TULSA, Ok. — As agencies across Green Country band together to get as many people inside as possible, another group is making sure all of those folks have a warm meal too.
Iron Gate prepares and delivers 900 meals to the Tulsa Dream Center and the Rose Bowl every day they are open as warming shelters.
Executive Director Carrie Vesely Henderson said that is in addition to their average this week of 700 meals a day.
“We know those are a lot of our vulnerable guests who we usually see during the morning for our meals, so we’re happy like I said to be able to take care of them at another place," she said.
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'They took care of us': Tulsans grateful for warming station at Rose Bowl
Vesely Henderson said none of that would be possible without their volunteer base.
Each week, she said, anywhere from two to three hundred volunteers help them achieve their mission of keeping Tulsan's fed. For the last three years, Philip Lee Evans has been one of them.
"I wanted to give back to the community," said Evans. "I've had a good life. I wanted to give it back and share it."
This effort didn't come easily, though.
Vesely Henderson told 2 News partner agencies have been planning for this season's cold weather response since September 2024.
"When we started getting the information that the bitter cold was coming, we have ramped up," she said. "I think I have been on a call every day since last Wednesday. This is across the agencies of Tulsa; social service agencies, City of Tulsa, Tulsa Emergency Management, everyone working together to get people taken care of. I think that's the take away from this story, is that it takes all of us, because we're all doing a different piece of the puzzle, to take care of our most vulnerable guests here in Tulsa."
On top of supporting Iron Gates daily pantry needs, Evans has also been packing up to go meals for the warming shelters.
“Inside all of these people that you… you don’t understand, you don’t know, but inside all these people, you see what they need and being able to help them is just unbelievable," he said. "We just have tons and tons of stuff stored in here to distribute out as the weather stays cold."
2 News asked Evans what his favorite part of lending a hand through times like this is.
“Seeing people come in with a little bit of hope," he said. "We have a lot of people who come in here that are desperate, they’re crying, they don’t know what to do, and this helps turn this around.”
Just a little bit of hope, that wouldn't be possible without people like Evans.
“There’s a place for you," said Evans. "We need your help.”
For ways to support The Iron Gate, click here.
Housing Solutions and A Way Home For Tulsa are keeping warming shelters across the city open through Jan. 11. They are accepting monetary donations.
If you come across someone in need of assistance outside in the cold, you are asked to fill out Housing Solutions outreach request form.
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