Peaceful Family Oklahoma hosts events to help children of addiction “just be kids”

OKLAHOMA CITY – Nonprofit organization Peaceful Family Oklahoma announced Tuesday that its September 24th Golf Classic is sold out of teams at the acclaimed Oak Tree National. “As Oklahomans learn how much the drug and opioid epidemic is impacting our kids, they are stepping up to help change the ending for the 250,000 children impacted by family addiction in our state,” says Donny Hector, chair of the event. “We are excited to have our golf tournament sold out, but the 9th annual Gala held on Sunday evening, September 25 brings an opportunity for those who cannot join us on the course to still help children thrive.”

This year’s focus is on helping children to ‘just be kids,’ one of Peaceful Family Oklahoma’s most important values.

So many kids in Oklahoma face a big problem: when someone in their family has the disease of addiction. One out of every four kids in our state deals with this issue. Statistics paint a bleak picture, suggesting that these kids are bound for a life filled with negative outcomes. That is where Peaceful Family Oklahoma comes in. Through a combination of programming for children ages 4 to 18 and family supports, Peaceful Family Oklahoma intentionally provides care for children affected by a family member’s addiction while simultaneously providing necessary education to help those same children improve their chances of preventing addiction in their own life.

A child’s job is to be a kid. To have fun and enjoy simple joys. Playing helps them take a break from their problems and start to heal. When they laugh, play, and have worry-free moments, it shows them they deserve love, happiness, and a better life ahead. Our program helps create a better future by stopping the cycle of addiction that's been going on in their families.

“The work Peaceful Family does is critical in the world we live in today,” says Mandy Hansen, 2023 Gala Chair and Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director of MidFirst Private Bank. “PFO may be the small light of hope that a child or teen needs to see, beyond their current circumstances, which will allow them to set goals and realize there are options to be ‘different’ from what has been ‘normal’ during their lives. Everyone in our society is impacted (in some way) by the effects of drugs and alcohol, regardless of gender, race, or socioeconomic status. Helping our children learn to understand this, and how to manage it, is key to their future success, and ours, as a society.”

In summary, offering free services to children impacted by addiction is essential due to the stigma, shame, and secretive nature of the disease. It ensures accessibility, confidentiality, and helps combat the associated stigma, while also promoting equal access and breaking the cycle of addiction and poverty. Ultimately, free services provide a pathway for early intervention, support, and improved outcomes for these vulnerable children.

Our gala brings together community leaders and influencers with the common goal of bringing help, hope, and healing to Oklahoma’s children impacted by family addiction.

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities and the impact gifts can make, as well as to enter our golf cart giveaway, visit peacefulfamilyok.org. The Gala will be held at Oak Tree Golf and Country Club. Proceeds will provide vital support for children of addiction.

ABOUT PEACEFUL FAMILY OKLAHOMA: Breaking the cycle of addiction by providing an intensive play-based age-appropriate program for children ages 4-18, and a healing, supportive community for the entire family, Peaceful Family Oklahoma (formerly Peaceful Family Solutions), a 501(c)3 is the only organization in central Oklahoma that uses the US Department of Health’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s children of addiction curriculum. PFO executes this free, evidence-based education and prevention program with the generous support of private donors and sponsors. PFO is an affiliate of the National Association for Children of Addiction (NACoA) and a partner with the national organization Partnership to End Addiction. Nearly 500 children have graduated from the intensive PFO program since its inception in 2014 and 155 school children are currently enrolled. For more information visit peacefulfamilyok.org or call (405) 601-2691.