Kiefer Town Administrator Melanie Grove exemplifies what it means to be caring and compassionate, yet business-like.
Her vision for a community donation center to help the less fortunate harkens back to the days of George H. W. Bush’s phrase, “a kinder, gentler, nation.”
Even though she is tasked with the daily operations of Kiefer, she has put forth the effort to “go the extra mile.”
When asked what prompted her to start this project, she said, “I saw a story on TV back in the winter time, early winter, in Tulsa that one of the centers was talking about how they needed coats and clothing for people. They were passing them out to the homeless, and they opened their room and they had ten items in there and I thought, that is really sad that people aren’t donating to that and there’s not anything to be given to the people.”
Grove said that’s what moved her to begin asking “what about our own community?”
“That is my vision, to be able to help people in our own community with the needs that they may have, food, clothing, whatever,” she says.
“We have a number of people in town that don’t have a lot,” she said, adding that they will try to stock non-perishable food, clothing, and furniture but will also accept “whatever kind of donations we can get to help people, that kind of what my vision is.”
Grove emphasized that clothing will be the main item for those in need.
The donation/distribution center will be housed in the old Police/City Hall building on Highway 75-Alt.
Grove said there is much work to be done, starting with cleaning out items that have been stored there. The logistics, hours of operation, and even the name are yet to be worked out. Citizens will receive updates about the center via the Town’s website and utility bills.
Keep up with the updates on Kiefer at townofkiefer.org
