Oklahoma City Receives Failing Grade for Charitable Giving

By Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City has received an "F" for its holiday spirit. In this month's "Men's Health" magazine, the city ranked 94th in the top 100 cities for charitable donations.

Read the "Men's Health" article.

Yonkers, New York ranked 100. Madison, Wisconsin was ranked number 1. Tulsa ranked 74th, earning a "D+" score.

The magazine stated it factored in the number of donations citizens gave to Goodwill, the Salvation Army and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

To encourage its customers to bring in food for its food drive, Big Truck Tacos in Oklahoma City is giving free chips and dips to those who bring in six canned goods.

At the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, financial donations are down, and distribution for the first five months of FY10 is up 22 percent. To help out, Chesapeake Energy will match every gift donated to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma until December 31, up to $100,000. Food drives for the Food Bank are also being held at 989 KYIS radio, Cricket, AMF Bowling Centers and more.

The Salvation Army says its Red Kettle Campaign in Oklahoma City has collected $214,860.57 as of December 10. The goal is to raise $325,000.

"We're optimistic that the Oklahoma County community will help us reach this goal in order to provide vital services to clients throughout the winter months", said Heide Brandes, Salvation Army's Community Relations Director. "We still have more than 600 Angels on our Angel Tree that need to be adopted by the end of this weekend. We've moved a few thousand Angels already, but our hope is that every Angel gets adopted this year." 

Although the magazine doesn't factor in donations to churches, there is good and bad news.

"The number of donors this year are down by 10 percent, but the average gift given is more", said Timothy O'Conner, Director of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City's Catholic Charities.

At Feed the Children, an Oklahoma City-based organization, donations are "about the same as last year", says a spokesman.

The Oklahoma City chapter of the Marine's Toys for Tots Foundation says donations are down and requests are up.

"Donations are never where they should be, and this year is no different", said SSgt. Elijah Dixon "With the economy what it is, we are working long hours trying to put together fund raisers and maximize exposure out in town to get as much collected as we can."

Marines will be on site from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. December 12 and 13 at the following locations to accept toys and financial donations:

WALMART - I-35 and 15th Street in EDMOND

WALMART – Santa Fe Avenue and Danforth Road in Edmond

WALMART - 501 S.W. 19th Street in Moore

WALMART - 333 N Interstate Dr. in Norman

WALMART – Garth Brooks Boulevard in Yukon

WALMART - Mustang

WALMART - Shawnee

Sooner Mall Sears

The amount of online donations to charities were also looked at.