Oklahoma Disability Nonprofit Seeking Donations After Major Repairs

 A broken sewer line at the Oklahoma Foundation for the Disabled left the nonprofit unable to serve clients for nearly a week and strapped with thousands of dollars in unexpected repair costs.

Unforeseen maintenance issues are increasingly common for their 60-year-old building. In recent years, the nonprofit has been forced to put up an electric fence following a series of catalytic converter thefts.

Their latest challenge has put the organization around $25,000 in the hole between the cost of repairs and loss of revenue, according to Executive Director Steve Ross.

"They had to dig a giant hole, about four feet down, to get down to the existing pipe, cut it out and replace it," Ross said. "We were hoping we could maybe find a pot of gold underneath the dig there, but that did not happen."

Nearly 120 clients receive services from the foundation each week. The Department of Human Services pays for those who receive their services through the State of Oklahoma.

Ross has the help of 33 staff members, who depend on consistent paychecks for their own families.

"It's kind of hard to not pay them," he said. "So, $25,000 is the figure we arrived at as how much-lost income we had and expenses that we're going to have to dole out for being closed those days."

Ross has started a fundraiser to help recover from the expenses.