Nonprofit Needs Help Getting License Plate Tag A Permanent Spot On Service Oklahoma

An Oklahoma nonprofit, ROAD, is asking for help to spread its message in hopes of raising more money to help others.

ROAD, or Recovering Oklahomans After Disasters, helps those in need rebuild after severe weather, and they have a new license plate tag.

The nonprofit needs 100 Oklahomans to choose its license plate design by May 1, 2024, to make the design a permanent option.

The nonprofit ROAD is looking for a way to bring more awareness to its mission to help more storm victims like William Hooks of Muskogee.

Hooks' home was damaged in the May 2022 storm. He applied for aid and then forgot about his application.

"Lo and behold, somebody gave me a call," Hooks said. "They were looking at my application, and next thing I know, here we are."

ROAD is helping Hooks rebuild his roof, among other things.

Recovering Oklahomans After Disaster brings together volunteers and repairs storm victims' homes for free.

"We recruit volunteers from around the country and get the house get put back together," Chad Detweiler, CEO and president of ROAD, said.

Right now, there is a shortage of volunteers.

Sometimes, storm clean-up can take longer than two years, and when it's not in the news, it can sometimes be forgotten.

"Sometimes people don't know they can still volunteer," said Anne Armstrong, an out-of-state volunteer. "They don't realize the disaster is still ongoing."

ROAD hopes its new license plate will help inform Oklahomans about its mission.

"Lightening in the background gave us a great opportunity to be able to kind of show that it's storm-related," Detweiler said. "The awareness is huge, so if it directs people to our website, then they can see the opportunities we have for volunteering and also for donations."

Donations are vital to ROAD's mission because all services are free and it's not cheap.

"There's thousands and thousands of dollars when you consider the building materials that have to be purchased and then the hours of free labor that the volunteers are coming in and doing," said Armstrong.

With more donations and volunteers, ROAD can complete more projects that would change people's lives.

You can apply here for a ROAD license plate through May 1, 2024.