Do you like to shop? Do you like to save money? Do you like to help people, especially those in your own neighborhood? Most people can probably answer, “Yes,” to at least two of those questions (or maybe to all three!). We recently sat down with a few organizations in Enid that offer a great combination of shopping, bargain hunting, and most importantly, helping.
4RKids
4Rkids specializes in raising awareness and providing educational and vocational opportunities for clients with special needs. When we sat down with Rachel McVay, Executive Director at 4Rkids, one of the themes running through the conversation was change. Their gift shop, 2nd Story, is the perfect illustration of that. Because the employee-clients at 4Rkids make most of the goods for sale, they are able to pivot and change course as necessary. If something is not selling well, they can try something different. On the other hand, treats from lines such as 4 R Pups are perennial best sellers. McVay said that “Many customers know us for our dog bones!”
Other handmade items include cards and jewelry. In addition to smaller items, they are very proud of their laser-cut wood products and their stock and custom tee shirts. When we visited the shop, there was a lovely array of home décor and kitchen woodcraft items, all delicately designed and cut by the onsite laser. But if someone comes in and doesn’t see what they want on the shelf, McVay explains “what’s really nice about laser stuff is that it can all be customized. We get a lot of people for graduations, anniversaries, or the birth of a baby where they want something in particular.” Customization is also available for shirts, and they hope to expand their screen-printing business in the future.
Located off Overland Trail, the store opened in November of 2008 and was originally conceived “to provide employee clients with meaningful work, sell their items, and be open to the public to interact with,” relayed McVay. Through years of growth, the retail store (which also houses a thriving mini golf business) now represents a significant source of support for the operations of 4RKids.
In addition to providing work for employee clients, 4RKids does a host of other things. McVay explained that “we do a high school transitional program for students with developmental disabilities who are looking into vocational training.” They also host a sensory-friendly event once a month. Sports are included, too, with McVay informing us that “In 2010, we joined forces with Enid Noon Ambucs…and we worked closely together to make Miracle League happen. It’s a wonderful event.” Anyone age five and up can participate, and there are both children’s and adults’ teams. McVay wants everyone to know that “It’s a really great event, and it’s open to the public. So, if you ever want to come out on a Saturday during the summer, we play at ABC park!” McVay also wants the Enid community to know that visitors are always welcome, saying that “We are open to the public and are happy to have people come!”
Hope Outreach
Anyone who has ever driven down Van Buren has seen the furniture, bikes, and occasional pieces of exercise equipment in front of HOPE Outreach. The secondhand goods are put out nearly every day, and while they may be a bit dusty, they are getting a chance at a second life. And even more importantly, they are helping to provide a second chance for many of the folks at HOPE Outreach. Sitting down with HOPE Outreach CEO, Matt Lohman, we learned more about how exactly used furniture could help give someone a second lease on life.
That roadside furniture is just one of “five distinct ministries and is probably the most well-known…engine that helps the ministries run,” said Lohman. In addition to the retail store, they have the Transitional House, which assists formerly incarcerated individuals with societal reintegration, and the Parenting Outreach, which helps local parents. There is also the Refuge Ministry, which is an outreach to homeless individuals in Enid, and Waypoints, a community care ministry. The Van Buren storefront is by far the most visible, but there is a lot of work happening outside the store walls. None of it could happen without the store, though, and Lohman reported that “80% of our funding comes from the sale of goods.”
Through it all, a consistent theme is “to minister the love of Jesus, of empowering people toward responsible living,” said Lohman. “It’s the idea of teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime…helping people help themselves.” And HOPE Outreach doesn’t just talk the talk – they walk the walk. Lohman reports that “we hire most of our people coming out of incarceration, drug addiction, homelessness, poor work history… our goal is to get them started here so they can either work their way up or get a good reference from us. We’ve hired a lot of folks who’ve come in and didn’t have a place to stay. They were staying at Salvation Army, and we’ve hired them.” And the Refuge Ministry provides clients with job seeking resources, including the ability to use the Refuge address and phone for contact information (a critical but often overlooked part of being able to find a job). When Enid shoppers’ shop at HOPE Outreach, they can be assured that their purchase, whether large or small, is truly helping to share a message of faith, hope, and empowerment for those in need.
Return Engagement
Nestled on a quiet corner in historic downtown, Return Engagement is the retail operation of Enid’s Junior Welfare League (JWL). Although their emphasis is on upscale women’s fashion, Return Engagement carries a bit of everything, from shoes to home decor. We recently sat down with the store’s general manager, Alicen Campbell, to learn more about this remarkable organization.
According to Campbell, all of the store’s “proceeds go back into the community in some way or another, whether that’s through Care Share or another committee that they’ve got going on.” Care Share is one of JWL’s major outreach efforts, providing local schoolchildren with confidential and caring support. JWL members work directly with school counselors in order to provide children with shoes, clothes, and other items as needed. Occasionally, Care to Share is able to assist older students, with Campbell relating that last year, JWL was able to fill a request for “an NOC student who needed specific pants for science labs.”
JWL’s best-known fundraiser is the annual charity gala, an always-swanky affair held in December. The 2023 gala raised over $180,000 – a truly spectacular achievement and one that helped countless local individuals. It was a magical night full of generosity that truly shone a light on the compassion and generosity of the Enid community. And through Return Engagement, the JWL is able to create a different kind of magic—the ordinary kind that everyday people can support. Whether looking for children’s clothes or designer handbags (and Campbell assured me that “the handbags sell pretty well”), Enid shoppers can be confident that their purchases are going right back into the community. Campbell said, “You might not always see when JWL is doing something…but know that everything is still benefitting someone else in one way or another!”
Park Avenue Thrift
It is almost impossible to miss Park Avenue Thrift. Its enormous mural is an explosion of bright, cheerful colors that greet anyone who is driving into Enid from the east: Park Avenue is literally one of Enid’s most visible thrift stores. It is also one of Enid’s largest charitable operations, distributing thousands in grants to local organizations each year. To learn more about how Park Avenue Thrift supports the community, we recently sat down with Executive Director, Stela Jantzen, and Operations Manager, Malvin Arter.
According to their website, Park Avenue distributed $520,895.88 in grants for the year 2023. By any standard, that is an incredible amount, and every penny went to improve life in Enid. When asked about the major areas that the store supports, Jantzen said, “What we like to fund is arts, education, environmental sustainability…anything that’s quality of life but that impacts a lot of people.”
When asked if there is such a thing as a typical day at the store, Arter laughed. “Yes and no,” he said. “We have phenomenal, amazing donors. They never stop coming…It’s a constant process of just getting things in, processing them, and getting them on the floor. And that’s what enables us to do our grants.” The store is a constant hub of activity, with a total of 32 employees and a lot of regular customers. “We know them by name, and they know our employees by name,” Malvin said with a laugh.
Vance Air Force Base Thrift Store
At the smaller end of the spectrum is the thrift store at Vance Air Force Base. It is open to anyone with base access—retired military, DoD, and other civilian employees, and of course active duty. Sandwiched between the Vance Fitness Center and the pool, the thrift store is tiny, but it has a mighty mission: to help fund scholarships and other charitable efforts of the Vance Spouses Club. The store is staffed entirely by volunteers from the spouses’ club and has limited hours. Even so, it is very successful and contributes a significant amount to the club’s scholarship and charity efforts each year. “I love that these thrift stores put money back into the community,” said volunteer Samantha Philips. “Knowing that some of the thrift store earnings helped support the YWCA is heartwarming.” Shoppers at the Vance thrift store can be confident that every single purchase helps local individuals. It is a win-win situation for everyone, or as club historian Ashley Riley said with a smile, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!”
Conclusion
By themselves, actions such as buying home décor objects, dog biscuits, a used treadmill, or perhaps some secondhand blouses do not seem life changing. Everyday shopping inherently lacks the literal sparkle and shine of 4Rkids’ annual “Champagne & Diamonds Gala” or the JWL’s annual gala. Even the Vance Spouses’ Club has an annual charity auction, which raises thousands each year. Such large events grab headlines and—rightly so—demand attention, shined shoes, and the right outfit. They make a splash, and they let all of these organizations do what they do. But flying somewhat under the radar, the retail operations of these organizations provide an incredible, almost mind-boggling amount of funding, all of which flows directly back into the Enid community. With every single purchase at these mission-driven stores, Enid shoppers are helping their own friends and neighbors. During our conversations, one thing that stood out was everyone’s commitment to working with their fellow organizations here in Enid. Park Avenue makes sure that nothing is wasted, for example, by recycling cardboard with 4Rkids or donating unsellable blankets to the Enid SPCA. The staff at Return Engagement and Vance Thrift Store make sure that any clothing they can’t use gets passed onto other charities in Enid. 4Rkids partners with Ambucs to ensure that Miracle League is a success for kids and kids at heart. And HOPE Outreach works with Salvation Army and other local folks, such as Catholic Charities, in order to help those experiencing homelessness. They are all separate organizations, with their own distinct viewpoints and missions. When viewed together, though, they create a very compelling picture of the phenomenal generosity of those in the Enid community. Perhaps Park Avenue’s Stela Jantzen summed it up best when she said, “That’s what I love about Enid—I feel like it’s ingrained in us to want to help each other…that’s what I love about all the other thrift stores here in town…I love that we all have our different missions, but I think it’s really cool that we can also help each other.”
