Show up and do something

Keith Howard, Circle of Care

I started working with Oklahoma United Methodist Circle of Care in 2015 as the Vice President of Programs, then started serving as the CEO in April of 2018. But the organization was founded way before I arrived, back in 1917. There are very few organizations in the nonprofit world across Oklahoma that can say that.

It’s an honor and privilege for me to lead this organization. One of the things I love about our organization is how we got started. I remind our team often about our start, because it’s important.

What is the DNA of how your organization began? What is the focal point of how it was launched?

For us, it was a group of women in Oklahoma City. They looked around at their community and saw kids who had been orphaned due to their parents passing away or poverty. There were kids on the street.

The women said to themselves, “We should do something about this.”

Many people see issues in our society and think to themselves, “I really think someone should do something about that.” And then they just hope someone shows up.

But this group of women back in 1917 decided that they were going to be the someone that shows up.

Our very heritage, our very DNA at Circle of Care is being the someone that does something. We don’t sit around and wait for someone else to show up! We don’t sit around and wait for someone else to solve society’s problems.

We say, “This is part of who we are. This is our birthplace. We are the someone that shows up and does something!”

So that group of women got together and began connecting with their friends and their churches. And then they launched the Oklahoma Methodist Orphanage here in the OKC area. And that was the beginning of Circle of Care.

As a leader in your community and your organization, what problems do you see? Be the someone that shows up and does something.

Leave a Comment