The Ellens* sit down with Rachel Holt, President and CEO of United Way of Central Oklahoma. Rachel discusses the critical support United Way provides to various partner agencies addressing key community challenges like homelessness, childcare, and health services. The discussion highlights United Way's ALICE initiative, the importance of the 2-1-1 helpline, and innovative partnerships like the Key to Home initiative for homelessness. Personal stories of resilience and community collaboration bring a heartfelt perspective to United Way’s ongoing efforts. Enjoy this insightful exploration of nonprofit impact and community support.

Ellen, I was really excited

about this conversation today

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with Rachel Holt and United Way.

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United Way is a huge presence

in funding nonprofits, but they

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have a real understanding of what

are some core services that we

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need to fund and challenges that

they see in our city every day.

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And so Rachel brought that

conversation, um, to us.

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Today I was excited to hear her

talk about how supportive they are,

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especially talk, um, in our, in our

state, but also especially Oklahoma City.

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And, um, talk about the great

partnerships that we have here

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and the agencies and what they do.

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She also talks about Alice and

she goes into that in detail.

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But again, people can go to our

website and learn about more of this,

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um, after they hear from Rachel.

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Enjoy.

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I am Ellen Ella.

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Hi, I'm Ellen Hefner, and

today we are very excited.

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We are joined by Rachel Holt.

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Um, Rachel, we're gonna have you

talk a little bit about yourself

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before we kind of get in the.

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Weeds.

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Okay.

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There's no weeds.

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We're just gonna talk.

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No weeds.

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No weeds.

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All all facts.

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All facts.

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Um, I am Rachel Holt.

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I'm the president and CEO of

United Way of Central Oklahoma.

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Uh, I'm originally from Philadelphia,

so if you hear an accent or bad

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language during this talk, it's welcome.

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We will, we will blame it on that.

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Um, been a resident of

Oklahoma City since.

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2004.

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Um, have a husband and two kiddos

that are just turned 14 and almost 16.

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So, so talented too.

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So talented.

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Love the kids.

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Love your kids.

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Um, prior to my service at United

Way, I worked for state agency,

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the Office of Juvenile Affairs, our

state's juvenile justice agency.

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So, um, no U2 from, from state world.

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You go.

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Well, thank you so much.

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Um, we are excited to have you here

really to kind of dig deep into the

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work of United Way, kind of how you talk

about problems in our community and,

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you know, the work that you do to try to

solve those, uh, between two elements.

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Just a little bit of just just

between two elements between two.

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So maybe just start us off with

a little bit about how United Way

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identifies problems in our communities.

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Thanks.

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Well, first of all, thanks for having me.

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Um, love representing United

Way of Central Oklahoma, uh,

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celebrated a hundred years in 2023.

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Oh, so 102 years old.

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Um, we are the community chest, uh, over

400 companies and thousands of individual

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donors give to our annual campaign.

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And then, uh, after we raise those

funds every year, uh, the second part

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of our work begins, which is where we

distribute and allocate those funds

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to our incredible partner agencies.

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We're a health and human service agency

serving Oklahoma, Logan, and Canadian

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counties, and they are doing the work in

homeless services, in childcare services,

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um, helping people learn to read, uh,

you know, variety, care and North Care.

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They are covering all aspects

of health and human services.

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Our 68 partner agencies are the

best of the best in our area.

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They reapply every year

and our donor volunteers.

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Read their applications, look over

their audits, look over their financials

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and their outcomes and their ideas for

programming, and then allocate the funds.

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So by doing that annual application

and hearing from our agencies

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annually, we feel we have the pulse

on, on what the community needs are.

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Um, we could see where the

numbers are, are growing in,

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in certain areas of nonprofits.

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Um, our 68 partner agencies

count on our annual funding.

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Um.

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This year more than ever, of course,

as federal and state funding is,

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is really, uh, unclear right now.

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Um, and our partner agencies are doing

the work every day to solve the problems.

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Our partner agencies work together

collaboratively every day, both

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with United Way partner agencies

and others, uh, 'cause we know that

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individuals and families in need

usually need more than one service

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and more than one agency helping.

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So our agencies work together every

day to, that's that wholly wrap around

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families and individuals in our community.

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I love that.

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Sometimes the thing that you come to

United Way for isn't the only thing.

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Or there might be something that you

haven't discovered that is something

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that could really support your

family, their family, or their needs.

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So I love that.

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That's wraparounds.

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Great.

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So one of, you know, in Oklahoma we have

such low poverty rates, you know, and the

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impact of that is felt in I think, every

aspect of the work that we try to do.

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Um, and so what are, are, there are some.

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Metrics that you see that

have increased or that are a

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little bit troubling right now?

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Yes, of course.

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And, and as governments, as the, we're.

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Taping during government shutdown.

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Um, hopefully that we'll

be out of that soon.

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But, uh, in Oklahoma we

are a high poverty state.

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We're a high need state.

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We know one in five children go

hungry in the state of Oklahoma.

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Um, and Oklahoma just became the

37th state, become an Alice State.

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Yay.

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So united for Alice.

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Uh, is a program started from

United Way in New Jersey.

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Uh, Alice stands for Asset limited,

income Constrained Employed.

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So this is what traditionally

we called working for.

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These are the people that work one

or two jobs every single day, work

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hard, are below the federal poverty

line, so don't qualify for additional

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supports, but are just making ends meet.

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Mm-hmm.

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Are one, uh, flat tire, one medical bill.

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One, have to stay home with kids

for a week of, of sickness from

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school, away from eviction and,

uh, needing additional services.

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So, uh, we launched that

I okay for alice.org,

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uh, in the beginning of this month, and

we'll have a big launch up in Tulsa.

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Our Tulsa Air United Way friends are

kind of taking the lead in hosting this.

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This event.

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Um, but you can go to okay for alice.org

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and there is tons of data and information

you could drill down to the zip code,

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to the legislative district, uh, to find

out, uh, what poverty really looks like.

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Uh, by district, by by area.

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Um, we know that in Oklahoma County,

uh, nearly 88,000 Oklahoma County

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households live below the Alice Wow.

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Threshold.

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41% of all households are below the

ALICE threshold, and 26% are Alice.

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Wow.

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So, uh, Alice, they use that acronym

'cause Alice is our neighbor.

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She, she could be you.

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She's the, the woman who's your

cashier, she's your childcare worker.

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She's your server in the restaurant.

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And so Alice is everyone.

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Ellen's are gonna go to Alice, Leo, Leo

are gonna, we're gonna drive together.

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Yay.

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Ellen's are gonna carpool

up to Tulsa for that.

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Um, that, you know, a lot of, I'm,

I'm so happy that's come to Oklahoma.

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Sometimes we don't talk about,

especially our single moms out there

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that probably are the majority of,

of that fall into those numbers.

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Um, your, um, things that are

happening in the world, of course

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are probably, um, affecting your.

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Um, your agency, uh, quite a bit.

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Um, tell us something that maybe in

the short time that you've been there,

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have you seen, uh, a sharp increase

in something or is it still something

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that we see this population, either if

it's a single mom or a, you know, um,

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or a, uh, a young family, older, um,

adult who's the one that you really

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see that you are serving the most?

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The serving the most are the,

probably the young families are, are

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the ones accessing, uh, services.

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We, uh, are the food

pantries that we support.

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Uh, they are seeing

increases every single month.

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I mean, it is.

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Increasing every month.

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It's, it's not getting better.

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Um, if the federal shutdown continues,

we believe federal workers will, will

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join the lines at food pantries as well.

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Um, so that's, that's where the

need is in the hunger areas.

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Um, so many of the people that are

accessing services from our United Way

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partner agencies just need that one.

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That, that one or two trips to the

food bank to get through a hard month.

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Just need a little bit of extra

money for a car repair or, or a

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light fee on rental assistance.

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And if we could kind of get ahead

of it and, and solve some of these

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problems early, then we can, you know,

hopefully get ahead of evictions and

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homelessness for, for, especially

for, uh, mothers and, and children.

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We've talked wages is probably a big

thing of this as well, and I know I don't

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wanna, we've talked on our program before

about ballot initiative initiatives and

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one that's gonna come out about wages.

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We, it's, it's kind of like this

sort of balancing out that probably

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has to happen, but the need for

United Way will always be there.

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Um, sometimes, uh, families don't plan

for things that happen and your supports.

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Don't have to be lifelong.

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Can you tell us some of those

stories of people that come to you?

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Like you said, maybe one or two, but

really needed some in some pretty

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intense wraparound, but you know, maybe

volunteer back at United Way because

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of the help that they've gotten.

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Yeah, of course.

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Well.

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Uh, you know, we support so many services.

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We know that one in three Central

Oklahomas will access one of our

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partner agencies in their lifetime,

and that includes 2 1 1 Oh yeah.

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A valuable resource that you can

call for any kind of questions

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and, and, and they will assist you

in connecting you to resources.

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Sometimes people call 2 1 1 just to

have a conversation with someone.

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Um, and so what the kind of the

secret sauce and what I love so much

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and I'm so proud of, of our United

Way agencies, like I said, is.

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A lot of people need wraparound services.

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Mm-hmm.

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Um, we feature in our campaign videos

this year, a woman named Christie, who

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found herself in an abusive relationship,

fled that, uh, that situation kind

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of in the middle of the night with

no shoes, went to a fire department.

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They connected her to YWCA and she

stayed at YWCA, got services and,

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and support and healing there, uh,

and then didn't have a place to go.

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So then Homeless Alliance kicked in and

helped her find, um, a place to stay.

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And then they, she worked with Upper

Transitions, another one of our

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partner agencies to get, uh, state

IDs and, and documents that you need

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to be employed and, and to get into

housing, uh, that had been lost.

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And then as she, through Homeless

Alliance, uh, got a work, got a job at

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Curbside Flowers, and so became a floral

ranger and, and assistant manager.

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And so all of those agencies working

together lifted her up and now

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she's, you know, working, employed,

uh, you know, has, has a job.

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And so with a skillset.

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With a skillset, yeah.

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And not even a skillset for

flowers, but a skillset people

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don't even understand about.

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IDs or what you need to get your own

place, you know, so those kind of things

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is, it's hard to teach, but, oh my

gosh, you know, now she can help others

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and, and support that as well, right?

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Yeah.

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And she's, yeah, as a assistant manager

supporting all the, her, her team

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around her is, is lifting them up and,

and having skills that she could use.

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Anywhere.

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Um, and, and that's an example.

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Uh, she graciously agreed to

be part of our campaign video.

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And, and, and part of,

you know, our materials.

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She and She'll, you'll see our, see her

on billboard boards, her beautiful smile.

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And so, you know, she wants

to support United Way.

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Um, our funds help these

agencies do that work.

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Uh, we pay for programs and so they

have programs designated as the

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United Way Partner Agency Programs.

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And right now.

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For so many of them, that's the program

and the funding that they're are,

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you know, hoping will come through.

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In the spring, and that's weigh

on our resource development team

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or raising those funds every day.

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And we just had a wonderful party

with, uh, American Fidelity and their

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employee campaign raised over $737,000.

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Wow.

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And that was impressive

highest they'd ever had.

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And so we had a, I get a big check,

uh, I do a lot of big check where I

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go, I should have painted my nail.

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I get a lot of really

big checks that are like.

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You know, comically large.

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But then those large numbers

come from that company that has a

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very strong United Way campaign.

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All their employees believe in it and

they do it through payroll deductions.

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So you just say, you know, $5 outta my

paycheck, every paycheck for the whole

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year, I'll give up that, that coffee drink

and, and my money will automatically go

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to these United Way partner agencies.

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And so, um, we love how

many companies across.

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Our, our city and how many

individuals give so generously.

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Okay.

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See, I know Michael County.

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I mean, just, it's, it's good.

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It's really good.

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And I'll say coming from state government,

which you know, is, is, is its own

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beast and definitely very collaborative,

especially among the agencies I worked

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with in the Health and Human Services

area, the non-profit community in, in

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Oklahoma City, uh, both United Way partner

agencies and just all the nonprofits.

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It is the way they work

together and collaborate is.

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Exceptional.

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It's, it's a model example.

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They're all pulling for each other.

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They will tell you, I'm

not competing against them.

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They're doing that great.

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I'm not gonna try to do that.

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I'm gonna send people to them and

I'm gonna keep doing what I do.

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And so it's just.

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The work they do and how they do

it so well and collaboratively

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is inspiring every day and with

our city government as well.

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So that's always a nice thing too.

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You know, we, they can't work

against each other and I think we are

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collaborative in that as well in the city.

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Wouldn't you agree?

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Yeah.

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Uh, the city, I mean, there's

some, there's some of it.

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Um, the key to home initiative, which is,

which is part of the city, which I have

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the privilege of, of being a part of.

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There's a United Way.

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Seat on that, on that committee.

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And then a lot of our partner agencies and

even non-partner agencies are just showing

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how they work well every day to to solve.

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Homelessness and, and

get people into housing.

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I, I think that on the doors, housing

was something I heard a lot about Uhhuh.

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Um, it's the most calls

I get in my office too.

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Yeah, a lot about affordable housing.

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A lot of, um, eviction stories.

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And I do think.

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You know, over the last few

years we have, we have to have a

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collaborative atmosphere for that.

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So can you talk a little bit

about Key to home and kind of the

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work y'all, you all are doing?

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Sure.

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Key to Home was initiative kinda started

by the city to, to work on these, uh,

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you know, for our unhoused neighbors.

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Um, the mayor saw a need and there

was a task force formed and, and best

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practices and consultants hired and, uh.

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A board, um, created, uh, that can

gets to oversee some of this work.

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And there's a lot of city employees

now dedicated to the daily work.

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One of the big things they're known for

is this ENC encampment, um, kind of blitz.

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Mm-hmm.

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They go to encampments very secretly.

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They don't even tell us as board members

where the location is and they go in and

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they spend several days working with.

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Those neighbors that are living in

encampments and work with them and say,

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would you go into permanent supportive

housing if we kind of guaranteed it.

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And then one, you know, within one

day they closed down the encampment

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and move all of those inhabitants into

real safe and, and supportive housing.

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And, um, that has shown in

other cities to be a model.

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It, it's showing so far to

be a great model for us.

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There's lots of reasons for homelessness.

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Mm-hmm.

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Everyone has their own story and

there's lots of tools in the tools kits.

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Uh, Oklahoma City is blessed that,

that we have the city and philanthropy

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and, and others and companies

supporting the key to home initiative.

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The, the, the calls on encampments too.

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You know, it, it's, it doesn't take long

for it to grow real quick, but it's not

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one of those things and I don't think

people understand in the beginning,

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especially a couple of years ago, you

know, it, it was clunky, but now I think

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we've really got a good handle on it.

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Those calls are less encampments are, are.

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You know, once they start, we know how

to do it now because we've got the model.

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So, you know, congratulations

for all of that.

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I mean, we still have a long way

to go, but I think that we do you

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guys especially supporting that

model is it's really working.

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Yeah.

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And the point in time count, we're

slightly up this past year, but, but

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for the size of our city, um, the

efforts that the collaboration that's

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happening is, is showing in, in numbers

one person, unhoused is too many.

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Mm-hmm.

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Um, and there's not one solution and.

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You know, and, and, but we are, are

building solutions to address it.

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And you're waiting on our, the legislature

too, to help with some of the evictions

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and because that's part of it too.

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And that is a, a barrier too.

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So we're, we're still, especially

someone that we both care for a

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lot, Senator Julia Curt, she's,

she's really working hard up there.

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So you can't work and do all this

great work if we're not gonna try

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and figure out those other things.

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That leaves us at a ba

at a big standstill.

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Yes.

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That's what I think about just

nonprofits altogether are really

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so many times the people on the

ground delivering the services.

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Um, but so much of what we do at the

Capital should be listening to our

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nonprofits and understanding the work that

they're doing and how either barriers of.

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Whether that's laws or funding,

both of those can be things

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that our state invest in.

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Um, and so, you know, I love,

like when United Way partner

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agencies invite us to come visit.

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Mm-hmm.

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Um, because we are not gonna understand

that work until we're in, um, you

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know, an agency learning about it.

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So.

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Site visits are the best Site.

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Visits are the best.

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So you're asking for to

do, to invite us more?

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I'll, yeah, invite us more.

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I, I, uh, you know, my first

year I got to go through all,

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all of our agencies, visit.

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All of our agencies just showed up

one-on-one with the executive director.

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Sometimes they're like, what?

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What is this?

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What are we doing?

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Am I in trouble?

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I'm like, no, I just wanna meet you.

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And sometimes it was two hours in

a room with the executive director.

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Sometimes it was their

whole team was there.

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There's a lot of walking and, and

tours and meeting clients and meeting,

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uh, their employees that do the work

every single day and do it so well.

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And the agencies like to be a United

Way agency is difficult, I'll say.

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But there, I served on a board

and you know, they always say, you

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probably won't get it the first year.

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And it's always like, well that's, you

know, I, I don't like those ads, but okay.

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Well, but it is difficult and I

like it because it has to be a model

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that you're taking donor money.

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And how you support that.

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Um, it that has, that

mission has to keep going on.

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It's not that it's not worthwhile,

but there's so many things that you

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guys look, look at, which is really

the sustainability of that nonprofit

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and how far those dollars go.

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Um, in saying all of that, like

if you were to budget, you know,

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I know you have to budget, um.

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Is, is now a time that, um, you still

have a handle on what you'll need for next

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year or are there, are there uncertainties

that you're feeling or you're just doing

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what you know and you plan for more need?

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I don't know.

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I'm trying to ask how you're

budgeting for next year.

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Uh, we, you know, it's.

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Set, set these annual goals.

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Last year we raised $17.6

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million, so we always wanna increase it.

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Um, you know, a few years ago

it was higher when we had larger

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energy companies that were, that

were doing really robust campaigns.

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And so 17.6

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is a number we're really proud of.

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We always wanna get better.

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Um, the past two years we have increased.

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By $500,000, the amount of allocatable

dollars we get to our agencies.

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And so my two years I've seen that.

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So I just tell every time I

talk in front of people, like

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I don't wanna go backwards.

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Like I've got this streak.

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I want more allocatable

dollars going out next year.

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And every year, um, our partner agencies

make their, their funding request.

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And, and when you look at how much

money we have to allocate and how much,

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uh, if you total up, if everyone got a

hundred percent of what they request,

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we're always short, but we're getting.

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Closer and closer, okay.

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Um, to meeting those requests.

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But part of that donor volunteer process

where our donors are looking at every

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agency, sometimes they can make a funding

request and our volunteers might say,

402

well, they're not doing what we expect

them to do, or The need's not there.

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The need is over here.

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So we would rather see

dollars go, go over here.

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So that's why every year.

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We wanna give them as close to what, what

they ask for, but we also need them to

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be doing what they say they're doing.

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The model works.

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Yes, it does work.

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And, and when our, it's our board

subcommittee, um, our, our wonderful

411

volunteers board sub subcommittee are the

ones that ultimately make those decisions.

412

I'm so glad I'm just in the room, uh,

for those not making those decisions, but

413

they have the community needs assessment.

414

They have 2 1 1 data so they can see what,

what live, you know, what is trending

415

and, and what the community needs are.

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For that, for that moment in

time and direct funding that way.

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Can you talk a little bit more about

United Way or not United Way 2 1 1.

418

How that works when people call and yeah.

419

Two one one is the statewide resource.

420

You need to know where to get food.

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You need to know where to get medication.

422

You need to know where a

tornado shelter is nearby.

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You just wanna talk to someone.

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Sometimes that's the call.

425

Um, you need mental health needs.

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Um, you dial 2 1 1.

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You see that a lot after disasters.

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You see all the news.

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Tell you to, to dial 2 1 1.

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And our 2 1 1, we support Heartline,

uh, who answers the call, uh, for

431

all, uh, 2 1 1 calls in Oklahoma.

432

And they have wonderful call volunteers

that answer these calls all day long.

433

Um, and then they have

just up to date resources.

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I mean, uh, a, a computer bank of.

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Thousands of resources and they could

say in your area, this is what you need.

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Call these three numbers.

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Let me connect you, um, call

back if you need anything else.

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And for, you know, people that

just don't know, how do I do this?

439

How do I get that?

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That's what 2 1 1 does.

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Um, it saves, you know, the return on

investment for, for that $1 is hundreds

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of dollars in return of investment, of, of

resources being connected and, and wheels.

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Spending not having to happen, um,

and getting people the help they need.

444

9, 8, 8 is also another really important

resource for the mental health hotline.

445

Mm-hmm.

446

And, and 2 1, 1 and nine.

447

Eight.

448

Eight and 9 1 1.

449

Kind of all overlap, but if you're

calling 2 1 1 kind of for non-emergency

450

calls that could free up, of course.

451

9 1 1 Resources for people

that are, um, calling for

452

non-emergency, non-emergency needs.

453

Um, one of the other things that

you mentioned that we talk a lot

454

about at the capital is childcare,

and that's an area you all work on.

455

Yes.

456

Can you talk a little bit about that too?

457

Yes.

458

Uh, we need childcare.

459

Yeah.

460

We need, I dunno if y'all heard.

461

Yeah.

462

I don't know if anyone's

talked to you about this.

463

Um, we know we are severely lacking.

464

Affordable quality childcare.

465

Uh, people want to work.

466

Mothers and families want to work,

but they need their children to be in,

467

in safe, loving learning atmospheres.

468

People want to provide those

safe loving atmospheres.

469

People want to spend all

day with your children.

470

Mm-hmm.

471

Taking care.

472

There are angels out there

that want to spend all day with

473

a classroom of, of infants.

474

And, and toddlers and teach

everyone, um, how to potty train.

475

Uh, but we are not investing enough,

um, as a state, as a nation, uh, as

476

a city in affordable child's care.

477

And, and building that up.

478

If, if parents have quality, affordable

childcare, um, that they know their

479

child is safe, they know their child's

learning, um, then they can work.

480

Mm-hmm.

481

And then if they work, they can

contribute to the economy and, you know.

482

To me who's not economist seems pretty,

pretty simple math, but we have some

483

incredible partner agencies like, like

Sunbeam kind of leading the way on that.

484

And, and I have been talking

with Carrie, Carrie Williams from

485

Oklahoma School Readiness Program.

486

Is that right?

487

Mm-hmm.

488

Um, you know, I'm out of the game

of, of acronyms for, for, um, but uh,

489

we are hoping to, to have kind of a

convening and a conversation about that.

490

'cause I think that's kind of our next.

491

I hear people say, you know,

childcare is so expensive.

492

Well, it should be, they're taking care

of human capital, little babies and,

493

you know, the, so we, we kind of tend

to look at it as the amount, instead

494

of looking what the actual job is.

495

Mm-hmm.

496

We want them to, you know, uh, we

wanna hire people that, um, have a

497

nice salary so that they can focus

on, you know, taking care of that

498

job instead of bringing their own.

499

Jobs if they're low wage, and then we want

families to work, but sometimes they can't

500

work because childcare is so expensive.

501

So how do we, you use subsidy and

then people go, wait, wait, wait.

502

But I think the word is support.

503

Like we, you know, we are,

you know, we talk about the

504

family and I think this is a.

505

Big thing, and I just think

it's the way we talk about it.

506

Mm-hmm.

507

Every time you bring up

appropriations, people go, okay.

508

You know, and they, and they're

just so dismissive about childcare.

509

I think that we should look at our

employee and I think if you're an

510

employer, you should look at, you

want that employee and what you need

511

to provide and take it from that way.

512

Take it from that po, that private,

you know, partnership that we could

513

start, take it from the state part.

514

We should be providing and

use that towards your benefit.

515

So I say we come at it as a different way.

516

We are always gonna need that

support, but to, to look at it in

517

a different way instead of just

how much more money we're going to.

518

And I heard throw at it, no

these are good served money.

519

This is good money.

520

We want the workforce, we want moms to be

happy and dads to be happy and all that.

521

And kids.

522

And kids and kids.

523

I um, met with Oklahoma City Public

Schools and it was anecdotally, but you

524

know, their early childcare kind of.

525

Employees were telling me how few kids

it was, like 60% really had not set.

526

Forth in any type of like classroom

or you know, space with other

527

kids before starting pre-K.

528

Right.

529

And I almost fell over because there

were just certain like developmental

530

things that were like standard

that they're seeing a lack in.

531

Right.

532

And um, so I think, you know, yes.

533

Childcare is important so people

can work, but I think fundamentally

534

what kids gain from safe childcare

environments will lead to more productive

535

and, um, you know, a better pre-K.

536

Through 12 experience.

537

Absolutely.

538

Yeah.

539

Uh, Sunbeam has an edge care model, and

so they have these classrooms that have,

540

you could have a six month old infant

and a 4-year-old in the classroom, and

541

they, uh, eat every meal, family style.

542

So they all sit at the table and all

the kids, little kids are using utensils

543

and, and serving each other and, and

learning these life skills that then,

544

um, they share with the parents.

545

So they, they, the parents

are also building life skills.

546

And then those kids, you know, start

pre-K and kindergarten and school.

547

Totally advanced, totally ready.

548

Um, just polite and, and

pathetic, but help our teachers.

549

Pathetic.

550

Kindergarten teachers are finding out

behaviors a little bit more difficult,

551

but I think, of course, I went into

the capital 21 years ago advocating

552

for early intervention and I think

that it's needed 3-year-old program.

553

So I think that it's important and a

special care model so that you include

554

the people that I love and care for with

the delays or developmental disabilities.

555

Yeah, love.

556

Special care, love, special.

557

It should be the model.

558

It, it should be, it should

be the model all over.

559

It should be, especially, um, when

you put children with different

560

needs together and how much they all

thrive in that, then they know more

561

when they grow up to be a doctor.

562

Firemen, you know, we all

know everyone and who we have

563

to take care of and support.

564

No, I love special care.

565

It's a good model all over.

566

Yes.

567

We're excited.

568

They have a big capital campaign.

569

I know they're expanding.

570

I know that's a good thing.

571

That's a good thing.

572

But again, it should be

all around this state.

573

Yeah.

574

So, yes.

575

Yes.

576

Well, it's so good to have you,

um, explain a lot of these there.

577

There's so many more.

578

Is there any other agency or something

that we, you would like to talk about that

579

you support that maybe people don't know?

580

We talked about food, childcare.

581

2 1, 1.

582

It's like having, you

know, I have two kids.

583

Yeah.

584

Yes.

585

And if I say something nice to

one, the other one says, maybe

586

we're just daughter missing.

587

A what about me sector?

588

Yes.

589

I'll say one agency that, um, you know,

you don't always see is calm waters.

590

Mm-hmm.

591

And so they do grief counseling, um,

around death and loss and divorce.

592

They're doing programs, going into

jails and, and, and, uh, prisons

593

and helping people with that loss.

594

Um, unfortunately that's.

595

Everyone's going to experience loss.

596

Mm-hmm.

597

You know, if you think I'm not gonna be

homeless, I'm not gonna, um, need, you

598

know, childcare or whatever, but, but

unfortunately everyone is gonna have loss

599

and these support groups that they're able

to have, you know, kind of tailored to.

600

You know, young children who've

lost a father and, and, and suicide

601

survivors, and, you know, that group

dynamic, being able to talk in a group

602

through grief, um, we know is very

beneficial and, and certainly something

603

that we hope no one needs, but.

604

Everyone will need.

605

Everyone will need.

606

Thank you.

607

It wasn't like Sophie's choice.

608

I was just something that

we hadn't talked about.

609

I know.

610

But I love all of you.

611

Love.

612

And then when you said calm

waters, I was like, oh, yes, yes.

613

That's, but that's not

talked about enough.

614

Right?

615

Right.

616

You know, we're always supposed

to just hold in our feelings

617

and be able to take care of it.

618

And that's not really.

619

How we should be helping people

who are going through loss.

620

So, right.

621

And there's a timeline, right?

622

Like there's a timeline.

623

You can get over it in six weeks, the

grief circle, you know, I know that that's

624

a, it's one of those things, but no,

thank you for bringing that up as well.

625

So one of the other things, you know, that

we like to do at the end of the podcast is

626

ask, not yet the, uh, what policy or, oh.

627

Um.

628

Or just, um, takeaways that would be

helpful for, like, someone hears this

629

and they're like, I wanna do something,

you know, either advocating at a policy

630

level or, you know, in their community.

631

What would you, what kind of

advice would you give them?

632

Of course, I have to

say, give to United Way.

633

Okay.

634

See Howard, um, give to us and,

and we will give it to the, to

635

the best agencies doing the work.

636

Having, um, Peyton, who is my fabulous

coworker who's with me, uh, and I

637

used to work at the Capitol and we

are still, uh, Capitol nerds, uh, will

638

be listening to senate hearings and

house hearings and, and floor, and

639

that's available online to everybody.

640

Also, the capitol's open to everybody

come see us on the fifth floor.

641

Yes.

642

So if you have an issue that

you're passionate about.

643

Right.

644

You know, go walk into your legislator's

office, um, go to a city council

645

meeting, go to a legislative session.

646

Find out what agency or what nonprofit

is, is working on legislation

647

around that or, and, and go to

them and say, I have this idea.

648

This is my life story.

649

This is what I'm living with.

650

This is what I've read from my research.

651

Helps you can.

652

You are, you know, it's, it's

more engagement and policy

653

changes more than voting.

654

Mm-hmm.

655

And sometimes it's not legislative.

656

It could be a rule.

657

And, and those are, and those are

things that agencies don't know,

658

that trickle down that we hear.

659

But now is a good time.

660

Uh, thanks for the reminder

for people to come up because.

661

They, it's not busy, but then you get

to meet their gatekeepers, LA's and EAs.

662

Mm-hmm.

663

And making, getting to know

them is the best way to get

664

to talk to your legislator.

665

The most important people in the building.

666

That's the most important.

667

Be nice, get to know them.

668

They're really great people,

but they are to protect us.

669

Not in a protection way, but they do.

670

We do get a lot.

671

So they filter it.

672

So just be nice.

673

Mm-hmm.

674

Tell your story.

675

And I know Ellen and I, and I know

a lot of other people on the other

676

side of the aisle, love the stories.

677

Yes.

678

And, but legislators will say, I had three

constituents come see me on this issue.

679

And you think only three?

680

Well, yeah.

681

That's who is in their

ear, the constituents.

682

That's right.

683

Um, you can, you can be the one that tells

a great story and has a, a great idea

684

and, and gets legislation or, or policy

or just informs your legislation or more.

685

'cause there's so much going.

686

It's a beautiful place to come in.

687

It is a beautiful place.

688

It's the most beautiful building.

689

Oklahoma City.

690

I mean, of course.

691

Yeah.

692

We have it all.

693

Um, but now is where you get

to ask your fun question.

694

Okay.

695

For the Ellens.

696

Okay.

697

I've been nervous with this.

698

Oh, Peyton.

699

Peyton helped me.

700

Okay.

701

So this is my question.

702

If you could instantly become an

expert in any hobby or skill Hmm.

703

What would it be?

704

It's easy for me.

705

Oh, go rowing.

706

I wanna be, be, I'm always,

always wanna be better at rowing.

707

So I don't know if anyone

listening, uh, knows that I've

708

been doing it for nine years.

709

I didn't know anything about it.

710

And it was the first thing

that I did that was by myself.

711

My kids couldn't get in touch with me,

so they had to figure it out, you know?

712

And it's, it's great rowing with

seven other women on a boat.

713

I really like my seat, which is

the seven seat, but because I'm

714

technical, I'm not really strong.

715

You know, if I had, if I was taller

or bigger legs, maybe I'd be in five.

716

But, um, but I love it.

717

And the things that you

learn on a boat by listening.

718

Oh, and following, I have to follow who's

in front of me, who's the stroke seat.

719

I mean, I always wanna be better at it.

720

So yes, I would want to be better at that.

721

And it's good for my health.

722

I could still do it at 80.

723

Yeah.

724

So that's mine.

725

Awesome.

726

I, I mean, I immediately wanna

just know Spanish, you know?

727

Oh, yeah.

728

Well, that's a good one too.

729

I mean, both my, my parents and my

brother speak Spanish by choice.

730

They're amazing.

731

I, um, did not, and so it is.

732

It's something I always wanna do,

but I never make time for it, and so

733

if I could immediately have a second

language, that would be my skillset.

734

Good.

735

Do you have one?

736

Tell us your answer.

737

I'm singing, I'm, oh, if I could

sing, I'd be on Broadway right now,

738

probably in the super back, like in

an ensemble situation, but I, you

739

would not be able to get me to stop.

740

Okay.

741

Uh, that is not true because

I also, well, I'm not kidding.

742

Oklahoma City University, I'm gonna

connect you with a professor there

743

and she has students who teach

like a six week lesson for free.

744

I've done it for like.

745

Two or three years and it's the best.

746

And you will you, my mom even

said to me, Ellen, and I was like,

747

from Lessons Your voice is a um,

instrument and they will teach you.

748

I bet you're better than

you think, though you are.

749

We're gonna go, we're gonna go karaoke

my car alone, we're gonna go karaoke.

750

But I mean, I've got that, but

no one else should be around.

751

I love it.

752

Well then when you, after you

get lessons, you'll have to

753

debut and invite the Ellens.

754

Yeah, yeah.

755

Your next, your next stint on the Ellens

is the, God, if you wanna learn Spanish

756

though, we should do that together.

757

Okay.

758

We'll get that, see that together.

759

I know that our father, I mean, I took it

in high school and I should know more, but

760

yes, it's something that they should do.

761

Yeah.

762

Well, thank you, Rachel, for joining us.

763

Thank you so much, Ellen.

764

Thank we.

765

Appreciate it.

766

Yes, thank you.