The Center for Children and Families, Inc. (CCFI) is a Norman, Oklahoma, United Way agency focusing on preventing and treating child abuse and neglect. CCFI has worked with many young children over the last thirty-six years due in large part to the generosity of individuals and community agencies.

Linda Terrell, director of the Center, is a member of Memorial Presbyterian Church. Even before she joined the church, many of us church members had been long-time supporters of the center. Some years ago CCFI expanded its work and facilities when it moved into a building that now houses about twenty-two local agencies. Memorial likes to support local services as much as possible, such as the Center; Food for Friends (where we and many other churches and groups prepare and serve a noon meal periodically); Women’s Resource Center, which provides services for women and children in bad home situations and the usual recipient of our 25 percent of the Peacemaking Offering; and our own Presbyterian Urban Mission in Oklahoma City, where a particular food item, personal item, etc., is named as the gift for the month. In May, we delivered one thousand boxes of macaroni and cheese to the Mission in response to a challenge by Jim Burns, our minister.

Memorial also has a “Christmas in July” project in which a Christmas tree is set up in the church narthex or hall and people are asked to bring items on CFFI’s Wish List—washable markers, bags of rice, board games for ages ten and older, children’s books, colored copy paper, medium or large diapers, or boxes of zipper plastic bags—and put the unwrapped gifts under the tree. Because of our personal involvement and because of the services it provides to children in our community, Memorial Presbyterian Church chose to support CCFI with its 40 percent of the Pentecost Offering.

Rose Kuntz
Memorial Presbyterian Church
Norman, Oklahoma
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