John 3:16 Mission’s new women’s center opens in west Tulsa

TULSA, Okla. — John 3:16 Mission celebrated their opening of a new women’s center on Tuesday at the official ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Hardesty Women’s Renew Building is a part of the $10 million expansion to The Refuge, John 3:16 Mission’s facility on North 39th West Avenue in west Tulsa.

The facility can accommodate up to 28 women at a time within its 11,500 square feet. The center will be used to help women who are at-risk or have experienced homelessness.

“John 3:16 Mission is looking forward to utilizing the Hardesty Renew Building to serve homeless and housing insecure women in the Tulsa community,” said Reverend Steven M. Whitaker, Deputy CEO and Vice President of John 3:16 Mission. “This facility has been custom built to house our residential and day programs. The building allows us to holistically address the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of each woman.”

Rev. Whitaker said it’s the first time they’ve had a facility just for women and that it’s vitally important.

“Women often times have been trafficked, women often times have been with someone who’s abusive, they’ve been beaten and they’ve run to the streets and hidden on the streets in some place,” he said.

“Those are just a few of the things that we’re dealing with on a daily basis,” he also said.

This new facility sits adjacent to the Mission’s administrative building that holds the women’s recovery and day programs.

A program that will allow women to get access to therapy and help getting a job will be held at the building.

Megan Thomson is the director of Women’s Programing. She said there will be recovery coaches and licensed therapists.

“We’re not just saying, ‘Hey here’s the tools go and try them out and figure it out,’ it’s, ‘Hey we’re coming along side of you to change your life with you as you guide and lead what you want that to look like’,” Thomson said.

Rev. Whitaker said the building will be life saving.

“I know it will save some lives, violence against women in our city is on the rise and unconscionable, something must be done about it, that’s what this building is for, the Hardesty Renew Building will save lives for women that are on the run from their abuser, from their pimp, from those that have been trafficking them, from those that would do them harm. For a person that’s just not in a good place mentally, it will save their lives,” he said.

John 3:16 Mission was founded in 1952 to serve those experiencing homelessness within the Tulsa community. The Mission provides shelter and meals to those in need.

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John 3:16 Mission’s new women’s center opens in west Tulsa

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