Vernon, Wilbarger County nonprofits prepare for Texoma Gives

A single day of giving next week will put a regional spotlight on several Vernon and Wilbarger County nonprofit organizations whose work ranges from feeding homebound residents and serving children to preserving local history, helping victims of family violence and caring for abandoned animals.

Texoma Gives 2026 is set for Thursday, Sept. 3, as a 16-hour regional giving campaign. KFDX and KJTL have taken over the event this year, continuing a campaign that has generated roughly $13 million for area nonprofits during the past decade. Donations do not have to wait until Sept. 3 — the online nonprofit pages are already live and early giving is underway.

Among the Vernon and Wilbarger County organizations appearing in this year’s campaign materials are the Boys & Girls Club of Vernon, Vernon Meals on Wheels, Red River Valley Museum, Texoma Alliance to Stop Abuse, Wilbarger Humane Society and Vernon-Wilbarger County Crime Stoppers.

The Boys & Girls Club of Vernon is one of the largest local organizations participating. The club reported a 2024 membership of 1,510 children and average after-school attendance of more than 400 children a day. It serves Vernon as well as surrounding rural communities and describes itself as the only after-school youth development organization in Wilbarger County. Its programs include education, character and leadership development, health and life skills, arts, sports and fitness.

The club said more than 76% of its members come from households living at or below the poverty level. That makes private donations particularly important in maintaining programming during the hours between the end of the school day and when parents return from work.

At the other end of the age spectrum, Vernon Meals on Wheels provides one of the community’s most basic services — getting meals to elderly and disabled residents who may have difficulty preparing meals or leaving their homes.

Texoma Gives also provides an opportunity to support preservation of Wilbarger County’s history.

The Red River Valley Museum, located on the Vernon College campus, is participating in the Sept. 3 campaign and is promoting Texoma Gives on its own website. The museum’s mission is to preserve, protect and present the history and exhibits entrusted to it in an educational and entertaining manner.

Its collections range from prehistoric Wilbarger County and Native American artifacts to the Waggoner Ranch, regional art and the William A. Bond trophy and game collection. The museum traces its origins in part to the archaeological collection assembled by Vernon residents Ethel and J. Henry Ray, who accumulated more than 10,000 items before donating their collection in 1963.

Another Vernon-based participant deals with problems that are often much less visible.

Texoma Alliance to Stop Abuse works to combat family violence through outreach, victim services, batterer intervention and prevention efforts and a high-risk team. The Vernon-based nonprofit serves victims while also working on intervention designed to prevent future violence.

Animals are represented in the local campaign through the Wilbarger Humane Society, which has participated in Texoma Gives since the regional fundraising effort began in 2016.

The Humane Society said money raised through Texoma Gives and other donations helps it care for animals coming into the shelter, including animals seized in cruelty cases, abandoned animals requiring medical treatment and cats and dogs awaiting permanent homes. The organization also provides spay and neuter assistance and other animal services.

Vernon-Wilbarger County Crime Stoppers provides another way donations can be put to work locally. The program encourages residents to anonymously provide information that can help law enforcement solve crimes. Tipsters whose information leads to an arrest or felony grand jury indictment may qualify for a cash reward of up to $1,000. The organization says it depends on volunteer directors and tax-deductible contributions from the public to operate.

A regional nonprofit with a direct Vernon presence is also taking part. PETS Clinic operates a Vernon location in addition to clinics elsewhere in the region. The nonprofit provides lower-cost veterinary services including spaying and neutering, vaccinations, microchipping and preventive care, with a goal of reducing animal overpopulation and euthanasia.

The method for donating has changed this year. Instead of beginning at the former Texoma Gives website, KFDX General Manager Wayne Reed said donors should go to Texomashomepage.com and select the Texoma Gives banner. That opens an alphabetical list of participating nonprofits, with each organization linked to its own donation portal. Donors wanting to support more than one organization can return to the list and repeat the process.

The main Texoma Gives campaign will be Thursday, Sept. 3, but donations can already be made.

For Wilbarger County residents, the campaign means money contributed through a regional event can return almost immediately to work close to home — providing a meal, a safe place for a child after school, care for an abandoned animal, assistance for a victim of violence, preservation of local history or information that helps solve a crime.