09/12/2026
This is Rick. We gave him a mat woven out of plastic shopping bags that a local church brought us a few of. It takes the edge off of sleeping on concrete and he is so grateful. Rick is pretty regular at the Micah Center, and in this location where he seeks respite to sleep. We haven't seen him in over a week and I'm worried. Hopefully he in another safe place and will come back by soon to see us. We mentioned Rick in one of our recent newsletters, which I have included below. If you would like to receive a deeper ministry update once a month you can email [email protected].
72 years old and sleeping on the sidewalk
--Micah Newsletter, May 2026
Think of the seniors in your family — your parents, grandparents or neighbors over 55.
You likely know the challenges they face: chronic illness, difficulty moving and needing more help with daily tasks.
Our unhoused friends experience many of those same issues, too, with little or no access to medical care, and no one to assist when movement becomes difficult.
The number of unhoused individuals in Oklahoma City aged 65 and older increased by 35% over the previous year, according to the latest OKC Point in Time Count Report. One in five experiencing homelessness is at least 55 years old, part of an increasing national trend.
Each week at the Center, we see Gary, William, Howard, Mike, Shawn, Tracy, John, Mellanie, Eugene, Ryan and Jimmy, all over the age of 60.
There are others we see a little less often; we haven’t seen once-regular Talmadge or Glen in a while, and we wonder what that means.
Just in the last two weeks, new individuals include Randy, Rick, Charmon and Ray. And there are many more in the 50ish range. Everett is a disabled veteran, and Mike is a veteran with late-stage liver cancer, whom we were able to connect to veteran support services and housing.
One of the gentlemen on the list went through prostate cancer treatment last winter — while living in his car. One had a foot injury that required a slip-on shoe a size larger than the other foot. They struggle with Afib, diabetes and cataracts. Mellanie needs a walker most of the time. Few can eat easily because of missing teeth.
And then last week we met Rick.
Rick is 72 years old and his hands are curled in due to neuropathy. Needless to say, he struggles to care for himself. After a shower, we helped him put on clean socks. Because of swelling in his feet and legs, the best thing for him is to wear crew socks cut off about halfway up. We were out of crew socks the week before Rick came for the first time and had just gotten some more. Someone on the bus told him about the Micah Center; he sleeps on the sidewalk or on a bench if there is one. We aren't sure he can manage a tent.
The increase in our unhoused senior population should be a wake-up call for our community. More Oklahomans are reaching their "golden years" with nowhere to call home and no one to help manage their complex medical needs.
Micah Community Movement is stepping into that gap, but we cannot do it without your partnership. Your generosity allows us to provide the immediate relief and the long-term advocacy required to move friends like Mike and Everett from the sidewalk into a home. Please consider a gift today at www.mcmokc.org/donate to help us meet this rising need.
