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This year, Infant Crisis Services celebrates 10 years of taking our services on the road with the BabyMobile!

In 2013, we were gifted our first BabyMobile, now Thelma, by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and we knew our services would never look the same. Time and time again, clients let us know that transportation was their largest barrier, and we knew we needed to meet these families where they were to ensure every baby who needed it would leave with a dry diaper and a full tummy.

On October 1st, 2013, the one-of-a-kind BabyMobile left our parking lot for the first time and saw seventy-two little ones, but this was just the beginning. Thelma’s first year on the road took her to 12 partner locations across Oklahoma County and Cleveland Countywhere 1,893 babies and toddlers received life-sustaining essentials. The BabyMobile program was well received by our immediate community, and soon, we knew we could extend our reach outside our bubble and into Oklahoma’s rural communities. Thanks to a 2015 grant from Impact Oklahoma, we were able to do just that and began serving babies and toddlers in Logan, Canadian, and Pottawatomie counties.

After four years operating as the state’s only food and diaper bank on wheels, Infant Crisis Services welcomed Louise to the fleet in 2017. Gifted to us by Edmond Santa Fe High School’s Double Wolf Dare Week, Louise allowed us to expand into 15 new partner locations in two new counties during her first year, but the growth did not stop there.

Today, our BabyMobiles traverse across the state and bring food, formula, and diapers to 26 different counties, serving nearly 1,000 babies per month! Thelma and Louise have allowed Infant Crisis Services to be a beacon of hope for families across Oklahoma in true times of crisis. When tornadoes touch down in our communities, the Baby Mobile team responds by providing relief for impacted families. When a pandemic shuts down the world, Thelma and Louise increase their presence in the communities hit the hardest. No matter what the crisis looks like, Thelma, Louise, and the Baby Mobile team are there ensuring no baby goes hungry, serving each family with compassion, kindness, respect, and love.

 

We cannot share the impact of our BabyMobiles without recognizing our friends, supporters, and volunteers who made this dream a reality. It was friends like you who helped us dream up this concept, build community partnerships, and fill Thelma and Louise with the items that our neighbors need the most, and it is thanks to friends like you that Thelma and Louise have been able to meet the needs of babies and toddlers across the state for a decade. We feel deep gratitude heading into our 10th year of the BabyMobile program. Together, with our community by our side, cheering us on along the way, Thelma and Louise changed our services and our clients’ lives forever.

2.3 million diapers, 126,095 miles, and 52,792 babies later, we are grateful to celebrate this incredible milestone with you. Cheers to ten years, Thelma and Louise! Thank you for a decade of service to our tiniest neighbors.

(Above) The BabyMobile Team from Left to Right: Danielle Davila, Dalia Hernandez, Yara Morales-Ayala, Melissa Rodas, Anna Valdez, Natalie Gutierrez

Click here to support 10 more years of the BabyMobile!

BECKY PHILIPS
Client Services Coordinator

Q: How long have you been working at Infant Crisis Services?
A: 19 ½ years! 

Q: What do you love most about your job?
A: I love interacting with the clients. Being bilingual, I can communicate with our Hispanic clients and make them feel more comfortable. I love talking to the parents and giving them the basic needs for their babies. 

Q: What is your favorite ICS memory?
A: I received the Guardian Angel of the Year award from the Latino Agency many years ago, and it remains my favorite memory. I got to meet the mayor and know that I am making a difference in my community. 

Q: What is the best thing about Infant Crisis Services?
A: I love the mission of ICS, and I love how we work toward all of our goals with kindness, respect, compassion, and love. 

Q: How have you seen the agency change over the last 19 years?
A: When I started working at Infant Crisis Services, we operated out of a small building with 4 staff members. We were seeing 12-15 clients per day, and only about 3% of them were Hispanic. Today, we have our forever home in a beautiful building with nearly 30 staff members! We see 62 clients per day on average, and about 53% of them are Hispanic. We have experienced tremendous growth because of our leaders, specifically Miki! 

Q: If you could tell a supporter one thing about Infant Crisis Services, what would it be?
A: I would ask them to visualize the dire needs of our clients and their gratefulness when we provide them with items for their babies. Meeting these needs are only possible because of our donors. If someone could come visit our building, they would see for themselves how many people are in need. We see locals, refugees, and immigrants—really every kind of person. Seeing our building would allow them to see the tremendous impact of our services have on meeting these dire needs. 

Q: Where can we find you when you are not helping babies and toddlers at work?
A: My family is everything to me! I love spending time with my grandchildren, cooking for my family, and hosting get togethers for all of us. In the summer you can find me working in my vegetable garden, and you can always find me studying my Bible! 

Q: How have you seen the agency change over the last 19 years?
A: When I started working at Infant Crisis Services, we operated out of a small building with 4 staff members. We were seeing 12-15 clients per day, and only about 3% of them were Hispanic. Today, we have our forever home in a beautiful building with nearly 30 staff members! We see 62 clients per day on average, and about 53% of them are Hispanic. We have experienced tremendous growth because of our leaders, specifically Miki! 

Q: If you could tell a supporter one thing about Infant Crisis Services, what would it be?
A: I would ask them to visualize the dire needs of our clients and their gratefulness when we provide them with items for their babies. Meeting these needs are only possible because of our donors. If someone could come visit our building, they would see for themselves how many people are in need. We see locals, refugees, and immigrants—really every kind of person. Seeing our building would allow them to see the tremendous impact of our services have on meeting these dire needs. 

Q: Where can we find you when you are not helping babies and toddlers at work?
A: My family is everything to me! I love spending time with my grandchildren, cooking for my family, and hosting get togethers for all of us. In the summer you can find me working in my vegetable garden, and you can always find me studying my Bible! 

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. It is a season where you can sense rebirth all around you. Trees begin to bloom, the sun shines a little brighter, and flowers burst to life bringing color to the world again. Spring is a time of resilience, and I cannot help but think about the families who find themselves in need of our services and what a visit to Infant Crisis Services means to them.
As a mother, I know that raising a little one can feel isolating at times. How can we know that we are doing this whole parenting thing correctly? Feelings of self-doubt creep in, and we hesitate to ask for help in fear of being perceived as a bad parent. That is where Infant Crisis Services comes in.
We know that the parents who seek our services are doing so to create a better future for their families, and we work to empower them in their parenthood journey. A study by our partners at the National Diaper Bank found that diaper insecurity is more stressful for a new mother than food insecurity, and many clients come to us facing both. At Infant Crisis Services, we want every family to leave feeling like their load has been lightened. When we can provide food, formula, and diapers to a family in need, their children blossom, and their smiles shine a little brighter. Families leave feeling the renewed sense of hope, and parents have more confidence that they can thrive in parenthood.
Every family who comes to Infant Crisis Services has a different reason that brings them to our doors, but one thing remains constant:  These families are resilient and they want the best life for their children.
Because of you, Infant Crisis Services can come alongside these families and empower them to make a better tomorrow. By supporting us, you are planting the seeds of the future, and I have full faith that the work we are doing today will bless little ones for years to come.  Your generosity actively establishes the building blocks of a healthy childhood and allows families to feel the warmth of community. You are a giver of hope, and for that, we thank you.

Always for the babies,

 

Miki Farris

Top from Left to right: David Cottrell, Mark Pahl, Clay Taylor, Joy LaBar, Callie Merritt, Kyle Impson, Cindy Batt, Afiya Wilkins, Jeff Bonney
Bottom from Left to Right: Brooke Townsend, Annette White-Klososky, Libby Howard, Carolyn Hansing, Melanie Marshall, Andi Bledsoe, Stacy Murray, Cher Bumps
Not pictured: Sharri Coleman, Tiffany Eitzmann, Holly McLaughlin, Lauren Ottoway-Johnson, Lisa Putt, Cherish Ralls, Marisa Records, Muhammet Ali Sezer

2023-2024 Board Officers
Chair: Jeff Bonney
Vice Chair: Annette White-Klososky
Treasurer: Joy LaBar
Secretary: Melanie Marshall. M.D.
Board Governance Chair: Andi Bledsoe

The Teen Associate Board worked hard for months to organize the 4th Annual Baby Steps 5k – and it was a huge success! On April 22nd, 325 participants completed the 1 Mile Fun Run & 5K at Bluff Creek. This year’s Teen Board raised $69,605 to feed and diaper babies and toddlers, the most in TAB history. Great job teens!

Top from Left to Right: Haydn Beatty, Nick Lau, Abby Edwards, Tatum Laird, Sutton Pierce, Rebecca Horn, Madeleine Hickey, Brendan Hansen, Catcher Godwin, Olivia Cowley, Haydan Hansen, Allison Hickey
Middle from Left to Right: Katie Kastl, Anna LaForge, Ella Feliciano, Beatrice Vogler, Charlotte Waldo, Isy Howeth, Avery Payne, Kathryn Hadrava, Kelly Willis, Olivia Neumann, Kendall Carey, Avry Howard, Hannah Brown, Amanda Davis, Peri Mossman
Bottom from Left to Right: Lexi Chacko, Julia Janknecht, Hailey Jane Johnson, Anthony Neumann, Cecilia Del Valle, Olivia LaForge, Emily Healy, Presley Payne, Riley Benson

The 14th Annual Boots & Ball Gowns Gala was a night of boot scootin’ fun at Oklahoma City Convention Center! In total, Boots and Ball Gowns brought in $655,565! Wow- that’s a huge impact for the babies! Thank you to everyone who attended and thank you to all our sponsors for making the evening the most succesful Boots and Ball Gowns yet:

Presenting Diamond Sponsor
Chickasaw Nation

Presenting Turquoise Sponsors
Ketchum Charitable Foundation
MidFirst Bank
Valor Bank

Gold Buckle Sponsors
Caption Partners
Henry + Dow Law
Inasmuch Foundation
Incyte Energy Solutions
Paycom
Todare Family Foundation

Kate Gordon and Natalie Simon (co-chairs)
Rachael Brown, Afiya Wilkins (ICS Board Member), and Miki Farris

ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET! 

This fall, join us for the 10th annual Bingo for Babies benefiting
Infant Crisis Services! Please join the Young Professionals Board of Infant Crisis Services on Friday, October 13, 2023, at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club for a fun event featuring dinner, drinks, entertainment, silent auction, and of course – BINGO! Sponsorships available now at www.infantcrisis.org/bingo.

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