Bob Thompson Truly Has The Spirit of Texoma

BOB THOMPSON GETS GREAT PERSONAL SATISFACTION FROM GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
HE SAYS ALL NONPROFITS ARE IN NEED OF VOLUNTEERS, ESPECIALLY NOW WITH SO MANY PEOPLE IN NEED AND FROM STUFFING ENVELOPES TO ANSWERING PHONES THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO HELP.
  FOR HIS UNSELFISH SERVICE WE HONOR BOB THOMPSON AS THIS MONTH'S SPIRIT OF TEXOMA AWARD WINNER.
 BOB THOMPSON MAY BE RETIRED, BUT HE SHOWS NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN ANY TIME SOON.
  YOU CAN FIND HIM AT INTERFAITH MINISTRIES EVERY WEEK WITH A SMILE ON HIS FACE AND HANDS READY TO LIFT OTHERS UP.

Bob Thompson says, "This is our intake room where we see our clients, we call them in they come in and sit down."

 BOB IS PROUD OF THE SPACIOUS PRIVATE ROOMS INTERFAITH NOW OFFERS CLIENTS.

Thompson: "I think people feel when they walk in here a lot more of warm feeling than they did over at the other facility."

 YEARS AGO WHEN HE WAS PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD BOB RECOGNIZED THE AGENCY WAS OPERATING OUT OF EXTREMELY CRAMPED QUARTERS AND THAT EVENTUALLY LED TO THE  AGENCY PACKING UP...

Natural sound of Jean Payne packing boxes at old building.

 ...AND LAUNCHING  A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR A BETTER AND BIGGER HOME.

Thompson: "We found this facility, we had the capital fundraiser approx. 800,000 dollars is what we wanted, we came up with a million- one plus, so it was very, very successful."

 NOW THEY HAVE PLENTY OF ROOM, TO HELP EVEN MORE PEOPLE IN NEED.

Thompson: "This is our food pantry, we have three aisles here where we store all of our food, this is six to seven times larger than our pantry across the street."

Thompson: "Food I think is one of the number one things because if you don't eat then you don't get the nourishment, then you eventually fall into poor health, going to the doctor, you are getting prescriptions and one thing leads to another." 

 BOB SAYS STOCKING THESE INTERFAITH PANTRY SHELVES OR THOSE AT THE FOOD BANK, WHERE BOB VOLUNTEERS AS WELL,IS SO IMPORTANT SINCE MANY OF THE VICTIMS OF HUNGER ARE CHILDREN.

Thompson: "There are so many, you would never even imagine, you think oh well the government takes care of them, but they don't so the Food Bank has been great in establishing programs for these children and but there are a lot of adults who go without food too and that is something most of us, we have all had food, we have never struggled to have food."

 MOST HAVE ALSO NEVER WONDERED WHERE THEY WERE GOING SLEEP AT NIGHT OR STAY WARM IN THE WINTER... AND THEY MOTIVATED BOB AND OTHERS TO  RAISE OVER THREE MILLION DOLLARS TO BUILD FAITH REFUGE FOR WOMEN.
 SOON CREWS WERE HAMMERING AWAY AT A 24 THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT FACILITY THAT NOW HOUSES WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO WERE HOMELESS.
 FOLKS WHO HAVE FALLEN ON HARD TIMES...JUST LIKE MANY OF THE THOSE BOB SEES WEEKLY OVER AT INTERFAITH MINISTRIES...

Thompson: "A young lady came in last week, she had just been laid off from her job so where does she go?  You have a job you have an income you have rent, she has one child, she is divorced, no child support so what do you do."

 YOU DEPEND ON VOLUNTEERS JUST LIKE BOB...

Volunteers praying, "We thank you oh God for the volunteers who come here and are willing to give of their time."

 FOLKS WHO, FOR YEARS, HAVE GIVEN COUNTLESS HOURS TO TRY TO MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR OTHERS.

Thompson: "I enjoy seeing what has happened over these last ten years, not because of what I have done but because what a community of volunteers has accomplished." 

 A  COMMUNITY  MADE BETTER BY THE SPIRIT  OF TEXOMA THAT BOB AND ALL THOSE VOLUNTEERS SHARE, AND SPREAD.

Thompson: "I was born and raised here in Wichita Falls, went to school, so I am very dedicated to this community."

 BOB IS A MEMBER OF THE KIOWA KOOKS...WHO MAKE SOME OF THE BEST FRIES ACCORDING TO MSU ALUMNI.
 HE ALSO SPENDS TIME VOLUNTEERING FOR THE KEMP CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND THE  FORUM.
 OWENS AND BRUMLEY FUNERAL HOMES CONGRATULATE BOB ON HIS HONOR.
 IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS THE SPIRIT NOMINATE THEM NOW.