Homeless boys in Lawton to have place to call home

Beginning Sept. 1, homeless boys in Lawton will have a new place to call home.

Sanctuary 212 and MIGHT broke ground Thursday to convert the gym at the former Country Club Heights Elementary School, 714 SW 45th, into housing for homeless youth in Lawton. Officials said the work will begin as early as next week, with completion eyed for early September.

Employees of CDBL will convert the gym into bedrooms with bunk beds for a total of 12 boys, along with visitation, commons and counseling areas. Washers and dryers also will be available, along with a place to eat.

Backers are quick to say this isn’t a shelter, but a homeless home to house some of Lawton’s estimated 1,100 homeless youth.

The project is the vision of former Lawtonian Spencer Brown and MIGHT CEO Bernita Taylor.

Brown said he first became aware of Lawton’s homeless youth program when he was a student at Eisenhower High School and Cameron University, where he played baseball.

Brown said he often gave a ride home to a fellow teammate.

“Each time I took him home, I took him to a different house in a different part of town,” Brown said. “That was my first interaction with homeless youth.” Brown said in 2017, about 700 youths were considered homeless. That number is now estimated at 1,100.

Brown said as an 18-year-old, he went to his father, Mike Brown, for guidance. Brown said his organization, Sanctuary 212, was the recipient of a golf tournament held by Bridget and Irv Randle. Those fundraising efforts helped provide food and hygiene items for homeless youth. Washers and dryers were installed in the high schools so youths could do their laundry.

After seven years of fundraising, the McMahon S212 Guest House is on its way to becoming a reality.

Taylor said there is a great need in Lawton for this type of facility.

“These are kids, not bad kids, who just don’t have a place to stay for many reasons,” she said. “These kids want to go to school.”

Taylor said she met Mike Brown several years ago, and discussed the project with him.

“I told him we were going to make it happen. Today we celebrate making it happen,” she said.

Fundraising started with a $50,000, which provided bedding and other items. McMahon Foundation donated $500,000 and Arvest Bank provided other financial assistance.

“Thanks to McMahon, who believed in us, we will get this done,” Taylor said. “These kids will have a place to come to and adults to work with them to have a clear pathway to adulthood,” she said.

The project has not been smooth sailing. Several residents in the neighborhood where the former school is located protested the project. Residents voiced objections to not being part of the notification process when the rezoning application was considered by the City Planning Commission.

Other residents voiced concerns about the youths who will be housed there, increased traffic and other changes it will bring to their neighborhood.