Transcript of Crossroads Youth & Family Services Subscriber Story
OEC Fiber
0:02[Music]0:12thank you0:14so Crossroads Youth and Family is in its0:1653rd year we started as a Youth Services0:18Agency with counseling and emergency0:21shelter which we still have here on0:23Tecumseh Road and then we also operate0:25Head Start Early Head Start in five0:27different counties we have probably 2750:29employees and we serve over a thousand0:32fifty kids in our Head Start program and0:34that our shelter here is an eight-bed0:35shelter which we have kids here 24 hours0:37a day live here sleep here go to school0:39here0:41foreign0:47that really is what it sounds like it's0:50giving them a head start to when they0:51reach the public school system and start0:53kindergarten and what's unique about0:55Head Start is it's a wraparound service0:57not only do we educate children in the0:59classroom but we also have family1:01advocates that serve families as a whole1:03so we goal set with families we help1:05them find resources1:07um we I mean our goal ultimately is that1:09they don't qualify for our Head Start1:11program it's a it's income based and if1:14a kiddo can't come anymore because1:15they've reached that income threshold1:16because they're thriving that's the goal1:18but it's just to give them that leg up1:21when they go to kindergarten1:25[Music]1:27an emergency shelter is typically1:30utilized with a kiddo that has found1:32their place in custody usually DHS1:34custody because of some situation within1:36their home and they don't have1:37appropriate placement so they really the1:40purpose of our shelter is that they come1:41here so they have a place to stay until1:43they can find a permanent placement1:45either in a foster home an adoptive home1:47or possibly a group home1:54the crossroads also provides Counseling1:56Services we1:58families and children actually any1:59family that has a child in the home we2:01will see regardless of their ability to2:03pay and we also do a lot of groups and2:06Norman Public Schools we run groups in2:07elementary schools middle schools and2:09also do some groups at Noble High School2:13[Music]2:17all of our time is spent on kids with2:20kids about kids I mean it's either in2:22the classroom with kids or it's kids2:24that live here that this is their home2:26when they live with us so our shelter2:28kids2:30um for all purposes when they're here2:31it's it's a ho it's their home so they2:33you know they they play here they sleep2:35here they watch movies here all the2:37things that you would do in your normal2:38home so I would say Crossroads primarily2:40focuses on the family we're family2:42focused agency2:43[Music]2:47foreign2:49[Music]2:51location we use oec Fiber because it's2:57the only service we found that works2:59prior to that we had service through3:01different entities and we were3:03constantly having work stoppage where3:05um we might come in one day and the3:07internet didn't work for a couple hours3:08or you know we do school here Norman3:10Public Schools comes out to our facility3:12and teaches kids so they would come in3:14and have a day where they couldn't3:15access the Wi-Fi or they couldn't do3:18learning or couldn't get on the3:19television and so it really has changed3:21for us how3:24efficiently we're able to do that now3:26because we have very little interruption3:28in our service now that we've gone with3:29oec so that means what our kiddos get3:32done at the end of the day they can play3:33their video games they can watch their3:34movies they can YouTube all the normal3:36things that we like them to do and it3:38also means our staff can print and get3:40on their computers and be able to do3:42their intakes with their counseling3:44clients and so it's really changed the3:47way that we've been able to just not3:49have as much business interruption3:53oh3:56well I always tell people we have3:58volunteer days that we do but I always3:59tell people when they say what kind of4:00needs do you have I think well think4:02about your needs around your house we4:04have yard work we have upkeep we have4:06our resource room that volunteers can4:09come and help out in that has kind of4:11shopping for kids who are on the site so4:12if they need clothes or backpacks or new4:15bedding or any of that type of thing we4:17always need people to help organize that4:18we also have an art room that is also4:22needs some love every once in a while4:24not only with help and keeping it picked4:27up but also with supplies4:29um and then we have people that come and4:31serve dinner to the kids that come on4:32Sunday nights we have lots of churches4:34that come in and we'll provide a meal or4:36we have a gentleman that comes Tuesdays4:38and Thursdays and does Tai Chi with the4:39kids I've had people reach out and say I4:42do stem I'm an engineering person and4:44I'd like to do that with the kids so4:46there's really all kinds of ways that4:48kids can be served here either in person4:50with just you know hanging out with them4:53playing games with them and volunteering4:54in that capacity or finding one of those4:56work days that we have once a month that4:58they can come in and just help4:59throughout the shelter I just like that5:01people know we're here I think it's I5:03think a lot of people in Norman am5:04considering the amount of time we've5:06been around don't know that we really5:07exist and what we do and who we serve5:09and the amount of kids that come through5:10our shelter in a year's time and always5:13say that if you're driving down tecumsta5:15Road and you see our shelter here just5:17past the interstate you wish to swell5:19you send us good thoughts and just know5:21that we have kiddos here that need all5:22the support that they can get and that5:24we're here providing a safe environment5:25for them5:27foreign5:30[Music]
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