Giving Gives Hope: Paying it 4Ward to a local bartender

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — “It makes you feel good.”

Karrie Bean of Oklahoma City talking about helping those who need a hand up in the city.  She does it through her group “Giving Gives Hope.”

Karrie says she started the charity about 11 years ago.

“I saw some homeless people and I had some extra stuff and I gave it away…and people joined me and then more people joined me,” she said.

Karrie gets most of her volunteers from the staff and customers from The Hideaway Lounge in Oklahoma City where she works as a bartender. The owner of The Hideaway, Jack Burch, says he has watched Karrie’s efforts grow and grow.

Paying it 4Ward to a local bus driver

“Last week we did veterans,” says Jack. “They do the homeless one time a month. They started off with 50 sandwiches, they are now doing 200. They are doing clothes, they are just doing the whole ball of wax for them.”

Because of all she does, Jack and his daughter Monica Ventura nominated Karrie for News 4 and First Fidelity Bank’s Pay It Forward award.

When First Fidelity’s Marcie McClendon gave Monica the $400 dollar she said to present to Karrie, Marcie said “We are so excited to hear all the wonderful things Kerri is doing for our community. Monica told us she couldn’t wait for us to meet Karrie.”

We surprised Karrie inside The Hideaway. She was shocked and thrilled and told us the $400 will go toward Giving Gives Hope’s mission of helping others.

Then it was hugs all around for the lady from the Hideaway Lounge who knows the meaning of paying it forward.

Pay it 4Ward is sponsored by First Fidelity Bank.

Nominate someone for Pay it 4Ward

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