On December 9, 2023, the Continuing Care team of Family & Children’s Services’ (FCS) Women in Recovery (WIR) program held a holiday party for 79 graduates of the WIR Program. WIR is just one of the 72 programs in Family & Children’s Services’ portfolio, and it is the only program in Tulsa designed to provide an intensive outpatient alternative for women facing long prison sentences.
In addition to the 79 WIR alumnae in attendance at the holiday party were 82 children – family members and friends of the participating graduates. Party attendees took part in festive activities including cookie decorating, photos with Santa, snowball (cotton ball) catapults, ornament creating and button making.
An event of this magnitude required significant effort, both on the part of volunteers and partner and donor organizations. Twenty-nine volunteers from WIR, both staff and program participants, lent a hand in making the party a special event for the attendees. Partner organizations including 108 Contemporary, Philbrook Museum and Discovery Lab helped undergird event efforts, namely at the event’s Activity Tables. Donors for the event included:
- Hall Estill
- BAMA
- Acrobat Ant
- Eisenhower School
- Pi Beta Phi Fraternity
- LIBR
- Wade Jameson – Public Defender’s Office
- Cheryl Gonderman
- Barbara Townsend
- Ranch Acres
- Rachel Delcour
- Tina Parkhill
- SMOKE on Cherry Street
Without these volunteers, partners, and donors, this event could not have been the success it was.
Each child left the event with a book and a board game, and all alumnae left with a few presents in hand. These gifts were provided by WIR donors, many of whom support WIR annually at events such as the holiday party, as well as at various WIR-focused events held throughout the year.
The WIR program works closely with the criminal justice system and various community partners to ensure program participants receive supervision, substance abuse and mental health treatment, education, workforce readiness training and family reunification services. For more information on WIR, visit https://www.fcsok.org/services/women-in-recovery/, or contact WIR by phone at 918.947.4200.
WIR was founded in 2009 and is a program of Family & Children’s Services. FCS has been serving Tulsans for more than 100 years.
