Hope Harbor

A Place of Healing for Hurting Children and Their Families

Hope Harbor’s purpose is to plant seeds of hope in each child and family we serve. Hope Harbor connects children and families to Christ and to a community that is dedicated to helping these children find true healing and hope for a brighter future.

Hope Harbor’s community is made up of people who support children spiritually, physically and financially. The community is larger than the staff that works directly with the families. It’s made up of many individuals and groups who are Seed Sowers. Each seed that is planted brings a child closer to the love of Christ and the peace and healing that only Christ can give.

"God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in times of trouble" -Psalm 46:1 

History: God’s care for children and families is evident throughout history. Hope Harbor’s history is marked by extraordinary generosity, volunteerism and connection to people willing to plant seeds of hope in the lives of children and families.
In 1947, a member of the North Main Church of Christ in Tulsa gave 26 acres of land west of Turley, Oklahoma to be used in establishing a children’s home. Countless hours were volunteered by many individuals to build a connection with the community and prepare Turley Children’s Home for service.

In 1979 the campus school began, which continues as an important part of Hope Harbor’s efforts. Today, the on-site academy is fully accredited by Christian Schools International and serves as a tool to help the residents stay current with their studies so they can integrate back into their school of choice after completing the program.

In 1994 God again blessed Hope Harbor through an individual’s donation of a 240-acre farm north of Claremore. The home moved from Turley to this new campus in 1995. Three Cottages, Mabee, Chapman, and Tucker were built to serve children and families impacted by trauma.

In 1999 the name of the home was formally changed to Hope Harbor to reflect its goal of restoring hope to young people whose lives had so often become hopeless.

In 2004, after a substantial fundraising campaign, the Sarkey’s Learning Center was built, in which Hope Harbor’s school, administration offices, kitchen, pantry, and recreation facilities are now housed.

In 2019, construction of Stumpff Cottage was complete. This cottage was designed to have separate rooms for each resident.

Today, Hope Harbor continues to plant seeds of hope for children and families. Rogers County Youth Services provides individual, group, and family counseling for the residents and their families at on campus. Hope Harbor works with kids from 7th - 12th grade as well as their families. As a result of God’s blessings and the efforts and generosity of so many, each of these young people is given the opportunity to experience God’s love and His plan for them.

Mission Statement
“To restore hope and equip children and families for lives of meaning and purpose”

Important things to remember when considering working at Hope Harbor:

1. We are a ministry.
2. The kids come first. Helping children heal is our top priority.
3. We are not here to “cure” kids but instead plant seeds of God’s hope in each child’s heart so that each see will, in time, bring about positive permanent life changes.
4. We need people who love kids and are willing to stick with these kids even through the hard things and treat them in the way Jesus would want us to treat them.

We have six components of our program, Residential Cottage Home Environments, Accredited On Site School, Counseling done by Rogers County Youth Services, Spiritual well-being, Family Healing and Community.