Tulsa Nonprofit Preparing For Donation Drive To Help City's Homeless

A Tulsa nonprofit announced the creation of a one-day donation drive to make sure those in need receive the essentials.

Youth Services of Tulsa is one of many organizations trying to address a big issue in Tulsa: a lack of clothing and essential toiletries for the city's homeless.

YST said their big needs include items such as underwear, deodorant and shampoo and conditioner, and it is a need that many people do not know about.

Through the organization's Youth Advisory Board, YST said they have set up a one-day donation drive on Aug. 12, where people can donate either new underwear, gently used clothing items like shirts and pants, and toiletries.

YST's associate director of community relations and communications Caroline Olsen said the drive comes at an important time, since their organization has not been able to take in donations on a daily basis for the last several weeks due to some flooding in it's main office.

"Homelessness is a real issue that a lot of our neighbors in the city are facing, and I think now more than ever we’ve all felt kind of the crunch of finances," Olsen said. "You know money doesn’t go as far as it used to things are more expensive."

Olsen also said most of the credit for the drive goes to YST's Youth Advisory Board, who saw the need particularly for younger homeless people.

"They stepped in, and these are teenagers who are looking around and seeing their peers who need a little bit of an extra hand," Olsen said. "So, I really appreciate that. It was a youth donation drive for other youth."

The donation drive will be on Aug. 12 at Youth Services of Tulsa's main office near East 3rd Street and Highway 75.