TULSA, Okla. — The Iron Gate began as just a seed of kindness back in 1978, and has grown into a Tulsa institution for serving the hungry.
Keenan Barnard is the last surviving founder. Starting a food pantry soup kitchen wasn't something he had planned, but rather walked into.
“This thing has started from a little tiny speck of feeding one person to now serving thousands of people a month," said Keenan. "We were at Trinity Episcopal Church, having a men's Bible study, and a homeless person came in, was hungry, and so we went in the kitchen, got him some food."
To be better prepared for the next time someone needed a meal, Gene Buzzard, Jack Powers and Keenan headed to the store to stock up.
“Then the word got out that if you’re hungry, go to the church on Cincinnati with the iron gate," said Keenan.
Giving a name to their growing mission.
Eventually they moved to 501 W. Archer, where most in Tulsa know them to be. After thirty years, they had outgrown the church and needed a space to keep up with the need for food exploding across the city.
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'Make a difference' | Five years later Iron Gate mission grows
“For the first 30 years of our operation at Trinity, it was a hand to mouth organization," said Keenan. "I mean we wondered how we’d make payroll, how we’d get it done. Once we broke ground on this property, some of our A-Team guys, they brought in a lot of donations. They built this building debt free, so there’s no mortgage on this property, uh, and the finances have been very good because of all the generous people.”
Buzzard and Powers have passed on, but Keenan continues to live out their shared mission every day.
On the second Thursday of each month, you can find Keenan and a group of friends - affectionately known as 'The A-Team' - on the line, serving up breakfast.
“Just the joy of serving others, I mean I see it in our volunteers, they get more out of this program than they give," said Keenan. "Jesus was right, it’s better to give than to receive and I feel that every time I come here.”
The three faced a number of trials, from people not wanting a food pantry in their neighborhood, to keeping up with a growing demand. There were moments Keenan said he doubted they would make it, but he realized their mission was bigger than themselves.
Not even a hip replacement could keep Keenan out of the fray, giving back to those in need.
“Early on, we decided we didn’t want people to sing for their supper. In other words, we just wanted to feed hungry people. While it is a Christian outreach, we just wanted to feed hungry people, and that has remained the basis of this for over 40 years,” said Keenan.
Keenan hopes more people will come volunteer at the Iron Gate — to give back and to lend a hand to the A-Team.
“Our old guys, the A-Team, we’re getting up in years, so we’re starting to think about bringing in some younger people," said Keenan. “You can come here and feel the love, see the love and taste some really good food.”
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