United Way of Rogers and Mayes County closes after 40 years of service

Pryor Ministries Reacts to United Way Closure

News On 6’s MaKayla Glenn spoke with one of the United Way’s former partner agencies, the Pryor Ministries Center, about how this closure will impact their operations.

Pryor Ministries Center: A Vital Resource for the Community

Pryor Ministries, a nonprofit based in Mayes County, has been serving the community since 2002. The organization provides essential services, including clothing, household items, and its largest outreach: food assistance. Angela Boi, the center's director, shared that the center serves around 100 people each week.

“We’re here if they need help with clothing or food or household items, and those types of things, we’re here to help if we have them,” Boi said.

Impact of Losing United Way Support

For the past 14 years, Pryor Ministries has relied on the support of United Way of Rogers and Mayes County, receiving approximately $10,000 annually, which accounts for about 12% of their operational budget. The news of United Way's closure left the organization devastated.

“I was kind of devastated because we’re going to have to make up that somewhere,” Boi said.

Challenges Ahead for Pryor Ministries

With the loss of this key funding source, Pryor Ministries faces significant challenges in continuing to provide vital services to the community. Boi says they would need to reach out to the community and apply for additional grants to keep operations running.

“We’re going to have to reach out to our friends within our community, as well as write more grants to get the necessary funding to buy everything we need to keep on operating,” Boi said.

United Way’s Statement and Future Plans

"Dear Friends and Supporters,

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of the United Way of Rogers and Mayes Counties, effective April 1, 2025. For the past 38 years, your generosity and commitment to our mission have allowed us to make a significant impact on our community. Your support through our campaigns and events has been invaluable, and we are deeply grateful for each donor, volunteer, and partner who has stood beside us.

As a smaller United Way agency, it has become increasingly difficult to raise the necessary funds to adequately support our partner agencies. Given these challenges, we have made the difficult decision to conclude our operations in Rogers, Mayes, and Delaware counties in our current capacity.

Moving forward, other Area United Ways will be assuming our area and will extend their campaign area into Rogers, Mayes and Delaware Counties. United Way Worldwide will be making that decision to be announced at a later date.

Additionally, our board is committed to fully funding all of our agencies, for the rest of 2025 and also 2026 to ensure this transition doesn’t have a negative impact on them or the services they provide. This is only possible because of your generous support for our agency.

While this marks the end of an era for our organization, it does not diminish the impact we have made together. Your dedication to improving lives has been the driving force behind our work, and we thank you for your unwavering support.

With gratitude,

Board of Directors for United Way of Rogers, Mayes, and Delaware Counties"

Pryor Ministries Still Awaiting Clarification on Funding

Despite the uncertainty, the United Way of Rogers and Mayes County has pledged to fully fund its partner agencies for the rest of this year and next year to ensure the transition doesn’t negatively impact their services. However, Pryor Ministries is still waiting to hear from United Way.

How You Can Help

For those looking to support or get involved, the community is encouraged to reach out directly to Pryor Ministries Center.