Hands to Care continues Birthright legacy

After Birthright of Lawton closed its doors in 2024, Hands to Care picked up the pieces.

Housed at Salt of the Earth Ministries, 2209 NW 25th, the nonprofit offers resources and baby items to families in need.

“They came to our ministry to see if we would take the services that they were doing and continue to do it for the community,” Cathy Miller, director of Hands to Care said. “We took the responsibilities and services completely from them. It’s just a new name, new location, but the same service.”

What exactly is Hands to Care?

“We assist mothers, mothers to be, families, even fathers who have children with diapers from newborn to size 7, wipes, formula,” Miller said. “We have clothes from newborn up to 40 for boys and girls that we give to them absolutely free. We have maternity clothes, I even have diapers for a child that may be disabled or bedridden.”

Interested families must fill out a form with what they need and go from there, Miller said.

They usually get their items from donations and local stores.

“People donate diapers or clothes from a previous child,” Miller said. “We take them, clean them up and repurpose them back. I’ve been trying to get connected to a distributor that can help me get (the items) at a cheaper price.”

As a new business, they are always looking for volunteers. But the most important thing they need is funding.

“We’re always looking for somebody who wants to come and serve,” Miller said. “Right now, I’m looking for sponsors,” Miller said. “Someone that can help undergird our ministry. I’m looking for monetary donations as well.”

It’s been hard for the community when Birthright closed.

“When Birthright closed, there was nobody else on this side of the city to help service people like this, to help these women that were really in need,” Miller said. “That’s basically what we have the compassion for, those that are disabled or may be low income that needs a hand to help them get to until better times.

“You have the pregnancy resource center down on C, but they deal with pregnant women,” Miller said. “We deal with anybody that comes through the doors that need help with children.”

Hands to Care officially opened in Feb. 3. Since then, they’ve served over 65 families. It’s still a quiet month.

“We need the people to come in,” Miller said. “I still have a lot of products that I need to give out to the public.”

Hands to Care is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., but once a month, they have a day where they stay open late.

“People say, ‘I need you to stay open later because I’m at work and I can’t come in,” Miller said. “We’ll stay open from 3-7 p.m. so the people that are working can come in. We’ll have one Thursday or one day of each month.”

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can contact the office at (580) 699-3170.