The Crisis Control Center supported First United Bank’s United Act of Kindness Day on Feb. 13 by serving Cajun beans and rice at the Bryan County Fairgrounds.
First responders were able to eat for free, and Durant Masonic Lodge sponsored a dessert auction.
The Crisis Control Center provides support to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Funds raised will be used locally and directly impact clients and client services, according to CCC.
CCC Executive Director
Crisis Control Center Executive Director Stephanie Luke, left and Morgan Smith, community relations o_cer, are shown at the recent Serving up Kindness benefit meal at the Bryan County Fairgrounds. First responders were able to eat for free.
Stephanie Luke said the event raised $7,500 and 500 people were fed. She expressed excitement about the agency taking on the challenge of United Acts of Kindness when talking about it on the day of the event.
“We are feeding all first responders free, and we have chosen to have red beans and rice for our meal today for the benefit because many of our survivors live on very limited means and so the beans and rice is something that stretches,” Luke said.
Durant Police Sgt. Nick Spencer is a CCC board member, and he said the event was an absolutely awesome cause.
“I’m so thankful to be a part of this board here and what we’re doing here,” Spencer said. “The meal, by the way is excellent. The staff here is wonderful and I just hope to see our community support such a terrific cause.”
Luke said new things are on the horizon for CCC.
“You’re going to see some announcements from us in the future, but we have some new partnerships with AllianceHealth that are coming through, Texoma Community Foundation, so we’ll be making those announcements soon.”
Jesse Petty assumed duties as Durant police chief in November 2024 and said that he wanted to make the department more community oriented. Although Spencer was a board member before Petty became chief, he agreed that this event was a part of police involvement in the community as visioned by Petty.
“He is making leaps and strides to push our department, to push us into the future,” Spencer said. “It’s a forward-facing where we want to be out there up front in the public eye. Just shoulder to shoulder with people like Stephanie here. But absolutely, that can be associated as a direct reflection of what he wants and what we should all want in this community.”
Luke said that CCC has a wonderful working relationship with law enforcement because they both serve the same people.
“So, the D.A.’s office, the investigators, Durant Police, our county officers work hand in hand with us,” Luke said. “They are the front line to many of our survivors. So, they are the ones that then contact us for someone who needs help. We have to have a wonderful partnership, and we’re blessed to do that.”
CCC served 928 people last year, according to Luke.
“We either went to court with them, to an assault exam with them,” Luke said. “They received services in-house and that was a 30 percent increase from the year before.”
She said that Oklahoma is No. 1 in intimate partner homicides.
“We want to make those changes and so the more we can let people know about our services and how we can help,” Luke said. “Hopefully, we will bring those numbers down because prevention is the key.”
Spencer added, “Law enforcement partnership is crucial now more than ever because that’s, you know, being able to know your partners, who you’re working with and how they can better serve our community.
“That can help add a little bit extra when it gets told to somebody on the scene and it makes it personalized. We are stakeholders in this just as much as they are. They’re the ones in crisis. We want to make every attempt that we can to help them through that crisis and on the back side of it too.”
