Curbside Enterprises is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides income and employment opportunities to people struggling with homelessness and poverty in Oklahoma City.
Who We Are
Curbside Enterprises provides dignified income to people who often feel like they have no other options, enables people to end their homelessness through our employment and housing programs, works to put a face to the issue of homelessness, and empowers the community to play a role in solving the problem.
Our Mission
When co-founders Whitley O’Connor and Ranya Forgotson first started the Curbside Chronicle in 2013, there was a big question – is a street paper going to work in Oklahoma City like it does in other large cities around the world? It was a new concept here, and thankfully, our community has embraced it.
We have taken that momentum and used it to launch three other social enterprises – giving the community a tangible way to have positive interactions and financially support people working to end their homelessness.
After over a decade of incubation at the Homeless Alliance, Curbside is now officially its own 501c3 nonprofit. This transition has been nearly 13 years in the making. Since launching in 2013, Curbside has grown under the Homeless Alliance’s incubation, with the goal of one day standing on its own. That vision is now a reality. As both organizations have grown, this change allows each of us to focus more fully on our specific missions and better serve the community.
Our History
Curbside’s 2024 Impact
Provided income and employment opportunities to 454 unduplicated people
454 People
Helped 206 people gain or maintain their housing who were previously experiencing homelessness
206 People
73,100 Hours
Generated 73,100 hours of work for people transitioning out of homelessness
Put $1.023 million in income directly into the pockets of people in our programs
$1.023 Million
About our Clients
Curbside works with people struggling with homelessness and poverty in Oklahoma City. A majority of people we work with struggle with physical or mental health conditions, have a history of incarceration, have struggled with alcohol or drug use, have been victims of violence, and face many other obstacles. On average, they have experienced homelessness for 6.5 years. These challenges make it difficult to obtain and maintain employment which is why 82% of people we work with haven't been employed in 2 or more years and 25% haven't been employed in 10 or more years.
Nearly all of our clients (93%) work for Curbside to pay for necessary expenses (rent, bills, food, medicine), while 38% say they work for Curbside as harm reduction, i.e. to keep distracted from doing harmful things (like drinking, drugs). For more than half of our clients (52%) Curbside is their only source of income, while 39% say Curbside supplements their fixed income (i.e. Social Security, VA benefits because their fixed income isn’t enough) and 9% say Curbside supplements their income from another job.
Other information about our adult clients:
- 80% live with a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
- 33% have a learning, cognitive, or intellectual disability
- 32% were on an IEP or took special education classes in school
- 26% were in the child welfare/foster care system as a child
- 62% have struggled with alcohol or drug use
- 54% have been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking
Staff Leadership
Whitley O’Connor, co-founder and chief executive officer
Ranya Forgotson, co-founder and chief programs officer
Kinsey Crocker, chief operating officer
Emmy Hufnagel, development director
Hailey Drylie, Curbside Flowers manager
Jacob Danley, Curbside Apparel manager
Judith Cope, Sasquatch Shaved Ice manager
Masie Cully, vendor program director
Nathan Poppe, Curbside Chronicle editor
Pam Mulvaney, director of HR
Tiffany Burton, director of finance
Shane Wharton, board chair, president, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores
Debby Hampton, board vice chair, community volunteer
Jim Parrack, board secretary, senior vice president, Price Edwards
Heather Scott, board treasurer, consultant, Hamm Institute for American Energy
Teresa Rose, fund development chair, executive director, One Heartbeat Foundation
Brent Gooden, board member, co-founder, Gooden Group
David Rainbolt, board member, chairman, BancFirst
Luke Corbett, board member, retired, Kerr-McGee
Seth Paxton, board member, manager of government affairs, Paycom