Tulsa Church Honored for Dignity-driven Christmas Outreach
Pictured: David Maddux, of Highland Park Christian Church, and James Whitford, Co-founder and CEO of True Charity
Highland Park Christian Church earns national award for transforming its Christmas outreach to honor dignity and empower families through participation.
TULSA, OK, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Highland Park Christian Church has been awarded the Waypoint Award by national nonprofit True Charity at its annual Summit conference, held April 9–11, 2025, in Huntsville, Alabama. The award recognizes a member organization of the True Charity Network that has made notable progress in advancing relational, empowering, and effective charitable practices.Among the over 230 True Charity Network organizations nationwide, Highland Park Christian Church stood out for its innovative transformation of a long-standing Christmas tradition—shifting from a handout model to one that prioritizes dignity and participation.
For years, the church hosted a traditional Christmas giveaway involving the entire congregation. But in 2024, a few volunteers and leaders proposed a change: launching a Christmas Market where parents could shop for their children’s gifts at deeply discounted prices. It was a bold shift, but the congregation rallied.
The new approach preserved the joy of gift-giving while honoring the dignity of families in need. The church’s food pantry volunteers led the effort, gaining support from the Elder Board and educating participants throughout the year. Even the traditional Thanksgiving basket giveaway was reimagined—requiring a small donation or volunteer effort in exchange, helping fund the Market.
The response was overwhelming. The Christmas Market served 30 families through a personalized, appointment-based system. The remaining items were donated to a local foster care worker to support children in crisis.
Highland Park’s story reflects the heart of the True Charity movement: replacing one-way charity with empowering solutions that promote agency, responsibility, and real connection.
For more information on True Charity, visit truecharity.us. To learn more about Highland Park Christian Church, visit hptulsa.com.
Sonya Stearns
True Charity
sonya@truecharity.us
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