Christmas came early for the children of Little Light House Tulsa. On Tuesday morning, the Christian-based nonprofit was one of 50 selected by T-Mobile’s Better Together giving program to receive $5,000 worth of toys.
Children, parents and teachers gathered inside the organization’s lobby at 5120 E. 36th St. to celebrate the donation. The donation, says events director Kyndall Parker, will help Little Light House in its mission to provide free therapy to special needs children ages zero to six.
“A lot of the time therapy is done through play,” Parker said. “A lot of what they’re donating today are play toys that we can use to help them learn different skills.”
The nonprofit’s free services include a development center providing a certified special education teacher, two associate teachers and a team of certified therapists. It also has a family learning center where children can enjoy several interactive activities like play time and Bible lessons.
Parker told The Eagle their typical donation is only $151, so to be given $5,000 worth of toys is huge for its mission. The donation went toward purchasing sensory toys, floor tiles, tents, agility ladders and other items for the organization.
“(Little Light House) is really a gem in the state of Oklahoma,” Micayla Carlson, retail area sales manager for UScellular that is now part of T-Mobile, said. “The families really, really need this support and they need these therapies. The world is not a cookie cutter place. It’s not one size fits all.”
The organization has demonstrated its value to Tulsa families, she added.
“Little Light House fills a gap in being able to provide services and a place that meets children where they’re at, where they can come and have fun while they’re learning and developing,” Carlson said. “It doesn’t have to be all frustration and tears for families and for their children.”
When Sara Hamlin’s 4-year-old son, who has Down syndrome, began attending Little Light House, he didn’t know how to walk. Two months after working with staff at the development center, he can now walk independently, Hamlin told The Eagle. His speech is also developing at a fast pace.
“It’s really incredible what this school does,” Hamlin said. “It’s such a special place. where our kids can just come and be kids.”
As the final toys were unloaded and kids prepared to shuffle back to their classrooms, the group came together one last time to shout one last message: “Merry Christmas.”
Ismael Lele is a Report for America corps member and writes about business in Tulsa for The Oklahoma Eagle. Your donation to match our Report for America grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting this link.
