St. Paul’s Holdenville Rallies Community to Bridge Gaps in Health Care and School Preparedness
Rural America is currently facing significant economic and healthcare challenges. About 60% of medically underserved areas in the United States are located in rural regions, according to data from Health Resources and Services Administration.
In Holdenville, Oklahoma, the poverty rates hover between 20% and 26%, according to the US Census. Approximately 90% of the total enrolled Holdenville students in grades 1 through 12 are considered economically disadvantaged. 6.2% of these students are considered living in a "homeless" environment, either with friends or family temporarily. Only 49% of Holdenville students begin the school year fully prepared—far below the state average. Preparation includes having the tools to function academically. Preparation also includes health, wellness, education, and, most importantly, the awareness that their community desires to prepare them for school.
In 2022, with just two remaining parishioners, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the Episcopal Church in Holdenville faced a harsh reality: Could they reverse their decline and not just survive, but thrive?
Remarkably, they did just that.
St. Paul’s became the fastest-growing congregation per capita in the Diocese of Oklahoma. They didn’t give up on their church or their town. More importantly, they believed God hadn’t given up either. Since then, St. Paul’s has been actively serving Holdenville, spreading the good news and extending a compassionate hand to anyone willing to receive it.
This July, they hosted a Back-to-School and Multi-Generational Health Fair, not just for students, but for anyone in need. They received a large Diocesan Vitality grant through the Vitality Granting Program offered by the Diocese of Oklahoma.
They offered:
Wellness check-ups in partnership with local clinics
Immunizations provided by Hughes County Health Department
Vision screenings
Free haircuts
Backpacks filled with school supplies
Gently loved back-to-school clothing
Food trucks, lemonade, and more
All of this was made possible by collaboration with the local school district and a network of generous community providers.
Planning for the fair began in May, when parishioners started meeting regularly to organize the event. After consulting with the Superintendent of Holdenville Schools, they chose July 31st as the event date.
Each week from May through July, the parishioner team met and called providers to secure support. Gradually, help arrived: the local hospital, the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Medicaid Providers, and Mid-level providers got involved. By July 31st, when the fair began, they had enlisted a total of 18 providers.
The goal was to have 200 children attend the fair and be seen by a provider, either for a sports physical or a comprehensive head-to-toe physical. Once the child received a wellness exam, they were then eligible to receive a free backpack with supplies. And then they were free to enjoy what else the fair had to offer, like haircuts or vision exams.
On July 31st, 125 Holdenville students received wellness exams and additional services at the fair. Julie Carr, parishioner and lead organizer, described the day: “We were slammed, it was a huge, monstrous success. The community of Holdenville was overwhelmed by the success of the event. They couldn't believe a small little church did it, and they couldn't believe it actually happened.”
Holdenville educators observed improvements in students who attended the health fair.
An elementary principal reported that students were the healthiest and most prepared for school than in previous years, attributing this to the health fair.
A school nurse observed that the fair reached every at-risk student she was concerned about.
The impact felt by the educators was a hope and an intentional goal set by St. Paul’s. Julie Carr shared, “We were concerned about those kids who have no water in their home, no electricity in their home, those whose families hadn't considered immunizations or been seen by a provider in many years. And those are the ones who showed up. And that for us is a praise God, because that is what this fair was about, saturating a very poor community with the best we could provide them.”
The free haircuts were a very popular offering at the fair. Eight local beauticians and hair stylists offered their time and provided free haircuts to the community. The haircuts were so popular that they had to bring out chairs for people to sit in while they waited in line.
Vicar of St. Paul’s, The Rev. Cyntha Gilks-Ayres shared that the highlight of the day for her was the free haircuts. “The highlight of the event for me was the haircuts, watching those little kids come out and rubbing their heads with excitement, just so happy. It was really a delight to see how happy they were to have their hair cut.”
Planning the fair was not an easy journey. The backpacks they offered each child blew a large portion of their budget. But once again, the community stepped up. The local banks in town donated pens, home health agencies donated pencil bags, and local Principals shared their lists of essential supplies. They ordered 200 backpacks and stuffed them with hand sanitizer, tissues, pencils, pens, crayons, and much more.
The Rev. Cyntha recalled a turning point: “We were just absolutely ready to pull our hair out at one of our meetings at the church. I looked over and saw one of our members silently praying in the sanctuary, and I thought Oh my gosh, this is just great, and after that, things just started to fall into place.”
Julie added, “We didn't know how we were going to pay for everything; it was just a step of faith every day that it would hopefully come together.”
The key to the event's success was the community collaboration St. Paul’s pulled together. The local Nazarene Pastor blessed the backpacks, and several Methodists and Catholics also showed up to volunteer. People called daily asking how they could help.
So, how can a small rural church achieve this?
Julie shared St. Paul’s philosophy, “It’s not about putting up a neon sign saying, ‘Come to St. Paul’s.’ It’s about being visible, it's that we are human beings, being seen doing good things for our community.” “Honestly, I don’t think we care if we gain more membership, because we are still doing the good work God calls us to by incorporating our community.”
The Rev. Cyntha had this advice for other churches: “The key is to know your community and know its needs.”
St. Paul’s shows strong community presence and collaboration. These are key signs of Congregational Vitality. They serve beyond their walls, partner with others, and work for the common good. St. Paul’s is proof that the Church still has a vital role in rural America.
