Catholic Director Takes Reins at Center of Family Love

Less Than Healthy Bottom Line Greets
Jim O'Brien Who Accepts Challenge
of Restoring Vital Service to Fiscal Health

By Ray Dyer
The Sooner Catholic

OKARCHE — For the first time in its 25 year history the Center of Family Love has a director who is Catholic. Not only is Jim O’Brien a Catholic, he also has a solid background in accounting and finance as well as experience administering a non-profit organization. Considering the rather rocky financial picture he has inherited, O’Brien knows he will rely heavily on all three- his faith, expertise and experience- to help lift the home for developmentally handicapped adults out of its fiscal funk.

He also knows he will need your help- the Catholic people of Oklahoma.

The not-for-profit Center of Family Love was built in 1981 by the Knights of Columbus Foundation. Over the years the Knights have been a major supporter, raising millions of dollars and providing invaluable hours of volunteer service to the Center. But all of this generosity isn’t enough to  compensate for state and federal cuts to Medicare and Medicaid programs that help support organizations such as the Center of Family Love.

 O’Brien, who came on board in October, said  the cuts have trimmed a once $6 million annual budget by $1 million.

“We lost $1 million in revenue,” O’Brien said. “But We didn’t lose $1 million in expenses.”

Painful cuts have been made. Since O’Brien arrived he’s had to terminate 11 positions, 10 percent of the workforce. Because of attrition in other departments and a willingness to tackle other duties, only four of those 11 have actually been removed from the CFL payroll, said Rhonda Hardin. Employed at the Center for 14 years, Hardin said she has seen a marked jump in morale since O’Brien arrived. Besides being the first Catholic to lead the Center, he’s also the first executive director to actually live in Okarche. He and his wife moved to the small tradition-rich farming community on the Kingfisher-Canadian County line shortly after he was hired. The new director pokes his head into the Center at all hours of the day and is already on a first name basis with employees and residents. Hardin said the Center of Family Love has not had this kind of “open-door” leadership in quite some time.

Harold Wittrock, one of the early founders of the Center of Family Love, credited Hank Ross with helping to bring O’Brien and the Center of Family Love together. Wittrock, who served as interim director for two months before O’Brien arrived, said Ross, also a CFL board member, and O’Brien attended Holy Name of Jesus Church in Chickasha.

“Hank knew him in Chickasha and felt like he would be the right man,” said Wittrock. “With him on board I certainly think we’re on the right track. I feel better about this now than I have in quite some time.” Wittrock said he expects it will take O’Brien about a year to steer the Center of Family Love to calmer financial waters.

While in Chickasha, O’Brien served as executive director of a non-profit organization known as Special Young Adults. He was in that position for five years and before that served as director of a similar organization in Duncan. Before that he had been living in Texas and working for Halliburton. The energy giant then transferred him to Duncan. Soon after the move the bottom fell out of the energy sector and O’Brien along with 400 other Halliburton workers joined the ranks of the unemployed. Looking back, O’Brien said it was the best thing that ever happened to him, in terms of his career.

“I got involved with not-for-profits and working with and for people and I have loved it ever since,” he said.  

 O’Brien said having the Center of Family Love in Okarche has its positives and its negatives. The warm and generous way the community embraces the Center is certainly a positive, but because it’s a small town most of the employees must commute to work. That doesn’t pose a problem during the day, but finding health care professionals who are willing to work the second and third shift is a bit of a challenge.

Last fiscal year some $325,000 was paid to outside agencies for a variety of contracted services, including nursing. Overtime also topped the $300,000 mark during that same period.

To correct this, O’Brien said he has begun offering incentives to existing personnel who will work the second and third shifts. He’s also offering a $250 bonus to employees who recruit qualified workers to fill those shifts.

O’Brien is on a recruiting mission himself. He would love to have a group of retired people willing to tackle some of the maintenance chores at the Center.

“There is such a great work ethic in our retired people,” O’Brien said. “If any of them are  bored and have some skills we need them now.” He said the part time work could earn a person $10 an hour as well as much gratitude. “Send me a qualified heat and air man and we’ll put him to work immediately,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien said his focus will be on developing the Catholic way of stewardship- time, talent and treasure- to help correct the financial shortfall. He’ll be speaking to Knight Councils throughout the state and working to build partnerships with various agencies and organizations. He’s getting acquainted with the legislative leaders in the area and believes the Catholic community in Oklahoma will rally to the cause.

Hardin said there is a five-year waiting list to get into the Center of Family Love, something that speaks volumes about the kind of love and support the residents there receive and give.

Besides the Center in Okarche, which now features the Loosen Center, a home for geriatric residents, group homes are operated in Kingfisher and El Reno. A combination candy and gift shop, as well as a thrift store, employs several Center of Family Love residents who enjoy the independent living component the Center offers.