'People helped me' | Grassroots effort connects Bristow neighbors to resources

Mayor Kris Wyatt, and Bristow neighbor Sarah Emrich are trying to make their town better. Through different shared experiences they found something; people in town need help.

Some are afraid to ask for it, or in some cases, the help isn’t good enough. That’s what kickstarted “Bristow CARES”

If all goes to plan, Wyatt hopes, it will be, “more than just looking up numbers on the internet or hoping that you press 4 when you call the 1-800 number. If your need is a ‘specific’ there is a department and a person there who can address that,” Wyatt said.

CARES is the community alliance for resources, education and support.

Emrich is one of the people leading the charge.

“I lived in poverty for the majority of my starting adult life. So I just have a passion for helping people because people helped me,” Emrich said.

She hopes people like her will make the program more approachable.

“There’s not gonna be any stigma, any judgement from any of us,” Emrich said, “because we’ve all been in those shoes.”

CARES will help people with just about anything. Financial issues, diapers, counseling and drug addiction recovery.

Sources in Bristow tell 2 News there are drugs in town. Namely fentanyl being found on the streets.

All in all, Bristow leaders want people to seek help. That’s what Emrich did … for an important reason.

“Wanting to be able to provide for my son, so that he could grow up and see a hard-working parent that was able to do whatever they could to get by and succeed in life,” Emrich said.

If the program’s successful, Emrich hopes neighbors will pay it forward.

“We really just hope to grow and encourage everybody in the community to get the help that they need to get on their feet so that they can better take care of others in the community as well,” Emrich said.

CARES is hosting an event on July 28 inside the Chuck West Fieldhouse beginning at 2 p.m.

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