The B.C. Clark Family at BritVil Community Food Pantry
in front of a new forklift they donated.

Q: We’ve seen so many companies start right here in Oklahoma only to be sold. How has B.C. Clark Jewelers remained a successful family business?

A: The word family is what it’s all about. If you have committed family, it has a far greater chance of surviving. We’ve been fortunate that our family has always been close, and we’ve always had two or three members to keep B.C. Clark Jewelers going in the right direction. It’s those next generations that make the difference.

Q: The Clark family established a permanent endowment fund at OCCF in 1992. Why did you choose OCCF?

A: For a number of reasons. When we first started seriously thinking about doing something in that regard, we were getting ready to celebrate our 100 Anniversary. My dad and I had discussed at great length something significant we could do to celebrate that. We came up with the idea to start a fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation and thought it was the appropriate thing to do. The great thing about the Community Foundation is that they’re professionals at what they do. They can grow the funds for you, and they assist you when it’s time to disperse some funds to charities during the year.

Q: What are some of the advantages you found working with the team at the Community Foundation?

A: Jennifer Stewart has been handling our account for a long, long time, almost 22 years, so we love that. We love longevity, and they’re just so easy to work with. They take direction from us, and they give us direction. They’re the professionals. They know what they are doing and help grow our funds. They just do so much of the work for us, and it’s wonderful the way the Community Foundation handles it.

Q: What are some of the causes the Clark family is passionate about supporting throughout the metro?

A: Well, there is a long list and that’s one of the nice things about OCCF. Every year we have maybe a couple that we give to consistently, but we try to find new nonprofits to support and good causes to contribute to. Sometimes, we find that our smallest contribution may mean the most to a particular charity. It doesn’t always relate to how much you give, it’s how it fits in in relation to their needs.

Q: How do you involve different family members with your family’s philanthropy, and how have things shifted with how you advise the fund since it was established?

A: I wouldn’t say it’s shifted a whole lot, but we do try to keep finding new ways to contribute. We have a committee that’s comprised of my two sons, myself and my cousin, Betty Wooldridge. She is very tuned into the charitable community, and she comes up with several great ideas. And, as the fifth generation gets older, we’ll work them into those decisions as well.

Q: Supporting the community seems to play an important role in the Clark family. How have you instilled the idea of giving back from one generation to the next?

A: We do it by example more than anything. Our families are pretty close, and so we do a lot of things together. We talk about things that we think are important in life. One of our aims is to make sure that we instill that notion of respect and dependability, and we are conscientious of the needs in the community. We’ve gotten so much from the community ourselves, and we feel we really owe it a lot, so we make sure our family knows how important it is to give back. We pass it on from father to daughter, from mother to son.

Zach Morley visits with NSO’s Cassandra Pittman
in his dorm at NSO’s Carolyn Williams Center.

Hope, kindness and community. It’s palpable when you set foot inside Neighborhood Service Organization’s Carolyn Williams Center. For young men 18-23 who have been unhoused or living in foster care and may not have always felt that support, it’s a massive step toward the future they so eagerly seek.

Four months ago, when Zach Morley moved into this safe space, he wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. An anonymous donor had recently stepped up and pledged $1.7 million over three years to update the dorm-like community and expand capacity, so it was amid renovations that he entered and found a home among the chaos.

“The people here are so kind. I love hanging around the office and learning from them,” Zach said. “They’re easy to talk to and have helped me learn things like how to do laundry and my finances – I’m not great at that yet. They’re helping me with basics right now so I can find stability, that way I can be successful in the long run.”

The dorm-like setting provides a safe, stable environment for up to two years for young men like Zach between the ages of 18 and 23 who have aged out of foster care or were previously unhoused. Working closely alongside these young men, the staff helps them set goals, learn life skills, apply for jobs and prepare for the future.

“Zach is a phenomenal client,” said Robert Lopez, Carolyn William Center’s case worker.  “He brings such a sense of community to the group. He invites the other guys to join and encourages them to get a job and go to work. The advice he gives to the other guys is really good, and he’s so humble about it all. I’m just so proud of him and what he’s doing.

Inspired by the wholistic approach of the center and the impact it has on the lives of young men like Zach, OCCF donor Paul Milburn took a keen interest their work. Though he died in 2016, the Paul Milburn Gift Fund at OCCF has provided continued support, investing in a job readiness center, renovating the offices and updating the teaching kitchen.

“Mr. Milburn and OCCF have been steadfast partners for us,” said Stacey Ninness, NSO’s President & CEO. “Mr. Milburn helped us develop the gift acceptance policy we use today, and grants from OCCF have really catapulted our impact and relationships with donors to a new level.”

In 1982, NSO established a nonprofit endowment fund at OCCF. For more than 40 years, they have strategically partnered with OCCF and its donors to cultivate and grow that fund through outright and matching grants, which have enabled them to provide vital services such as dental care, prenatal assistance and nutrition, and housing programs. These initiatives have had a significant impact on the lives of young men, mothers with children, and adults with mental illnesses, providing them with a helping hand and a chance to rebuild their lives. 

Last year, OCCF’s Access to Health Care and Services for Older Adults grant programs awarded NSO a total of $65,000, which joined with donations from numerous OCCF donors to support their low-cost dental clinic, a cornerstone of their programming. NSO’s dental clinic began as a single chair tucked in the corner of a gymnasium 54 years ago and quickly grew. In 2023, their full-service clinic performed more than 11,700 procedures for 1,600 patients and extended their hours to five days a week to accommodate more patients.

Two and a half years ago, Anna Asbell became one of those patients. Growing up in a small town in Missouri, dental care was not a priority. The town had one dentist who was so busy that when a problem arose, it was often easier to pull the tooth than treat it. For more than 30 years, Anna lived with teeth just at the front of her mouth, until one day a client of hers told her about NSO.

“NSO changed my life,” Anna said. “I used to have to pick and choose what to eat because I didn’t have the teeth to chew. One of the dental students here helped me figure out exactly what I needed, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. I tell everyone about NSO.”

“Being able to help people like Anna and make such a significant impact on their lives is why we’re here,” Stacey said. “It’s a collective effort. It takes all of us – from the smallest gifts to the largest – to make that impact, and it’s why sustainable funding like our endowment fund at OCCF is so important.”

Aubrey McVicker-Adkins at Perry High School.

There’s something idyllic about small town life – escaping the hustle and bustle of the city for a tight-knit community where everyone knows their neighbors and bands together for the betterment of all. It’s why so many television shows find root in the world of small towns. The colors may be brighter and characters bigger on TV, but there’s a certain element of truth behind it all.  

Perry, Oklahoma, and its small-town charm is a prime example, and Aubrey McVicker-Adkins could easily play the lead with her eager spirit and youthful ambition. Growing up, she threw herself into community events, sports and school activities, embracing all that Perry had to offer. But living in a small town has its trade-offs – ones Aubrey faced head-on. 

As Aubrey was preparing for her senior year, she wanted more college preparatory courses. As a small school, advanced placement classes were limited to junior year. Beyond that, students must take concurrent enrollment courses at Northern Oklahoma College for a hefty fee.  

“I’ve always believed equality is important, and that doesn’t stop with the normal day. It goes deep into education,” Aubrey said. “I wanted to make sure everyone in Perry had the opportunity to take the classes that could prepare them to take the next steps and weren’t hindered by the cost.” 

Fortunately for Aubrey, there was a likeminded Perry resident who came generations before her. Ditch Witch founder, Ed Malzahn, and his wife, Mary, established the Malzahn Family Fund at OCCF more than 30 years ago with one goal in mind – helping Perry thrive. Today, under OCCF’s management, the fund is funneling millions of dollars into the Perry community each year to improve its schools, support community organizations and provide scholarships.  

Having seen the effect the Malzahn family has had on the community, Aubrey set to work seeking an opportunity for equal education for herself and her fellow students. With the support of her school counselor and principal, Aubrey put together a grant application to cover the enrollment fee for all Perry students for the 2023-2024 academic year – a total of $63,396.

As the school year began in August, Aubrey received the exciting news that her grant had been approved, covering all fees for each one of the 45 juniors and seniors enrolled in concurrent classes and launching her into a banner senior year. She threw herself into all things high school from cheerleading to student council and more, topping it off with being named class valedictorian.  

During her senior year, Aubrey applied for OCCF scholarships. Aubrey’s community leadership shone through on her application, and she became one of 10 students honored with the $5,000 Malzahn Family Scholarship through OCCF.  

“It was actually one of our volunteer scholarship reviewers who first noticed Aubrey’s application,” said Jess Schwager, OCCF’s Director of Scholarship Programs. “Her passion for her hometown and aspirations for higher education were apparent on her scholarship application.  She’s exactly the type of student the Malzahn’s were hoping to provide opportunities for when they established their scholarship. She’s bright, ambitious and excited to see what the world has to offer.” 

This fall, as Aubrey steps foot on the University of Oklahoma’s campus to begin her freshman year, a whole new world lies ahead of her. A world filled with learning about herself, her new community and the world outside of small towns.   

“Working with OCCF and my school on this grant has really given me perspective on what it takes to make a change,” Aubrey said. “I’m excited to be a Malzahn Scholarship recipient and represent what that means as I start school in Norman. I want to get involved and be in a community where I can continue to make a difference.”