the OCP blog

"True kindness, compassion, and patience do not come from just thinking how it might feel to be hurt. Those who are truly kind are so not because of theory or ethics, but because they feel the suffering of others.” Paraphrase of Thich Nhat Hanh Dave Syfor, our...

Dear Friends of OCP, This month we close our fiscal year. We present a short annual report of accomplishments and finances. Please remember that this work is made possible by your generosity, support, prayers, and love. We are so appreciative because we are blessed...

  It’ll be Great!! One of my favorite teachers in high school was Mr. Hooker, our biology teacher. His class was never easy, but he always made it fun, and one of the things he always said to motivate us when faced with a tough challenge was, “it’ll be great!” My...

A Great Year at OCP Dear Friends of OCP, It has been an amazing first year for me as OCP’s new director. Ron Copeland has some very large shoes to fill, but staff, the Board, and our many volunteers and donors have continued to rally behind OCP...

Proverbs for the Next Kitchen Coordinator A tongue-in-cheek blog post by Randi B. Hagi The walk-in cooler and freezer are not your friends. They may seem like your friends, but do your friends make you regularly clean their rooms just to bring...

In Memory of Tom Dukes, Our Featured Volunteer of the Month “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame…” Romans...

We're Going Solar The premier issue of our time is climate change. New reports highlight the number of species dying, the number of children growing up breathing unhealthy air (94% globally), and the extreme warming and changes in Antarctica....

WRAP® Wellness Recovery Action Plan at OCP In April of this year, I was invited by a local non-profit, Strength in Peers, to attend a week long WRAP facilitation training. WRAP® is an acronym for Wellness Recovery Action Plan, a peer led...

In Memoriam: Teig Hogan & Tom Dukes Our community lost two beautiful souls this week. Teig Hogan and Thomas Dukes were community members, volunteers, and friends. “Dukes” was a faithful volunteer who could always be found in the...

Crap Happens: Some Thoughts on Suffering and Resilience My firstborn son, Ethan, would have turned 9-years-old on August 31st. He was diagnosed with a fatal birth defect at his 20-week prenatal check-up, and being assured that he was...