I was asked to join the Oklahoma Bar Foundation by a partner in my firm who was vacating her position as a Trustee. Admittedly, I only agreed to please a partner and quietly wondered how I would juggle my billable hour requirement and yet another outside obligation. On top of that, I was agreeing to join an organization I had never heard of and certainly had no concept of its purpose. Despite my self-loathing, seven years later, I can tell you it has been one of the more satisfying adventures I have taken both professionally and personally – mostly personally.

So what have I learned to change my perception of the OBF? I have learned it provides hope and change to Oklahomans in need, from Altus to Tulsa, Guymon to Hugo and everywhere in between. I have seen hope on the faces of grantees seeking grants to provide drug treatment services, shelter for victims of domestic violence and child abuse as well as legal services to immigrants seeking asylum from war-torn countries. I have seen change in the firsthand stories of Oklahomans who survived sex trafficking, escaped abusive relationships or kept their home and family together through services provided by nonprofit organizations the OBF proudly supports. The OBF provides hope and change daily by staying the course of its mission to enrich lives, eliminate obstacles and ensure justice by partnering with our community through law-related grants and philanthropy.

My goal for 2024 is to continue to shed light on the mission and good deeds of the OBF with the hope that just as my perception of the OBF has changed, so too will yours. The truth is, the OBF needs every one of you. Whether you support it through financial donations or by identifying needs in your local communities, any support you are willing to provide allows us to help others through legal services. Every time a grantee speaks of hope and change, it is because of the donations you have made.

The Oklahoma Bar Foundation is an organization worth proudly supporting, and I hope you will continue to do so in 2024 and the years to come.

Mr. Hutson is a shareholder and director in Crowe & Dunlevy’s Oklahoma City office and serves as the 2024 OBF president.