 ft building was purchased by Wind Hollow in early 2010 and was used temporarily by its' Supported Employment Program'. During 2010, substantial work took place on refurbishing and rebuilding parts of the building, and this expenditure has been used as part of the necessary 'match' for the Rural Business Enterprise Grant.
The Business Incubator development will take place in a number of phases. The new grant will help fund the completion of the office space at the front of the building, which will include small office units for new start businesses and a small seminar/ training room. Incubator clients will have access to a high capacity photocopier/ printer and businesses without their own computer will be able to hire a functional machine on-site.
The grant will also fund the second phase of the project–the construction of a new commercial kitchen and commercial sewing room. After WHF analyzed over 80 business questionnaires collected at a community event last June, it was decided that these two facilities were priority. The sewing room will be of particular interest to Native Americans crafts people currently manufacturing regalia. The commercial kitchen will provide an approved facility to allow manufacture of food in volume and local residents have already approached WHF regarding the production of such diverse items as Beef Jerky, Salsa, Indian Tacos and Meat Pies. (At present, the nearest Commercial Kitchen is located at the premises of Rural Enterprises of Oklahoma in Durant - 150+ miles away).
WHF is partnering with the University of Oklahoma's College of Architecture to redesign the building. Besides the work already identified, the old John Deere workshop area will be adapted to create a series of manufacturing and workshop units of various sizes. This redevelopment will form the third phase of rebuilding and is currently unfunded. The fourth, and final stage of the redevelopment will involve the refurbishment of the old Anadarko Farmers Co-op building at 214 E Main which is also owned by WHF. Again, external funding will be required for this element of the project–but is part of WHF's longer term plans to reopen the facility for the benefit of local farmers and ranchers.
'We are excited that our most recent grant application to USDA has been successful and that we will soon be able to start work on the large scale Incubator that will provide much needed affordable work space in town. We hope to build a productive relationship with the USDA as we strive to put Economic Development measures in place for the benefit of all local residents.' stated Theda McPheron-Keel, Wind Hollows' President and CEO.
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| WIND HOLLOW AWARDED GRANT TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES. |
October 11, 2010
Wind Hollow Foundation (WHF) is pleased to announce that it has been successful in securing a Rural Business Opportunities Grant of $50,000 from the USDA.
The grant will be used to help establish a small-scale business incubator on the second floor of the Wind Hollow building in Anadarko. This service will include the provision of business advice and practical assistance to local residents wishing to expand their existing businesses or to develop new ventures. WHF identified the need for the Incubator after partnering with Grace Christian Fellowship at an event for Feed the Children in June of this year. While Grace was helping distribute supplies, WHF collected over 80 business questionnaires from local people.
"When we analyzed the results, we found that people wished to investigate the idea of starting their own business, but did not know how to go about it. They were asking for some support in putting their ideas together. The other major barrier they said that they had encountered was the availability of business property at affordable rates." remarked Theda McPheron-Keel, Wind Hollows' Founder.
She continued, 'We know that Anadarko has suffered in recent years with the closure of Hollytex and the Peanut Mill resulting in over 550 job losses. While the City and the Chamber concentrate their efforts on attracting a large scale employer to the area - and this would be incredibly good news for the local community - we will attempt to approach the problem of unemployment from the opposite direction on a smaller scale.'
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| WIND HOLLOW FOUNDATION AWARDED MAJOR GRANT FROM DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE |
October 7, 2010
"I am pleased to announce that we have been selected by the Office os Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice for a grant entitled the Second Chnce Act Reentry Demonstration Program: Targeting Offenders with Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders. The Second Chance Act of 2007 is to help ex-offenders make a successful reentry back into the community," stated Mrs. McPheron-Keel, President & CEO.
This grant provides funding support for Wind Hollow Foundation to work collaboratively with state, local and tribal governments to develop and implement comprehensive strategies, which address the chalenges posed by prisoner reentry into the community, and to reduce recidivism. In addition, the grant services will provide a comprehensive data development approach to such crucial areas as drug treatment, mental health, job training, mentoring, and family strengthening.
The Department of Justice states there are currently over 2.3 million individuals serving time in our federal and state prisons, and millions of people cycling through local jails every year. Ninety-five percent of all offenders incarcerated today will eventually be released and will return to communities. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) found over 50% of jail and prison inmates were abusing or dependent on drugs in the year before their admission to prison. BJS has also reported that 16% of jail and prison inmates were identified as having a mental illness. Other studies have show prevalence rates of co-occurring mental health issues and substance abuse disorders among inmate populations at striking levels.
"As part of our proposal, Wind Hollow will identify and network existing resources and programs to better leverage support, adoption, and implementation, of permanent transformative changes, involving reentry efforts, mental health and substance abuse services. Three strategic areas we are focusing on are: Jobs and Economy, Trauma and Justice, and Public Awareness and Support.
Wind Hollow will serves as the grant recipient and work to incorporate Adaptive Living Solutions, its sister company as a mentored life skills and job training program for the returning ex-offenders in Caddo County and among local American Indian tribes and surrounding areas. As Native American populations comprise 48% of the county and have a disproportionately high percentage rate of incarceration, this is our targeted population group," commented Mrs. McPheron-Keel.
| "Of the nearly 6,000 applications submitted nationwide, Wind Hollow was the only non-profit organization in Oklahoma to receive this grant," staed Mrs. McPheron-Keel. Mr. Bill McCollum, Grants Administrator, Oklahoma Department of Corrections recognized our award, the OJD Grant, as being the only tribal focused award for these programs for adults in the entire nation.
"We have created our sister company, Adaptive Living Solutions (ALS) with its focus on providing green alternative building and community revitaization jobs by repurposing, demolition of dilapidated housing and buildings, and finally asbestos, mold and lead paint abatement to assist those returning or with substance abuse history and others with mental ilness issues to be part of our targeted population. ALS once funding for workers salaries is identified, will provide employment areas, as well as job and life skills training. This supported employment will provide the financial means necessary to support an individual and their families. This will hopefully reduce future offenses, probation violations and recidivism rates.
Wind Hollow Foundation will partner with the many service community and tribal organizations to leverage and combines resources such as job training, health, social, and humans services to the target population. Our first step will be to form Advisory Boards focused on the three strategic areas with judicial systems, faith-based organizations, business and community leaders, and governmental officials. These regional and locally based organizations and individuals will serve also as mentors to the program during the two-year period of the grant itself.
Research has shown that carefully structured, well organized mentoring and job training programs can have concrete benefits through improving family and peer relationships, decreasing delinquent behavior, and drug abuse, In addition, we will have an evaluation component that will help us document and better understand the social content and behaviors related to needs of the ex-offenders and the community they return to. The critical elements of data base development and statistical analysis is essential in evaluation and future funding access for the region. The recent U.S. Department of Justice training provided to Wind Hollow will allow us to implement far-reaching solutions based on evidence based practices supported by accurate data for our programs," remarked Mrs. McPheron-Keel.
"This funding will enhance our opportunity to improve the quality of life for families, ex-offenders, communities and tribes across our region and Oklahoma itself as persons return to the community. This demonstration grant will allow Anadarko to become a model of joint efforts to address these critical issues. It will take a few months to get everything underway, so we are not taking applications at the present time," concluded Mrs. McPheron-Keel.
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| WAL-MART MAKES DONATION TO WIND HOLLOW FOUNDATION |
September 17, 2010
Pictured is Mr. Tim Hightower, Public Relations Director of Wind Hollow Foundation and Mr. Tim Kraus, Manager of the Anadarko Wal-Mart Super Center, receiving a check for $1,000.00.
"We are grateful and exciting about receiving this donation. With this donation we will be able to purchase from Wal-Mart some much needed tables and chairs for our workers, operations and community use," stated Mrs. McPheron-Keel.
"Adaptive Living Solutions (ALS), our construction company, will be specializing in three areas, demolition, abatement, i.e. asbestos, mold and lead paint and roofing. Over 80 of our current and former employees have been trained and certified to OSHA level 2 standards in asbestos abatement. With the purchase of these tables and chairs, we will be able to allow four supervisors and 25 workers the opportunity to sit in comfort and take a 3 day class certifying them in mold abatement as well. This will allow our workers the opportunity to be certified and well trained in a field where there is a high demand and very limited number of certified workers across the state. This training and successfully completing the certification process will allow our workers job opportunites for years to come!" commented Mrs. McPheron-Keel.
"Again, we want to thank Wal-Mart Super Center and Mr. Kraus for his assistance in forwarding our proposal to his corporate offices. We look forward to a continued partnership as we work together as good corporate and community leaders in providing jobs and economic opportunities in our community," concluded Mrs. McPheron-Keel.
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| WIND HOLLOW FOUNDATION AWARDED MAJOR GRANT FROM DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE |
I am pleased to announce that we have received word from the Office of Justice Programs at the Department of Justice that we have received an award for $407,114.00 over two years to administer a grant entitled the Second Chance Act Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Demonstration Project. The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-1990) which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on April 9, 2008, provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of people who are released from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities and returning to communities.
Our projected start date is January 1, 2011. At this moment, we will be filling out all the necessary paperwork for the grant, which can be a three month process.
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| Wind Hollow Hosts Grand Opening |
The Anadarko Daily News
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The ribbon cutting ceremony marking the official opening of Wind Hollow Foundation's sister companies Wind Hollow Agricultural Services Center (formerly known as the Anadarko Co-Op) and Adaptive Living Solutions (formerly the John Deere store) took place Friday, June 4, 2010, from 11am-2pm.
"Over 700 people made their way through a tour of the facilities and enjoyed free hamburgers, hot dogs, and refreshments with all the trimmings," commented Mrs. Theda McPheron-Keel, President and CEO of Wind Hollow Foundation.
"This was a great opportunity for us to showcase the work we are doing towards revitalizing and rebuilding our downtown community as a whole. We look forward to continued progress in the days ahead. But most of all, we want to say Thank You to our many friends and new friends, especially the residents of Anadarko and surrounding communities for coming out and making this Grand Opening such a success!" Stated Mrs. McPheron-Keel.
"Also, we would like to remind the community that we will be having our Farmers Market located at 214 E. Main, open on Wednesdays and Saturdays mornings from 6am-12pm. Also, we will have our "Downtown Saturday" events at 132 E. Broadway, taking place from 11am-2pm, now until November. Currently, it consists of our Native American Arts and Crafts Sales, with local vendors and entertainers from our communities for everyone's enjoyment. If you are interested in participating in any of these activities, please contact Ms. Hali Marin or Mr. Jamie Beaver at (405) 247-5452," concluded Mrs. McPheron-Keel.
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| Woman Envisions Much More Than Just Recover from Tornado |
Lawton Constitution
April 12, 2010
Anadarko- Theda McPheron-Keel has a vision of how the City of Anadarko will look in five years. With more than 400 homes within the city limits condemned to be unfit to be used, and business that still show the effects of the May 13, 2009, tornado, McPheron-Keel sees these same homes repaired or replaced to be owned by low-income wage earners along with a revitalized business district. But that is not her only vision.
It also involves reopening the Anadarko Farmers Co-Op, building a biofuels plant and setting up trade and cultural relations between area American Indian tribes and countries in the Middle East and North Africa. It includes training and hiring those who are receiving state assistance from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, those who recently have been released from prison or been assigned to the Wind Hollow Foundation from Drug Court.
McPheron-Keel said she has given herself five years in Anadarko to accomplish this visions.
McPheron-Keel, as head of the Wind Hollow Foundation, a non-profit corporation whose primary mission is working with American Indians with economic development, education, health and cultural issues, is not doing this by herself. Using her past experiences and working with area tribes, faith-based organizations, along with federal, state, city and county programs and agencies, will be the key to success, she said.
Wind Hollow employees are in process of setting up for-profit businesses that include:
? A local branch of Adaptive Living Solutions (ALS), which trains workers to rebuild or refurbish homes and businesses;
? The Wind Hollow Agricultural Services, which plans to re-open the scales at the Anadarko Farmers Co-Op in May, as well as develop global export markets for locally grown produce; and
? Wind Hollow Native Energy, a company that focuses on alternative energy.
While McPheron-Keel is concerned about the area economic development, she said the foundation is a source for developing healthy, competent employees.
Job Skills Training for 50
Using federal stimulus money through the Subsidized Employment Program (SEP), administered by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, there are currently 50 men and women receiving training at Adaptive Living Solutions (ALS). They are learning basic building skills such as carpentry, hanging drywall and painting, and eventually, some will be taught how to properly remove asbestos. But that is only part of their training.
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Each participant is required to complete a mentoring program with classes ranging from substance abuse using Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or Gambling Anonymous; life skills training; sensitivity training; and family development training, she said.
"We want them to grow to be able t handle job responsibilities," McPheron-Keel said. "They have to believe they can succeed."
Team leaders for training Adaptive Living Solutions (ALS) employees include Carroll Jarrett, who is team co-coordinator, along with team expediters Kenneth Stephenson, Mario Diaz and Joe Brewer, all local residents. Each has experience with different types of construction as well as being trained monitors.
"It is rewarding to teach adaptive skills and we each have different skills and we each have different skills that help in monitoring," Jarrett said.
Diaz said he has found a great deal of self-satisfaction in helping to revitalize the community. "There is nothing like this and it has given us all an opportunity to succeed," he said.
New Life for a Former Hotel
The first project for the Wind Hollow Foundation was the purchase for $1 of the tornado-damaged Bryan Hotel. The historic structure was built in 1902 by C.M. Bryan as a 34-room hotel. Today the building houses offices and meeting rooms for the Wind Hollow Foundation.
Using local labor, along with donated or salvaged furnishing and materials, the cost to repair and refurbish the building came in at $150,000, McPheron-Keel said.
Other Building Projects Planned
The former John Deere building on Main Street is now being remodeled to include offices for Adaptive Living Solutions (ALS), classrooms and equipment storage, along with storage for materials taken from building too damaged to be repaired but that contain materials salvaged from those buildings such as wood, bricks, concrete blocks, roofing materials and tin. Those items can be used to repair other homes and businesses.
Across the street, an old lumber yard has been torn down and the brick is being cleaned up for re-use in future projects.
The next step is rebuilding homes in Anadarko to be sold to low-income households, McPheron-Keel said.
"Our goal is to have a well-trained workforce that will be available to all employees and businesses within our area," she said.
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| Program Lets Town Stimulate 40 Jobs |
The Oklahoman
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Anadarko - A stimulus-funded program is expected to provide jobs and related training to about 40 people.
Workers will demolish several downtown buildings to make way for new low-incoming housing, program officials with the non-profit Wind Hollow Foundation said.
"Our goal is to develop low-income housing using job placement of the chronically unemployed, such as those receiving benefits, the disabled and veterans," said Theda J. McPheron-Keel, President of the Wind Hollow Foundation, one of several groups involved in the program. "We will utilize re-purposed material and re-model damaged housing and business projects by retrofitting them with green technology."
Participants in the program, which will have a $500,000 payroll, will get substance abuse counseling and life-skill training.
An orientation is set for today. Applications will be taken on Wednesdays at Wind Hollow headquarters at 132 E. Broadway in Anadarko.
The State Department of Human Services is helping find applicants, officials said. Many of them have received state assistance.
The jobs are expected to provide immediate help for Anadarko and Caddo County, officials said. Anadarko City Manager, Robert Williamson, estimated each dollar spent through the program will change hands within the community about seven times, boosting its impact to about $3.5 million.
Carla Hall, Executive Director of the Anadarko Chamber of Commerce, is optimistic about the program's ability to revitalize the city.
"Several federal programs encourage developers and businesses involved in economic development to emphasize job creation and stabilization in distressed communities," she said. "We're lucky Wind Hollow has chosen to plant roots in Anadarko."
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| Wind Hollow and DHS Schedule Orientation for 40 New Jobs Here |
The Anadarko Daily News
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wind Hollow Foundation and Oklahoma Department of Human Services set Orientation for New Jobs in Anadarko!
Wind Hollow Foundation and Adaptive Living Solutions (ALS), in partnership with the City of Anadarko, local tribes and businesses, and the State of Oklahoma Department of Human Services will be having an orientation from 9am-12pm on Thursday, March 18, 2010, for 40 new jobs in Anadarko, stated Mrs. Theda McPheron-Keel, President and CEO of Wind Hollow Foundation.
These immediate jobs will be demolishing dilapidated buildings on the 200 block of East Main Street in downtown Anadarko. "These high quality jobs using Federal stimulus monies will provide an immediate economic boost for families, businesses and service providers across Anadarko, Caddo County and Southwestern Oklahoma," further stated Mrs. McPheron-Keel.
"In addition, Wind Hollow Foundation is taking advantage of federal stimulus dollars through the Subsidized Employment Program (SEP) administered b the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. This program will allow those receiving state assistance the opportunity to gain employment and attain job training skills which will hopefully allow them to successfully compete in the workforce and not return to state assistance. First priority for hiring will be given to those individuals," stated Paula Moore, Department of Human Services.
"Currently, economic measures illustrate that for each $1.00 spent, it will turn over 7 times in our local economy," further stated Robert Williamson, Anadarko City Manager.
Wind Hollow is expected to have an annual payroll of $550,000, which would put $3.5 million back in the local economy.
Even with high unemployment and job turnover in Anadarko, the Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Carla Hall is optimistic for Anadarko's future growth. "Wind Hollow Foundation is exploring ways to expand community revitalization efforts to include job creation and workforce development aimed at unskilled and semi-skilled workers.
| Their efforts are linking standard economic development strategies to recruit new businesses, and leverage funds for projects focused on opening 40 new jobs in this one endeavor. Several federal programs encourage developers and businesses involved in economic development to emphasize job creation and stabilization in distressed communities, and we're lucky Wind Hollow has chosen to plant roots in Anadarko."
Wind Hollow Foundation, a non-profit corporation with its primary mission to work with American Indians, and individuals and tribal bodies in the area of economic development, education, health and cultural issues.
"Adaptive Living Solutions (ALS) focuses on green alternative building and community revitalization in rural and underserved populations. Our goal is development of low-income housing using job placement of the chronically unemployed, such as those receiving benefits, the disabled and veterans. We will utilize re-purposed materials and remodel damaged housing and business projects by retrofitting them with green technology and build a well-trained workforce for the 21st century," stated Mrs. McPheron-Keel.
In addition, each participant will be required to successfully complete our mentored training program. These classes will range from substance abuse: AA, NA, and GA, life skills, sensitivity and family development training.
Application will be taken from 1pm-5:30pm only on Wednesdays on the second floor of Wind Hollows headquarters, located at 132 E. Broadway in Anadarko. "We look forward to additional job creation announcements in the days ahead," stated Mrs. McPheron-Keel.
Mrs. McPheron-Keel said, "One other item we need: our areas citizens' help. Wind Hollow Foundation is in desperate need of office furniture, desks, tables, chairs, and computers. Also, we are in need of construction tools i.e.: safety gear, hammers, shovels, hard hats, etc., and tools to equip our offices at 214 E. Main.
"All your gifts are tax deductible and we would appreciate your gifts as Wind Hollow Foundation, Adaptive Living Solutions, and the State of Oklahoma Department of Human Services, the City of Anadarko, Caddo County, and tribal bodies work to improve the quality of life for Anadarko citizens."
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