Kendall Whittier Incorporated (KWI) has been dedicated to revitalizing and supporting Tulsa, Oklahoma’s historic Kendall Whittier neighborhood for the past 50 years. Kendall Whittier is one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods undergoing significant redevelopment and growth. However, many Kendall Whittier residents face numerous challenges due to systemic poverty, such as poor nutrition and food insecurity. As a result, we focus on specific basic needs to assist neighbors in need.
The vast majority of KWI’s clients, particularly children, are impoverished. We provide nutritious food for today and inspiration for tomorrow through our Emergency Food Pantry (EFP) and community gardens programs – the GROW Teaching Garden and Tipton Community Garden. We also collaborate with other neighborhood organizations to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable residents, including seniors, children, and people with disabilities.
KWI was founded in 1968 by a coalition of neighborhood churches in response to the neighborhood’s deterioration. College Hill Presbyterian, Grace Lutheran, St. Francis Xavier Catholic, and University United Methodist are the founding churches supporting our mission with The University of Tulsa. In addition, neighborhood residents and others with an interest in the well-being of the Kendall Whittier neighborhood are also actively involved.
History
The Kendall Whittier area — its people, homes, businesses, schools, and infrastructure — was aging in the 1960s. Along with this natural process were the impact of I-44 (Crosstown Expressway) construction and the Tulsa, OK Area Planning Commission’s decision to rezone the southern part of the area between Lewis Avenue and Delaware Avenue from single-family to multi-family use. I-44 divided the area into two distinct communities, displacing many people and negatively impacting businesses. The rezoning was intended to combat aging by replacing deteriorating homes with new, small apartment buildings. In reality, it had the opposite effect. Low-quality, cheaply built apartments on fifty-foot lots quickly deteriorated, attracting occupants prone to drug use and crime.
In response to the neighborhood’s deterioration, several neighborhood churches formed a joint outreach ministry in 1968. Each church housed a social services program to assist neighbors in need to address the growing needs of the neighborhood residents. Kendall Whittier Ministry was formed as a result of this collaborative effort. Bed Bug Exterminator Tulsa
The year-round Youth Mentoring Program, which began in October 2003 and was headquartered at St. Francis Xavier, was one of the most successful projects. Healthy snacks, education and behavioral assessments and consultations, enrichment activities, and referrals were available through collaborative resources. The Ministry hired a certified educator as director and assistant, gathered supplies, established accounting and reporting procedures, schedules, behavioral policies, etc. Initially, approximately 150 Kendall-Whittier Elementary students were enrolled. There was a waiting list, and the average attendance was 30 days.
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