Tulsa Salvation Army to offer free day care if teachers strike

TULSA — The likelihood of a walkout by teachers has many parents scrambling to identify options for child care.

The Tulsa Area Command of the Salvation Army announced Thursday it plans to step up, in a big way, to help them.

Capt. Ken Barnett, Area Commander, tells KRMG the Salvation Army will open all six of its Boys & Girls Clubs in the Tulsa area free of charge to all school-aged children.

“If a tornado happened tomorrow, within 15 minutes the Salvation Army would be mobilized to take care of that disaster,” he said. “We consider this educational crisis on the level of a community disaster, because there will be parents that don’t know what to do with their kids, and they have to work, and they’re struggling.”

Barnett admits it will be an expensive endeavor for the non-profit.

“This will cost us $12,000 a day, plus the expense of the meal,” Barnett told KRMG. “We do not have it budgeted, but I live in Tulsa, the most philanthropic community the country, so I’m doing this in faith that our needs will be covered.”

They’re hoping to get some donations, and will also be seeking volunteers, who will have to attend a brief training session.

He said they have activities planned for kids of all ages, ranging from lessons in STEM to sports to entertainment.

“We will not be doing religious or spiritual education. We’ll be doing character building and life skills,” he added. “You don’t have to be a Christian to be served by the Salvation Army. We love inclusively, and we serve without discrimination.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs locations include:

• Mabee Red Shield, 1231 North Harvard, Tulsa, OK 74115
• West Mabee, 2143 South Olympia, Tulsa, OK 74107
• North Mabee, 3001 Martin Luther King Blvd., Tulsa, OK 74106
• Broken Arrow, 1400 West Washington, Broken Arrow, OK 74012
• Sand Springs, 4403 South 129th West Ave., Sand Springs, OK 74063
• Sapulpa/Creek County, 1721 South Hickory, Sapulpa, OK 74067

For more information, you can visit the Salvation Army Tulsa Area Command website or call the office at 918-587-7801.