Labor of Love Charities - "Homeless, Not Hopeless"

I'm a firm believer in the fact that when things are meant to happen, they will. Sometimes it will happen so quickly it can make your head spin. For me, it's always meant that this is God's will. A good example of this recently occurred with my son, Anthony. He has always had a love for helping the homeless. Earlier this year, I blogged about the experience we shared in volunteering for "Hot Dogs for the Homeless" in downtown Oklahoma city. This small act of love has exploded into something wonderful which will benefit so many of the less fortunate in the months and years to come.

In a nutshell, Anthony decided to start helping the homeless in Shawnee, Oklahoma, where he currently attends college. He makes lunch for the homeless each Sunday and delivers it to them in the streets where they reside and started a non-profit organization called "Labor of Love Charities." He decided to take this a step further by checking out buildings for rent with the intent that he would turn this into a homeless shelter/resource center. One building of interest - a 1901 two-story hotel - was available for rent. Anthony contacted the owner of the hotel and told him of his plans for the building. The owner of the building happens to be a doctor in the area who also has a love for helping others. He decided to DONATE the building to Anthony's charity. In addition, the doctor and his wife (who is a nurse) have graciously offered to provide FREE medical care to the homeless who seek assistance through the Labor of Love Charities. They will be working hand-in-hand with Anthony in making this dream come true.

The doctor, a gentleman named Keith, is also quite the publicity man. He contacted the television show "Extreme Home Makeover" to see if they would possibly be interested in renovating this hotel/future shelter. The television show has since requested a video of the hotel. Please keep your fingers crossed! If the show decides to take on the task of renovating this hotel/shelter, it will mean that more of the charity's resources can be used to assist the homeless. I'll keep you posted!

The Shawnee News-Star wrote an article about Anthony's efforts which they have featured in both their online and print newspaper editions. Please feel free to check it out if you get a chance.