When it comes to helping the poor and needy, the mission of many churches and some government programs overlap.

In Oklahoma, state officials want to make it easier for the private sector and government agencies to maximize the benefits to the individuals they serve through better communication between the two entities.

The Oklahoma Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which will be housed within the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, represents the state’s effort to achieve that goal.

“This office is going to be a clearinghouse for churches and for organizations to connect (agencies) with those that need some help,” said Gov. Kevin Stitt. “It will also be a vehicle for all of our pro-family initiatives.”

The office has launched a dedicated webpage to provide resources and contact information for faith-based and community organizations across the state. This online hub will include links to the Be A Neighbor program’s data on key service pillars and offer pathways for organizations and individuals to participate in service efforts.

Associate Pastor Ian Brown of Life.Church in Shawnee was among those hailing the effort.

Due to a focus on serving others, Brown said 17 families in his church chose to serve as foster parents. Brown’s family was among them.

“One of the things that I learned as I went through that is not only did I need the support and care of my foster-care workers, I also needed my faith community, my church family, to come around me and support me,” Brown said. “And without both of those partnerships, we would not be as successful in (serving) the beauties, the babies, that were entrusted to us.”

Jeffrey Cartmell, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, said better communication and coordination between state government and faith-based entities could produce meaningful impact for countless Oklahomans.

“I’ve personally had the opportunity to see what happens when our faith-based partners, community organizations, and state government come together and work collaboratively in ways to help and serve those families and individuals that need it the most,” Cartmell said. “And really, it can be transformational—not just for the one child, not for the one parent, but for generations of that family to come.”

Andrea Stasyszen, the state liaison for the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, said the office provides “an amazing opportunity” for officials from a wide range of groups to work together. She said the office will “serve as a main point of contact for churches and faith-based organizations seeking to impact their local communities.”’

The office was created this year thanks to passage of House Bill 3840, by state Rep. Ajay Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, and state Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville.

Pittman noted there are 81 churches in her district.

“Today is a landmark, a moment, as we gather to announce the creation of the office of faith-based community initiatives under our Department of Human Services,” Pittman said. “This initiative is a result of a collective vision, and it’s one that recognizes the vital role of faith-based organizations that they play in uplifting and strengthening the communities that they serve.”

Stitt noted his father served as a pastor for 30 years in Norman.

“I know it’s the heart of a lot of the churches to see how they can get engaged, how they can help their community, how they can walk with people that are coming out of incarceration or diversion programs or how they can help people that are struggling with substance abuse, or widows,” Stitt said. “And that’s what churches do.”

He said the office will help connect churches and nonprofits with government agencies that provide services to many of the people churches are aiding, providing a force multiplier to those faith-based efforts.

“At the end of the day, it’s about neighbors walking with neighbors that are going to fix these problems,” Stitt said, “not another government program.”