Brutal ice storms in mid January brought down power lines across the state of Oklahoma, leaving an estimated 106,000 households without power. With more than 400,000 people without heat in the frigid temperatures, the governor called for a state of emergency.

Images from the ice storm...                     

“The ice was so heavy it snapped the power lines. It snapped the poles in two,” said Yvette Martin, executive director of the United Way of Southeastern Oklahoma. “The poles came down like dominos, so even the buried lines were affected.”

Martin said local nonprofits and others came together quickly to address the urgent needs of the community. Local utility companies worked with the United Way and others to determine which areas had lost power. Once they had determined how many people were without heat or light, Martin contacted Gifts In Kind International to see how they could help.

With most stores either closed or out of inventory “you couldn’t get batteries, you couldn’t get a lantern.
You couldn’t even get candles,” said Martin. Gifts In Kind International told Martin they would ship 6,000 lanterns for those in need.

In an area that is primarily rural, distributing the lanterns presented a logistical challenge for local volunteers. Reaching older residents and others who were not able to make it out on their own became a top priority. Representatives of the Choctaw Emergency Management Agency, part of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, went door-to-door to pass out the lanterns to those without power. In most of the rural neighborhoods, the lanterns and bottled water were made available through the local volunteer fire departments. Lanterns were also distributed to Choctaw community centers. Many residents spent 10 days or more without power. By the end of January, most of them had their power restored, said Martin. Nonprofits:  Find out how you can register to receive product donations through Gifts In Kind International. Photos courtesy of Yvette Martin, United Way of Southeastern Oklahoma.