October 8, 2022 Issue, Page 10 of 12

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10 - The Elk City News News October 8, 2022 2022 - 2023-24 Fafsa Now A Tribute To OSR Available To Oklahoma Students And Retiring Chaplain, Completing the Free Application for Federal Ron Roskam some types of state and federal financial aid starting the FAFSA to speed up the application Student Aid (FAFSA) is your gateway to access are awarded to eligible students on a first- process. The U.S. Department of Education es- federal financial aid, including grants, schol- come, first-served basis,” said Chancellor Al- timates the form will take most families less arships, and work-study programs. If you are lison D. Garrett. “Students who complete the than one hour to complete. Something wonderful happened last night (9-30-22), and I had the privi- a high school senior or college student, it is FAFSA have access to numerous state and fed- Campus financial aid offices can confirm lege of being part of it! It was the occasion of the 21/22 Prison Volunteer important to submit your 2023-24 FAFSA as eral scholarships, grants, and work-study pro- school-specific deadlines and provide assis- Appreciation Banquet at the Oklahoma State Prison at Granite (OSR), soon as possible. grams.” tance to families during the application pro- combined with the retirement celebration for long-time chaplain, Pastor ‘The FAFSA is used to determine how much fi- You can complete the 2023-24 FAFSA online cess. There is no charge to complete or submit Ron Roskam. nancial aid you may be able to receive to help at StudentAid.gov. The online FAFSA features the FAFSA, so you should be wary of organiza- Jain for 36Roskam, Chaplain who also pastors a local church, has been aprison chap- pay for college. A completed FAFSA is also re- skip-logic technology that eliminates irrel- tions that charge a fee for these services. years, helping to rehabilitate literally thousands of inmates in quired for some state aid, including the Okla- evant questions based on your previous an- that time in a number of prisons, mostly in Oklahoma. “Chaplain Ron”, homa’s Promise scholarship and the Oklahoma swers, and you can choose to use the IRS Data ‘The Oklahoma College Assistance Program as he is affectionately called, is finally laying aside his extremely impor- Tuition Aid Grant program. Many students Retrieval Tool, which will automatically trans- (OCAP), an operating division of the Oklaho- tant services to spend more time with his wife and their 16 grand kids. underestimate their financial need or assume fer your 2021 tax return information to your ma State Regents for Higher Education, offers Last night was the first time I had met Chap. Ron (so I may not have all they won't qualify for financial aid, but every FAFSA. free FAFSA materials, tools and workshops to my facts straight!), but as I watched him and a couple of other volun- student should complete the FAFSA as soon as To complete and submit the FAFSA online, stu- support school- and campus-based FAFSA edu- teers pulling a catering-cart full of food, up that very steep flight of 10- possible after Oct. 1 of their senior year of high cation for families across the state. For more dents and one parent will each need to create a 12 stairs on a 2-wheel dolly into the old facility at Granite, built in 1909, school and every subsequent year that finan- information about the FAFSA process and to Federal Student Aid ID, which serves as your I knew he was a man of service! cial aid will be needed during college. access free educational resources, including electronic signature on the FAFSA and certain And we had a banquet! One that rivaled any I've ever attended in 50 “We encourage high school seniors and our student loan applications and allows you to tutorial videos in English and Spanish, vis years of Ministry! And my wife and I so much enjoyed the program af- current college students to complete the new access other federal student aid websites. It is OCAP's FAFSA completion website, startwith- terwards! For 2 % hours we were entertained by the Chaplain, inmates, FAFSA as soon as it becomes available, as beneficial for families to create FSA IDs before fafsa.org. and volunteers, some coming as far away as Edmond, OKC, and Guymon, Okla. These are part of the regular team that makes up the beauty of what happens every day at OSR. ue “Broke Portrays Sophisticated Sandi” We had a pretty program/table-mat printed, showing two speakers, spe- cial music, and prayers. There were actually at least 3 speakers - Chap. Roskam being one of them, with his inspiring story of how the eagle stirs up her nest (Deut. 32:11), which is the center-piece for Ron’s new book, happening to his company, comparing the way the eagle prepares her chicks to face the world by rid- by attempting to maintain the ing the winds of life - with what so many parents are either unwilling or same exclusive clientele, no unable to do for their kids. Then these young people end up in prison, matter what. where they have the choice of being “chickens, turkeys or eagles”! | Lt Column Sounds a lot like many of us... Isaw about a dozen of these “eagles” (inmate chapel clerks) serving us as believing something is wrong ministering angels (Heb. 1:14) last night: “Would you like sweet or un- with the real me. Hiding be- sweet tea; would you like brownies with nuts or without??” All of them. hind a personality we believe we had seen before in our 4-5 months volunteering at the prison. These a the world will like better. And guys are extra special — having been trained by Pastor Ron himself. No unfortunately, never realizing wonder there is so much peace at this facility! The new warden, Chris With Andy & Renie Bowman —_— that there is a third person, the real you, that no one ever gets Rankins, was there also; in 6 months he has made a very positive differ- ence at OSR. to meet. Not perfect, but cer- Saw a movie this summer. ing. But I do want to make an cles-In-Paris. tainly not garbage. You are the Every one of Roskam's 20+ volunteers received a reward, most of which Titled “Mrs. Harris Goes To observation. After seeing the My observation? Most of us are ‘you’ that our Creator wanted were made by artisan inmates: wooden plaques with metal crosses, built Paris.” If you have already seen movie, I came to the conclu- living a lie, and yet we can’t on the earth. With all your with nails and horse shoes, intricately crocheted flowers and flags, & this film, then you know its sion that this movie is truer to even see that we are living a lie. quirks, faults and weaknesses. beaded work. How awesome! So this is what “eagle-inmates” do when The lie? For some reason But also your strengths. doing time! premise. If not, then never fear, life than we realize. Even with (called low self-esteem) we Friends, putting on a false front Marilyn and I also serve as Chapel Volunteers at the North Fork Facility I don’t intend to spoil it for you its fluffy and shallow exterior live in fear that, “There are to cover the real you causes in Sayre. Those 15 years, plus the banquet after such a short time at by revealing the plot or the end- premise of Cinderella-Mira- some things that are not good a certain amount of stress. OSR, has taught me several lessons: All service for Jesus has its reward Hammon, OK about the real me.” And since Constantly having to live as a (Matt, chpt. 25); I am just a little cog in a big wheel; God can rehabili- FARM EQUIPMEN we live afraid that fact makes Person you are not - that is ex- tate anyone, no matter where you've been; you can always fly higher; Timed Online Only CSc de nN us unacceptable to this world, tremely hard. We need to drop and humility isthe name of the “game”. OSR is not playing around - the we try to pull a huge cover-up, the false belief, so we can drop staff, outside Volunteers, and eagle-inmates are making a difference in LOTS START CLOSING: 10:00am * Thurs, October 20 to hide that part of us. Because the cover mask, so the world the lives of lonely and needy men. Thank you, Chaplain Roskam and the we believe we are “less-than,” can see and accept the real per- Granite Facility Team! we try to show the world we are son that we are. Be you. Sincerely, Ertis & Marilyn Johnson Elk City “more-than.” And in reality, all we need to do is “just be me!” Folks, there was never a person born on this earth who is bet- ter than anyone else born on DRS promotes Disability this earth. A baby girl born with ‘* 1998 John Deere 8100 Tractor — 6,300 Hours * John Deere Field Cultivator a silver spoon in her mouth at birth is not worth more than the unwanted baby who was left in Employment Awareness * John Deere 450 Grain Drill Month in October a trash can. God created each * John Deere 450 Grain Drill INSPECTION DATES one of us as equal in His eyes. ‘+ John Deere 335 - 20’ Tandem Dise October And we need to view ourselves * John Deere Semimount Mow Board LOCATION: from His perspective — not that * Gooseneck Stock Trailer — 28° of the world. Sure would save OKLAHOMA CITY - October is government services.” geared to their specific needs and * Bush Whacker Batwing Mower a lot of heartache and wrong National Disability Employment “People with disabilities are the * Krause 4000 Chisel - 20° career goals. * Krause 15’ Chisel toads. ‘Awareness Month in recognition largest and most diverse minority A total of 956 of these jobseek- That movie has some pretty of the critical part workers with group, representing all abilities, * Krause Oneway Disc good examples of what I am disabilities play in a diverse and ages, races, ethnicities, religions ers become employed, earning * Garfield Dirt Mover ~ 12” saying. Take a close look at the productive workforce. and socio-economic backgrounds,” $25,397 in average annual wages * Westfield W 80 Grain Auger House of Fashion manager and ‘The 2022 NDEAM theme is “Dis- Fruendt added. “Oklahoma em- and paying $3, 810 in average an- © Wylie 500 Gallon Sprayer w/Honda his assistant, and you will see ability: Part of the Equity Equa- ployers realize they can't afford Motor nual taxes. * Richardson Sweep Plow people who believe, “There is tion.” to eliminate these qualified and Oklahoma Rehabilitation Services something unacceptable about More than 312,900 working-age dependable workers because some also served 3,211 participants me, so I will try to live exactly Oklahomans, ages 21 thru 64, or do tasks differently. Getting the through Transition and a Pre- Contact for more infor the opposite of that.” Examine 1444 percent of the population, job done right is what really mat- on Rick Miller 9 the life of the beautiful model, have disabilities, according to ters to employers.” Employment Transition Services WPSCHRADER eal Estate ‘Company ; versus what she really wants. U.S. Census’ 2019 American Com- ‘As part of the NDEAM celebra- grant partnerships with the Na- See the owner of the company munity Survey data compiled by tion, DRS’ Business Services tional Center for Disability Educa- 800-451-2709- www.SchraderAuction.com as he attempts to hide what is Cornell University’s Yang Tan In- Program will host “Ready,. Set, tion and Training at University of stitute. Hired!”, an innovative Career Oklahoma Outreach. The mutual Only 40 percent of Oklahomans Expo that connects hiring officials goals are to prepare and empower New Medical Clinic with disabilities, ages 21-64, were with job seekers with disabilities. youth with disabilities to transi- employed, compared to 79.2 per- ‘The free event is scheduled from 9 cent of persons without disabili- asm. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Octo- tion successfully to post-second- 1415 N Watts, Sayre OK ties, according to the same source. ber 6, in the Client Services Cen- ary education and employment. In a report about the impact of ter at Tulsa Technology Center's National Disability Employment critical labor shortages, the US. Lemley Memorial Campus at 3638 Awareness Month began in 1945, Chamber of Commerce states, S. Memorial Drive. when Congress enacted a law de- 580-928-2044 “In 2021, businesses added an DRS’ co-hosts are Green Country claring the first week in October unprecedented 3.8 million jobs. Workforce and Northeast Oklaho- “National Employ the Physically But at the same time, workforce ma Workforce and event sponsors Stephanie Robison NP participation remains below pre- are LABR, Amazon, Oklahoma Handicapped Week.” In 1962, the pandemic levels, meaning we have Manufacturing Alliance, Tulsa word “physically” was removed Dr. Mel Robis« 3.4 million fewer Americans work- Technology Center and ONE Gas. to acknowledge the employment ing today compared to February Job seekers with disabilities are needs and contributions of indi- Family Practice, Gerontology of 2020.” encouraged to register free of viduals with all types of disabili- “DRS Vocational Rehabilitation charge for the Expo at https:// ties, In 1988, Congress expanded and Services for the Blind and Vi- www.okdrs.gov/node/12061. sually Impaired offer employment ‘They are also welcome to walk up the week to a month and changed Weight Loss, Aesthetics programs that empower depend- without pre-registration on the the name to National Disability able, job-ready clients with dis- day of the event. Employment Awareness Month. abilities to step up and fill labor In 2021, DRS’ Vocational Rehabil- To find out more about employ- gaps Oklahoma,” Melinda Fru- itation and Services for the Blind ment services offered by Oklaho- endt, executive director at Okla- and Visually Impaired helped ma Department of Rehabilitation homa Department of Rehabilita- 10,529jobseekers with disabilities Services, Vocational Rehabilita- tion Services, said. “When that with career counseling, vocational happens, DRS clients become self- education and training, medical tion and Services for the Blind and sufficient, taxpaying citizens who services required to become em- Visually Impaired, email infoeok- reduce or eliminate their need for ployed, and assistive technology drs.gov or phone 800-845-8476.