19th Street Magazine November 2022

Tim Willert

by Sharla Bardin

Chris Plank

Chris Plank

by: Mark Doescher

Moore’s Bravest

When it comes to fire preparedness and protection, the City of Moore is home to one of the high est-rated fire departments in the country, a com prehensive audit shows.

The ISO fire rating is a score provided to fire depart ments and insurance companies every four years by the Insurance Services Office, an organization based in Jer sey City, New Jersey.

The score reflects how prepared a community is for fires. While it mainly focuses on local fire departments and wa ter supply, there are other factors that contribute to an area’s score, including communications.

Moore is one of only eight fire departments in Oklahoma to receive an ISO 1 rating -- the highest rating handed out. The organization ranked higher than 900 depart ments in the state.

“The benefit for Moore citizens is the better the rating, the lower their insurance rates,” Fire Chief Greg Herb ster said.

Insurance Services Office gives departments a public protection classification, with 1 being the best and 10 be ing the worst.

Less than 1% of departments across the U.S. have achieved a 1 ISO rating.

“This is a milestone that not many departments can achieve,” Herbster said. “For the fire service, this achievement is like winning the Super Bowl. It’s the high est recognition we could attain.”

The department spends months gathering information for ISO, and the audit process takes more than a year to complete, he said.

An ISO score reflects response times, deployment anal ysis, training and certifications, standard operating guidelines and equipment, he said. Other factors include the number and location of fire stations, staffing levels, community risk reduction, pre-planning and public ed ucation.

Also factoring into the final score is the city’s water sys tem, available water, alternative water supply, number of hydrants, hydrant flow, inspections and fire flows, ac cording to the chief.

Communications also are part of the overall score and include the city’s 911 Center, dispatchers, dispatch times, training and certifications, emergency reporting, and back-up plans.

“This is 100% a collaborated effort from our elected of ficials, city management, fire department, water depart ment and dispatch,” Herbster said. “This would not be possible without the support of city management and our elected officials and their commitment to public safety. Without the funding for staffing, facilities, equipment and training, this could never be achieved.”

The Moore Fire Department employs 78 uniformed per sonnel, including 69 firefighters.

Herbster got the news in September. It was the first time the department had received a 1 rating.

Prior to that, a 2 rating was the best the department could do, the chief said.

Longtime Moore City Councilman Jason Blair called the news “exciting.”

“Knowing that less than 1% of the nation’s fire depart ments achieve this rating shows how tough it is to accom plish this task,” he said. “This is my 14th year on council, and I know that our fire department has been working toward this rating since I have been on council.”

Blair, an independent insurance agent, has spent 20 years in the industry.

“I have seen how a protection class rating can impact insurance premiums and insurability,” he said. “Not all companies use the ISO rating program when determin ing the premium for your homeowner’s insurance, but the companies that do, protection class 1 rating should provide the best rates.”

Fire departments in Broken Arrow, Edmond, Lawton, Midwest City, Norman, Oklahoma City and Tulsa also received ISO class 1 ratings.

“We strive to have a world-class fire department and we are committed to improving our score on every ISO audit,” Herbster said. “We will continue to increase the level of service we provide our citizens to ensure the best possible outcome during an emergency.” 19SM

ROUND FOOT TRAFFIC

Supporting Success

Outreach team helps students get ready for careers, college

Students at Moore Norman Technology Center have a team who can help guide them after they graduate, whether they venture into the work force or explore continuing education.

“We want to help them succeed,” said Melissa Dyer, student outreach coordinator.

Dyer works with a student outreach team that includes career and college specialists, career advisors who meet with prospective students about center programs and center representatives who serve as liaisons between MNTC and Moore and Norman public schools.

Dyer’s team hosts center wide workshops that focus on professional skills and other career development top ics. Dyer said that her team also helps students create a resume and practice interviewing skills. The center also hosts a career and college fair each spring for stu dents.

The efforts aim to help students get started early on career preparation.

Dyer said the center also works to create partnerships with employers to give them opportunities to meet stu dents, get involved in center programs and post infor mation about jobs and internships.

The center has an online job site, mntc.edu/employers, where employers can register, post jobs, join a program advisory committee, participate on an employer pan el discussion, recruit at the career and college fair and participate in mock interviews. Dyer said registration for the site is free to employers, and current students and graduates of the center can view the posts.

“We want to connect (employers) with our amazing students,” Dyer said. “We want to help them get good employees to help their businesses continue to grow.”

She said more than 1,100 employers are registered on the site and she’s received positive feedback from those who participate.

“It’s very easy to post,” she said. “It’s easy for the stu dents to apply for the jobs.”

Dyer’s team also works to help students grow their awareness and skill sets when it comes to planning for college or careers.

“We want them to feel prepared for whatever is next after Moore Norman Technology Center,” she said. For more information about the outreach services, email Dyer at Melissa.Dyer@mntc.edu, call 405-8015058 or visit mntc.edu.-19SM

Photos by: Mark Doescher

BY: CHRIS PLANK

Brayden Willis is setting the example for how to han dle yourself on and off the field, through both the good times and the tough times.

When the offense needed to be creative to find a way to move the ball without its starting quarterback, Brayden Willis did whatever was necessary. When tough questions were asked after disappointing losses, Willis answered. When someone needed to make a big catch or a big block, Willis stepped up.

When the Sooners needed a leader, Willis was there with passion and energy even when things weren’t going the Sooners’ way.

In a unique twist, the success he is enjoying this season would not be a reality without the challenges of the 2020 season. Willis received an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 waiver. He could have easily taken a shot at the NFL but felt there was unfinished business in Nor man.

“I just think this is a special place,” Willis said of his de cision to return. “I love it here and I just wanted to be here with my team. I tell this all the time when I talk to recruits. I was recruited a second time so I can tell you everything that they’re telling you is true. I’ve seen it. I’ve got to experience it and I’m so glad I came back.”

Willis was a part of the 2018 recruiting class after a standout career at James Martin High School in Arling ton, Texas. In his senior season at James Martin, Willis recorded 542 passing yards, 574 rushing yards and 574 receiving yards. His diverse skillset shined at James Mar tin High School where he threw for four touchdowns, had 16 rushing touchdowns, seven receiving touchdowns and even registered an interception.

For the last three seasons, Willis has been a consistent presence at the fullback/tight end/h-back position, catch ing a touchdown pass in three straight games to close out the 2019 regular season. After a minor dip in his num bers in 2020, when he only played in five games battling injuries, Willis bounced back in 2021 and started eight games. He caught his most passes for his most yards last season.

With Jadon Haselwood, Michael Woods, Mario Wil liams, Austin Stogner and Jeremiah Hall heading out the door, Willis was presented with a fantastic opportunity to make an even bigger name for himself in his final season with the Oklahoma Sooners. But he would also have to deal with a coaching change as well.

“I think everybody has the same story I do,” Willis said. “When you talk to (Coach Venables), it’s just something different about him, something special. I knew that I wanted to grow as a player. Right off the bat, I knew he was different, that he would be able to make me better in all aspects, not just football but a better man.”

Despite the new coach staff and offensive system under Offensive Coordinator Jeff Lebby, there was some fa miliarity for Willis. Joe Jon Finley returned as the tight ends coach, and he knew what kind of player he had in Willis.

“He’s a lead-by-example type of guy whenever you get in the weight room, out there running, in the meet ing room,” Finley said. “It’s a great picture for those younger guys to see every day. He’s become more vocal because he’s earned that right. He does a fantastic job with every aspect.

“You must treat this like a job. You have to do a great job of managing your time and doing everything right. That’s what he does every single day. He’s the same guy every single guy. That’s why he’s had so much success and will continue to have so much success.”

The decision to return for Willis was rewarded ear ly as he exploded out of the gate both physically and statistically. Willis became a main cog in Lebby’s of fensive machine catching two touchdown passes in the opener against UTEP and has also delivered countless soul-crushing blocks that helped ignite the Sooners’ rushing attack.

“I thought this entire time that his skill set is unique because he gives you the ability to do so many differ ent things,” Lebby said. “He can play on the perimeter, play in the core, block at the point, block on the perim eter, stretch it down the field and catch footballs all over the field in a lot of diverse ways. We’ve got to continue to do a good job of using him and maximizing his ability.”

But adversity struck after an incredible 3-0 start to the season. The Sooners suffered its first 3-game losing streak since the 90s. But, through it all, Willis stayed the course.

“(Willis) is the same dude every single day,” Lebby said. “He’s been an unbelievable leader. He’s got toughness. He’s got physicality. He’s got high want-to, high charac ter and he’s earned it.”

He caught two more touchdown passes in a loss to Kan sas State, had the biggest play of the game in a hardfought loss to TCU, and even stepped up as a quar terback in a new wildcat formation the Sooners used against Texas after an injury sidelined starting quarter back Dillon Gabriel.

“I was out there at one point in time, we were to the

Texas side, and it was rocking, it was loud,” Willis said of playing quarterback against Texas. “I was like,’ Wow. I’m really playing wildcat quarterback right now.’ It was a surreal feeling, especially in that game that meant so much to me.”

The 3-game losing streak was challenging and frustrat ing, but it magnified Willis’ commitment to Sooner foot ball and that caught the eye of Hall of Fame Coach Bob Stoops.

“The guy is incredible,” Stoops said on The Rush with Teddy Lehman and Tyler McComas on the Ref Radio Network. “He’s a talented guy and put it all out there. When I’m around, he’s a positive influence and a great leader. He has done a great job doing all he could to make something happen.”

Willis continued the grind and relentless effort in the Sooners bounce-back Homecoming win over Kansas. Willis finished with a career-high 102 yards receiving and scored a touchdown. The win broke the 3-game losing skid and helped to reset the energy around the program heading into the bye week.

“I’m just being the best leader that I can, being an old er guy who has been in a lot of situations,” Willis said. “I’ve never been in this situation, but that doesn’t mean

I haven’t been through a whole lot of football. The sky is not falling. The sun is still gonna shine in the morning. If we can get it turned around, we can still have a really good season.”

The leadership Willis provides is not only influencing younger players on the roster but also setting a standard for the veterans as well.

“He’s just such a selfless guy,” Sooner linebacker De shaun White said. “He’s a vocal guy. He knows exact ly what to say. He leads by example. Everything that’s coming for him, he’s worked for it and earned it.”

Willis has already set a career high for receptions and touchdowns in a season while establishing himself as an unquestioned leader. Through a season that has already featured incredible highs and disappointing and chal lenging lows, there has been one constant on the field - the hard work and all-out effort of Brayden Willis

“I’m just going to continue to lead and lead hard,” Wil lis said. “My parents used to say all the time that I’m gonna talk to you until I’m blue in the face. I don’t have too much longer here so I’m going to talk until I’m blue in the face and make sure I get the job done.” 19SM

Photo by: Mark Doescher

In year one of the Jennie Baranczyk era, the Universi ty of Oklahoma women’s basketball team established an identity of playing an up-tempo, entertaining style that energized the fan base and helped lead the Sooners back to the Big Dance. Not only did the Sooners make a return trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018, the Sooners also hosted its own Regional for the first time since 2012.

With a year under her belt and all five starters return ing, the sky is the limit 2022-23 Oklahoma Sooners.

This season, Oklahoma returns its entire starting lineup from last year’s campaign and 92% of its scoring pro duction. Madi Williams returns after leading the Soon ers in scoring and rebounding last season and expanded her range, making more three pointers last season than she did in all three previous years combined.

Taylor Robertson is back after becoming Oklahoma’s all-time 3-point record holder and was at the top of the Big 12 Conference’s all-time 3-point list. Robertson is just one of 11 players in college basketball with more than 400 3-pointers in a career.

Paired with the return of sixth-year senior Ana Llanusa, the trio’s 52.5 combined points per game make them the highest-scoring returning trio in Division I basketball. Llanusa tore her ACL in a December game against BYU last season. The torn ACL was the second season-end ing injury of her career after she sat out the 2020-21 sea son due to back surgery. Sitting out was a challenge for Llanusa, but it fueled the Oklahoma native to get back.

“It was tough not getting to be out there,” Llanusa said. “But it also gives me so much to look forward to, now that I can play again. Just seeing all the things that they were able to accomplish without me… hopefully (I will) help them accomplish even more.”

Her coaches and teammates expect her to be even better in her latest comeback.

“I know we’re not chasing her to be where she was (when she got hurt),” Coach Baranczyk said. “We want her to be better and she wants to be better, and I think she’s worked her tail off.

“She stepped out on one of our first days and took a charge in practice. She’s a competitor and she loves the team.”

The trio of Williams, Robertson, and Llanusa helps to fuel an up-tempo attack that averaged 83.3 points per game last season, third highest in Division I and second highest in program history.

The excitement of the returning trio has changed the expectations of the season, but it has not changed the preparation.

“It’s such a cliché thing to say you take every day as a day,” Coach Baranczyk said. “Everybody knows every moment matters and they know right now it matters more.

“We’re giving them a lot of reps and making them

work hard and they want that, they crave that. They’re spending a lot of time on recovery and nutrition, on things young players can’t see yet, but they can value, and it will help the program later.”

The Sooners were able to get a head start on the 202223 season with its 10-day trip to Europe, playing against some challenging teams that will resonate throughout the season.

It also allowed the seniors to set the expectations for the season.

“We got to play some really good teams,” Baranczyk said. “We played the Lithuanian National team (and) a professional team in France, so we were able to learn and make adjustments in August… getting used to each other. The feedback our returners are giving our new comers is that they are picking it up faster because they can see it.”

Baranczyk and the staff were in teaching mode at this time last year. Instead, this year, they are in competeand-teach mode.

Joining the trio of seniors is the Big 12 6th Person of the Year Skylar Vann along with Nevaeh Tot and Norman product Kelbie Washington, who rotated at point guard all season. Kennady Tucker started 24 games last year while Liz Scott established herself as solid post presence averaging almost seven points per game.

The Sooners also added Iowa State transfer Aubrey Joens and a four-person freshman class including two post players in 6’4” Kierston Johnson and 6’3” center Beatrice Culliton.

The Sooners have depth and Jennie Baranczyk plans to use it.

“We know our identity is going to be our depth,” Ba ranczyk said. “We’ve got a little bit more size. With the versatility of our new players and the versatility that we’ve continued to strengthen and grow with our re turners, it’s going to be a fun season.”

The road for the Sooners will be different in 2022 than it was in the first Baranczyk season. Unranked in the preseason last year, the Sooners have been all over the preseason watch list and polls this season.

The same group of underappreciated underdogs is now filled with preseason hype and increased expectations. The overall expectation of finding yourself circled on op ponent’s schedules is not anything new at Oklahoma. It’s a challenge that the Sooners and Baranczyk are embracing.

“That’s why you’re here, that’s why you’re at Oklaho ma,” Baranczyk said. “We have so many incredible pro grams at this University. Everyone circles Oklahoma and I love that.

“With this team and where we are right now as a pro gram, we had a lot of highlight reel moments, but we had a lot of lowlights. That’s what nips at your heels, not oth ers’ expectations but our own. No one expects more of themselves and we must live up to it every day.” 19SM

Run it

Madi Williams

Champion Home Loans

Oklahoma-based mortgage broker opens new office in south Oklahoma City

After more than a decade in the mortgage indus try, Chris Miller and Charles Foster came togeth er to create Champion Home Loans because they wanted to use their expertise to help Oklahomans real ize their dream of homeownership.

“Chris and I worked together at a couple of mortgage companies,” Foster said. “We decided we would take some of the good strategies we had learned and leave be hind some things we didn’t like to start a new company.”

The key strategy for this new venture was to become a mortgage broker not allegiant to a single specific lend ing agency.

“A mortgage broker offers more flexibility and more op tions for perspective homeowners,” Foster said. “We have 20 agencies we can work with so we can shop around to get the best deal and save the most money we can.” Additionally, they wanted to provide quality service to all levels of buyers.

“We want to be able to treat every client as import ant regardless of their situation or budget. We work

to have a good reputation because Oklahoma City is still a small town in a sense and word travels fast. That keeps up accountable.”

This calling is evident in the unique way they celebrate new homeowners on closing day.

“Chris came up with the idea to use a world champion title belt to bring some fun to the experience,” Kenne dy said. “Closing day is full of joy and we like to have a good time and take care of people.”

Champion opened their first office in Bricktown and recently opened a second location in south Oklahoma City. Both Foster and Miller grew up in the south met ro, so this new endeavor is a coming home of sorts. “I grew up in Norman and currently live in Moore, so this has always been home for me,” Foster shared. “I think it is a great place to raise a family and we are happy to be a part of the growth.”

Jon Kennedy, the branch manager for the new office, joined the Champion team because of a shared passion to help people.

“One of the reasons we felt a good connection with Jon is that we don’t just want to do loans. Anyone can do that,” Foster said.

“My goal is to provide good loans to people in the south metro and help as many people become homeowners as possible, to help people become homeowners and realize that dream,” Kennedy added.

The housing market in Oklahoma has experience some record highs and lows in recent years and, with loan rates going up, getting the best deal available is more import ant than ever.

“Rates have been going up recently and that can be chal lenge,” Foster confirmed. “But people still need to buy houses. Payments are now higher so the amount we can pre-approve for isn’t as high as a year or two ago. You have to be creative. We have tools to help save buyers money.”

In a challenging market, Kennedy said a trusted lender and realtor are valuable assets.

“Finding someone you trust is key,” he advised. “You need someone who you are confident can walk you through the buying process – a realtor and mortgage company that can help you navigate the process.”

The business of real estate is rarely 9 to 5, something Champion knows all too well.

“When you are looking for houses in the evening or on the weekend and find a home you love, we are there,” Foster said.

“We are always readily available,” Kennedy added. “Our clients have our cell phone numbers because we want to be there any time.” 19SM

Turning setbacks into comebacks

Food, Hunger and Hope

Hunger in Oklahoma is a pervasive issue, often a dai ly struggle for residents of all ages. Oklahoma ranks 45th in the nation for food insecurity, and the ef fects of COVID and inflation are yet to be fully analyzed.

Dr. Laure DeMattia, a bariatrician and family med icine specialist at Norman Regional Health System, is working to improve lives not only through her medical practice but also with a new initiative aimed at helping with food access.

Together with her husband, Randall Birchall, Dr. DeMattia partnered with Meals of Hope, a nonprof it organization, to bring its approach to helping solve hunger to Oklahoma. The food packing organization works with volunteer leaders to coordinate operations throughout the country. Based in Florida, Meals of Hope ships shelf-stable food from one of two central warehouses and then volunteers coordinate packaging, sealing and distribution logistics.

Dr. DeMattia’s involvement with the group led the cou ple to sponsor a community food packaging event local

ly on Oct. 1 that resulted in the preparation of 50,000 meals, the first of its kind in the area. Norman Regional lent space to more than 120 local volunteers, and health care professionals dedicated hundreds of hours prepar ing for the event where they put together packaged nu trient-enriched pasta dish. Each packaged meal, which includes pasta, protein and red sauce, offers six servings and only requires hot water for preparation.

Kristin Burger, a nurse administrator in Norman Re gional’s post-acute transitions and community engage ment sector, spoke to the urgency of the area’s food cri sis as evidenced by its patient population.

“Food access as a social determinant of health has re ceived so much attention within health care because of its vital role in wellness,” said Burger. “At the hospital level, we can do amazing things and we have amazing staff but if we are sending patients back to the same en vironment, nothing is really changing.”

Hospital board members and administrators worked to address food insecurity by introducing Food Pharmacy,

Norman Regional physicians and staff create opportunities to combat food insecurity

a collaboration between the Norman Regional Health Foundation and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. What started with in-patient services in 2020 expanded to include emergency departments and clinics.

Norman Regional’s intake numbers highlighted a fact so many clinicians were already seeing in their patients: 66% of Oklahomans said they had to choose between purchasing medications for themselves or buying food, often for their families.

“We know if patients have to choose between food and medication, they are very often choosing food because it benefits everyone at home and the patient then goes without,” said Burger.

Food Pharmacy will benefit from 10,000 of the 50,000 meals made at the Meals of Hope event.

The hospital system partners with food and nutri tion services for patients in need to receive two weeks of meals upon discharge, including pre-made, frozen, heat-and-serve dishes as well as ingredients and recipes for individuals who can cook. Follow-up services check in and help individuals in need to locate continued re sources in their area.

“Two weeks of food won’t make or break their health, but that long term benefit can be life-changing,” said Burger. “These issues have always been part of our community, but COVID put a magnifying glass on the situation, with inflation in the world today continuing to have an effect.

“Addressing hunger in this way gave us the confidence to take on other issues, including identifying other bar riers to wellness like transportation, access to medica tion, safety, health literacy and the payment of basics like rent and utilities.”

Burger and DeMattia agree the willingness of the pub lic to share vulnerable information is key to identifying hunger and working to resolve it within the community.

“I have dedicated my life to serving people as a physi cian. Things have gotten harder for so many people and I felt like I just wasn’t doing enough,” said DeMattia. “People are not aware of how many families are strug gling… and a lot of people don’t want to acknowledge

they are struggling. It’s embarrassing. That phrase, ‘There but for the grace of God go I’ is something we should all remember.’”

Food and Shelter of Norman, McFarlin Food Pantry and Moore Public Schools also received meals from the food packaging event to use as part of their programs.

DeMattia anticipates future efforts with other nonprof its, including the Regional Food Bank, with another community food packaging event likely.

Donations can be made online or by emailing cfc@meal sofhope.org, with the specific option to give to efforts in Oklahoma. Find more information at mealsofhope.org.

19SM

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR YOUR VISION

Backed by more than $26 Billion in assets, we're one of the largest commercial lenders in the country. Yet we are community-focused and empowered by local decision-makers.

Contact us to see how we can help your business grow and thrive!

The Highest Weight Loss with a balloon, No Surgery Required

Clinic is proud to be one of the only weight loss clinics in the region offering patients the Spatz3 adjustable gastric balloon.

• FDA clinical trials show that the Spatz3 patients lost five times as much

those dieting alone.

• The Spatz3 boasts the

•

Lana Nelson, DO Azure Adkins, MD

Veteran of the Month: Joe Musick

Air Force Veteran Joe Musick and his wife Sarah created a new online store, Down Range Décor, to help veterans. The idea for this worthy cause was born out of a tragedy in Joe’s life.

Married for 32 years next month, Joe and Sarah dated in high school and married a year after Joe graduated while Sarah was still in high school. Military recruiters talked to Joe throughout high school and on Oct. 26, 1992, at the age of 20, Joe joined the Air Force.

“We were teenage parents with one child and another on the way,” Sarah said. “It was tough.”

Joe took his family around the world with his job in the military and they lived in a lot of different places. Then tragedy struck.

On his last tour, Joe was stationed in Afghanistan serv ing as a convoy driver when a bomb exploded injuring his hip. Later, during one of his leaves home from Af ghanistan, Joe fell to the floor from a heart attack.

Suffering from a high level of stress, a doctor at the VA told him if he didn’t change his job, his job would lit erally kill him. On Nov. 1, 2012, 20 years after joining the Air Force, Joe retired, and he and Sarah moved to Oklahoma to be closer to their three kids.

Joe, unfortunately, re-injured the same hip while at work. The VA told him his hip needed to be replaced. Subsequently, over the next three-and-a-half years, Joe would have one hip repair and five replacements.

“After the second hip replacement, the surgeons actu ally just took his hip out and he was in bed five months without a hip,” Sarah said.

Without the ability to walk, Joe had a PICC line for an tibiotics and had assistance from a caretaker who came several times a week. It was during this time that Joe rose above his personal tragedy and thought about how his family could help other veterans.

“He was lying there with PTSD and getting more de pressed when he just looked at me with this strange look,” Sarah remembered. “I was like, ‘What?’” and he said, “What can we do to help veterans?”

Sarah remembers every trip to the VA center causing Joe’s depression to become worse.

Joe said, “I have to do something to help them.”

Then an idea came, Down Range Décor.

“We started with small things like bottle openers, little wood crafts and stuff like that. Then we evolved into tumblers, and a couple months ago, we opened our website,” Sarah shared.

After Joe healed from hip surgery number four, he and Sarah worked delivering prescriptions for CVS to low er income nursing homes across Oklahoma. What they saw was eye-opening.

“There are a lot of people who have nothing,” Sarah said. With a goal of raising money for a different demographic of veterans every year, Joe and Sarah decided to support disabled and retired Veterans in nursing homes. Last year was the first time their business made a profit, and they used it to buy blankets, socks, snacks and bathroom toiletries to put together gift bags. They delivered 150 gift bags to the Oklahoma City VA hospital. Although not classified as a tax-exempt non-profit, Sar ah says their business is conducted 100% by the book. “People always want to know if we’re a non-profit and there are many reasons why we are not. First, the ap plication process is long and it’s difficult to get to that designation. Second, one of the reasons we do this is for Joe’s PTSD and depression,” she shared. “This way, we decide everything.”

Selling items to veterans at a discount, Sarah said their tumblers customized with a specific name sell for $30. But for veterans, they are $20. They also give away items to organizations to use as door prizes.

Life is busy these days between kids and grandkids, speaking engagements and one or two craft shows a week most months.

Today, Joe works full-time as an administrative as sistant at the Central Oklahoma Community Mental Health Center in Norman, close to the VA hospital where he goes for medical appointments.

“It’s been about a year since his last surgery,” Sarah said. “He still walks with a limp and still has pain and is battling other health issues, but other than that, he’s doing pretty great.” 19SM

MEMBER FDIC

Family supports you. We roll up our sleeves, get our boots dirty, and lend what we have to help each other succeed. Family is the spirit that unites us. At Armstrong Bank, our family is here to support your family. We’re going to do our best to help you succeed, whenever and wherever we can. That’s what family does.