Community-Based Organization Launches New Program To Help Make Improvements In Tulsa

The community-based organization 'Met Cares Foundation' is launching a new program to help make improvements in the City of Tulsa.

The fellowship called 'Accelerate North Tulsa' is designed for community members of North Tulsa to gain skillsets to help them make improvements in the area.

During the eight-week paid program, fellows will be exposed to different topics ranging from civic engagement, education policy and community organizing.

Met Cares has a legacy of fellowship programs that help train community members on how to spark change in their communities.

At the end of the program, participants will receive a trust-based grant to help them in their efforts.

Executive Director Dion'trae Hayes hopes educating people on how to improve their community will lead to changes, including how policies are made.

“It allows individuals to be armed with the tools they need to create a self-agency in their own lives. It helps to catapult people out of debt to create healthy patterns for generations to come. It also helps them build equity,” Hayes said.

In the North Tulsa community, Hayes says some of the biggest challenges they face in growing the community is economics.

“There is a community trauma that is embedded in the fabric of the community, but it’s not our whole story. North Tulsans are strong, North Tulsans are resilient so this program is designed to remind people of the power they already hold,” Hayes said.

All participants will receive a $500 stipend at the end of the program.

The foundation is also able to provide transportation help and childcare assistance.