LAWTON – More than a dozen Lawton churches adopted nursing units during the holidays as a way to bring some joy to the overworked medical professionals as the COVID-19 pandemic spiraled out of control.
Hospital chaplain Paul Gore initiated the program and asked 14 churches throughout the community to help nurses with prayers, personalized cards and goodie bags. The response from the churches was overwhelming, he said.
“I sent out an email around Thanksgiving asking the churches for help and they took it from there with prayers and letters to the nurses through the Christmas holiday and even into this week,” Gore said.
Some churches went beyond that by purchasing snacks and restaurant and coffee shop gift cards. One church also donated blankets to the nurses.
“The nurses loved that,” Gore said. “They were so thankful for that gesture.”
The request for help gave the local churches the opportunity to expand their outreach program and “do something tangible.”
“During the holidays, it was a good opportunity to do something more specific. It brought extra attention to the work the nurses are doing. I know they (nurses) are thankful for what the churches have done as well,” Gore said.
Mike Keahbone, senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Lawton-Fort Sill, said church leaders wanted to participate in the program as soon they received Gore’s email request.
“We want to make sure our community knows we love them, and we know the nurses have been overrun with so many patients,” he said.
The church adopted 30 nurses from an emergency room unit and sent their names out to families within the congregation.
“We found out what they liked and filled up Christmas stockings with snacks, ChapStick and gift cards,” Keahbone said.
The goodies were delivered to the hospital and to some of the nurses directly.
“They (nurses) were so excited,” the pastor said. “We haven’t stopped praying for them, both as families and as a church. We will hold prayer meetings or gatherings at all the hospitals in town. We’ll gather in the parking lots and pray for these people.”
The good deeds for the nursing staffs won’t stop with the holidays. Church leaders are making tentative plans to provide meals for the adopted nursing units around Valentine’s Day, Keahbone said.
“Some of our members own restaurants in town and they’re planning to do meals for the nurses round the clock for a couple of days.
These nurses hardly have time for a snack,” he said. “Our members were so ready to help. It gave them great joy and great excitement. Our people wanted to do more, and I liked it because it was family involved. The children participated by writing notes and praying.”
The remaining churches that participated in the adoption program were First Baptist Church East, Elgin/Fletcher UMC, Dayspring Community, St. Paul’s United Methodist, Faith Bible, Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist, Calvary Baptist, Walters/Westwood Baptist, Carriage Hills Christian, Holy Cross Lutheran, First Baptist Church West, Westminster Presbyterian, Calvary Baptist – Lawton.
Numerous merchants and individuals also donated food to the nursing units, Gore said.