Hardesty Foundation Awards A New Leaf With $1 Million Toward Village Expansion
The Hardesty Family Foundation is contributing a $1 million donation to A New Leaf’s residential and vocational training program expansion, The Village. Mary Ogle, CEO of A New Leaf, Inc., says, “50 percent of those we serve do not have family support nor access to safe and affordable housing. Our expansion, The Village, is designed to offer safe and affordable housing while providing each client with a pathway to independence. The Hardesty Family Foundation desires to make Oklahoma a better place to live, which is why they are investing in our expansion. This donation will make a huge difference in the lives of the people we serve.”
This gift from the Hardesty Family Foundation will fund A New Leaf’s new headquarters in Owasso. The Hardesty Family Administration and Education Center will house intake rooms for clients, new job opportunities, and will be the central hub for all activities that take place on the property.
In December of 2017 A New Leaf announced plans of a major expansion to Owasso by building a safe and affordable residential neighborhood and vocational training programs for people with developmental disabilities and autism. This expansion will provide housing and support for individuals with developmental disabilities and autism to live and work independently. The expansion will also include an administration building, a two-acre farm, horticulture training center, and a Transition Academy. A New Leaf is currently in the fundraising phase of the expansion. This generous gift is a significant step toward making The Village possible for these vulnerable citizens.
The Hardesty Family Foundation, Inc. was established in December 2005, to benefit specific needs of the people of Tulsa and the surrounding areas. It is the pioneering spirit of both Roger and Donna Hardesty which led them to create The Hardesty Family Foundation, Inc. They believe strongly in the American Dream of hard work and tenacity. They like to support projects that share their belief system–“if you can dream, you can achieve.” As native Oklahomans, they feel an obligation to give back to the people of Oklahoma and to make the future a better place for all whom choose to call Oklahoma home.
The announcement was made Feb. 15 in the United States Aviation hangar at 4141 N. Memorial Dr. in Tulsa and featured multiple speakers with visuals that included development renderings of the expansion in Owasso.
A New Leaf, Inc. provides individuals with developmental disabilities and autism marketable job training in a horticulture environment, conducts community employment placement, develops youth through our school to work program, Autism Works! program, and safe and affordable residential services to increase independence and individual choices. Founded in 1979, A New Leaf, Inc. provides programming in a greenhouse environment serving as a vocational training center for adults with developmental disabilities. A New Leaf, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization funded by sales to the public, Tulsa Area United Way and private contributions. A New Leaf is located at 2306 S. 1st Place Broken Arrow, OK 74012.
March 2019
