Center calls for Catholics to join The Love Challenge

OKARCHE – Entering its fourth year, The Love Challenge is an appeal created by The Center of Family Love designed to further the inclusion of individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities in Oklahoma. 
 
The goal of The Love Challenge is to connect each one of the residents of The Center of Family Love with a “family” outside of the center. Because the number of residents who do not have regular involvement from their family is so high, the “challenge” offers residents an amazing opportunity to feel a greater sense of belonging and involvement in their community. 
 
Debbie Espinosa, president and chief executive of The Center of Family Love, explained that the ability to partner with parishes all over Oklahoma is the perfect opportunity to connect their residents with those who already have a heart for service.
 
“When a church embraces an individual, they immediately become part of a large family. These parishioners are a true example of God’s love in action,” she said.
 
Some residents already have been paired to specific parishes in Oklahoma. Saint Monica, Saint John Nepomuk, Christ the King and Saint Andrew are just a few of the parishes who have accepted the challenge and adopted a resident through the program. However, there are nearly 100 residents still waiting.
 
Kitty Belden, a parishioner at Saint Eugene, is part of a team that has adopted a resident. Belden said one of the greatest things about the challenge is knowing how much happiness it brings to the residents.
 
“When they find out they have been adopted, they are so excited,” she said.
 
Belden also praised the parishioners of Saint Eugene for their generosity and participation in the challenge.
 
“We are very fortunate, and it’s a blessing to be involved in the work the CFL does. They provide magnificent care to God’s most vulnerable.”
 
What makes the challenge unique is the exceptional level of support and guidance provided. The CFL works closely with each team to determine realistic goals, offer access to training materials, action plans, ideas and even step-by-step instruction, to ensure a successful relationship between the team and their adopted resident. 
 
Because The Love Challenge does not have a succinct set of guidelines for adopting a resident, teams can choose to support their resident in a variety of ways, depending on factors such as physical location, schedule availability and resources. Each team consists of a group of people with a designated team leader who serves as the main point of contact for the group, coordinating their efforts with the CFL. Building a relationship with a resident can start with something as simple as mailing a card or sending a gift. The level of commitment is up to each team. 
 
Combining the time, talent and treasure of several people into one team benefits both the sponsors and the resident. Working together to come up with new and creative ways to support their resident gives each team an even greater opportunity to engage with them, and provide the friendship, love and community inclusion they deserve.  
 
The Love Challenge has received full support from Archbishop Coakley and Bishop Konderla, and although each resident has been paired with a specific parish throughout the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, The Love Challenge is not restricted to parishes.
 
Any group of individuals can choose to adopt a resident through their workplace, school, community group or other volunteer ministry.
 
The ultimate goal of the challenge is not necessarily to raise money, although financial contributions are an additional positive impact. With an approximate annual cost of $13,000 for each individual to reside at the center, fundraisers and special collections provide an opportunity for team members who are unable to contribute to still provide for their resident’s needs.
 
“We want people to know that this is not a financial commitment. This is a friendship! We are just asking for friendship for our residents outside of the CFL,” Espinosa said. “Our residents desire very little. They just want to be loved and accepted as an individual, they crave that connection with others, especially someone who loves them.”
 
Sally Linhart is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.

Photo: All Saints Catholic School students plan crafts and activities for their adopted friend, Dolly. Photo provided.