Published: October 26, 2006 11:36 pm         

YFS breaks ground for shelter

Dignitaries and fundraisers broke ground Thursday at the future site of a new 12,000-square-foot youth shelter and counseling center.

Top fundraisers and board members ceremoniously broke ground on the Thelma Gungoll Youth and Family Center at the corner of Oxford and Midway, behind the existing Youth and Family Services building.

The house on the northeast corner of the property has been sold and will be moved, said Justin Simmons, executive director of Youth and Family Services of North Central Okla-homa. The existing building will continue to house the youth shelter and counseling offices until the new building is completed, then it will become parking for the center, Simmons said.

Construction crews will begin preparing the grounds in January or February. Henson Construc-tion is the contractor, and Corbin Associates is the architect.

The fundraising campaign kicked off in November 2005 with about 50 volunteers. The last phase of the campaign — 100 Grand for Kids — kicked off in July to raise the remaining $100,000 needed to receive a $220,000 challenge grant through the Mabee Foundation. The campaign exceeded its $100,000 goal.

A total of $1.3 million has been raised, and fundraisers are confident they will meet the last $200,000 goal.

“The new shelter will help us meet the needs of families and kids in Enid ... ,” said Coni Blankenship, president of the board during the capital campaign.

Officials with Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce presented Simmons with a plaque, and Simmons thanked a number of individuals and businesses instrumental in the fundraising success.

Simmons also expressed his gratitude to donors, volunteers and staff who helped raise money for the campaign.

“We are so grateful for the tremendous community and donor support that we have received during this campaign,” Simmons has said. “The community really stepped up to make this happen.”

John Sellers, chairman of the construction committee, said he thinks it’s a great honor to be blessed with the resources to make the shelter a possibility. He also thanked Gungoll for her vision more than 30 years ago to provide a safe place for children.

“I doubt she imagined in her wildest dreams” this day would come, Sellers said.

Gungoll, who will turn 101 at her next birthday, was the first dignitary to turn a shovel of dirt.

More than 200 northwest Oklahoma youths last year sought help and refuge at the emergency youth shelter at Youth & Family.

The shelter’s current capacity is 12 — six females and six males. Simmons said eight children on average are in the shelter each day and they stay an average of 14 days. The current facility is aging, deteriorating, barely adequate and doesn’t meet local fire codes.

Simmons said he hopes the new facility has enough space for 18 total beds.

Youth and Family Services of North Central Oklahoma, founded in 1974 by Gungoll, is an Enid-based nonprofit agency that provides therapeutic foster care placement, counseling and other family centered services to children and families. The agency primarily serves Garfield, Grant and Major counties.