Ripples of Hope is an annual fundraiser for Calm Waters Center for Children and Families. All proceeds will benefit Calm Waters programming, specifically Center-Based and School Support Groups. This breakfast event will include stories of hope and healing as well as fun raffles and contests.
In 1997, Shannon Hazen’s 8-year-old daughter Kirsten was abducted and murdered. For twenty years, Kirsten’s disappearance went unsolved, leaving her family distraught and without answers. In 2017, it was discovered that the family’s neighbor had killed young Kirsten.
Shannon has experienced a grief that no person should ever have to endure. She suffered through years of questions and desperation, before finding out the killer lived on her street all those years.
At Ripples of Hope, Shannon will share her story publicly for the first time. She will talk about grief, desperation and healing.
We are grateful to Shannon for sharing her story, and being a facilitator in our newest grief support group for those who have lost a loved one to homicide.
Joining us at Ripples of Hope is Oklahoma’s First Lady Sarah Stitt. As First Lady, Sarah is an advocate for mental health, utilizing her position to support those suffering from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
Sarah concentrates her efforts as First Lady on raising awareness of ACES, and working to connect state resources with nonprofits that are combatting ACES every day. Oklahoma is a generous and caring state, and Sarah firmly believes that there can be hope for a bright future for every Oklahoman.
We are honored for her to be part of Ripples of Hope, providing support for Oklahoma’s grieving families.
Emceeing Ripples of Hope is former Oklahoma Secretary of Human Services, Justin Brown. In June 2019, Governor J. Kevin Stitt appointed Justin B. Brown as Director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, the state’s largest agency by workforce. In March 2020, the governor additionally appointed Brown as Cabinet Secretary of Human Services, serving thirty-three agencies, boards and commissions in the human services space. In August of 2022, after more than three years of service, Brown stepped down from the first appointment as Agency Director, focusing exclusively on his role as Secretary. In July 2023, Brown stepped down from the role of Secretary of Human Services with confidence in the transition strategy and with a deep desire to continue human services transformation across America.
Proud Partner Agency of the United Way of Central Oklahoma.
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