Upward Transitions nonprofit celebrating a 'Centennial of Hope'

Yahoo

04-03-2025

Three identification cards helped save the day for one Oklahoma City family.
The father recently dropped by Perriann Pulliam's office to tell her how much the cards meant to him and his two children.
Pulliam, chief executive officer of Upward Transitions, said the man and his daughters had become homeless due to domestic violence and their identifying records had been destroyed by an abusive relative. Upward Transitions helped the single dad obtain an identification card which helped him get a job to support his family. Pulliam said the nonprofit helped him obtain identification cards for his children so that they could be enrolled in school.
This year, Upward Transitions is celebrating 100 years of serving the community, in what the nonprofit is calling a "Centennial of Hope."
Pulliam said the social service agency initially started in 1925 as the Travelers Aid Society, offering help to stranded travelers at the Sante Fe Train Station.
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"We started the social services as part of that, with mostly a volunteer staff during the Depression when people were struggling to make ends meet, so Travelers Aid was always a little bit more than just helping the stranded traveler," she said.
"It was helping families who didn't have enough to eat or were struggling to pay their bills, so we've been doing that work for a long time."
The organization eventually expanded its services to Union Railroad Station and the downtown Oklahoma City bus station in 1951. In 1973, the agency established an information booth at Will Rogers World Airport. In 1987, Travelers Aid Society began additional services to help individuals experiencing homelessness.
The agency's name change came in 2008 to reflect its mission to prevent poverty through community collaboration, emergency relief and empowerment, "therefore inspiring hope with our neighbors experiencing housing instability."
Pulliam said the organization has continued to man Travelers Aid booths at the airport, with about 35 loyal senior adult volunteers. She said Upward Transitions provides this service through a contract with the Oklahoma City Airport Trust.
The United Way partner agency's primary clients are individuals experiencing homelessness. Pulliam said it has become well known, particularly in the nonprofit community, for serving these individuals by helping purchase and obtain the documents needed to transform their lives for the better. Pulliam said documents like birth certifications and identification cards are crucial for accessing basics like housing and work but some people don't know how to obtain these important records or have the money to do so.
"The goal is to get that piece of identification and that could be ordering a birth certificate from another state, marriage license, divorce papers, adoption papers, so they then can get the state ID, bcause, as you can imagine, without a state ID, there's not much business you can conduct in this community or in this world these days," she said.
"That's a really important piece to escaping homelessness, is making sure people have identification."
Other community organizations like the Homeless Alliance, City Rescue Mission and the Diversion Hub refer individuals to the Upward Transitions office at 1134 W Main where they may receive aid, not just for documentation, but also utility and rent assistance to help avoid eviction.
In fiscal year 2024, the nonprofit assisted 4,025 people in 2,802 households including 1,084 children in Oklahoma County. About 70% of these households maintained stable housing with utilities connected for up to one year. During the same time period, the organization's Travelers Aid volunteers at the airport dedicated almost 6,400 hours to assisting 152,790 visitors.
The organization's funding comes through government contracts and grants, private foundations, the United Way, fundraisers and individuals donors. Pulliam said if she were going to share one of the agency's challenges it is funding, like many nonprofits.
However, she said the rewards for Upward Transitions' staff of 12 are many, and they come by continuing to serve the community and hearing from former clients who often return to share how their lives have been changed.
Upward Transitions recently received a commendation from Gov. Kevin Stitt in recognition of the nonprofit's 100 years of service to Oklahomans in the Oklahoma City metro are, "empowering and inspiring hope for individuals experiencing homelessness and those in need."
Pulliam said the agency was grateful and honored by the governor's commendation, and the organization has planned several events to commemorate its centennial throughout 2025.
The nonprofit's annual American Tourist fundraiser will be held in May at the Skirvin Hotel, with a 1925 theme inspired by the classic "The Great Gatsby." Pulliam said the organization will celebrate with its clients in October by hosting a food truck serving funnel cakes and taquitos outside its office building.
Pulliam said another celebration with clients will be a holiday gathering, also at the Upward Transitions office. Several open house events will be held throughout the year
One significant centennial development is a campaign to raise $100,000 for an Upward Transitions endowment that was established with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation in 1980.
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Meanwhile, Pulliam said she thinks the agency's longevity is the result of a series of forward-thinking board of directors who have served over the years.
"I also want to give credit to my predecessors because we've had some executive directors and CEOs who've really fought to make this organization relevant," she said.
"I personally am super excited that I get to head this organization and get to lead us into the next 100 years."
For more information about Upward Transitions and its donation needs list, or to donate to the nonprofit's endowment fund, go to http://www.UpwardTransitions.org.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Upward Transitions celebrates 'Centennial of Hope'