We are Guiding Right
Helping Others Find Their Way
OUR MISSION
Guiding Right, Inc is a social justice-oriented, Black-focused, public health community-based organization whose mission is to improve access to healthcare, supportive services, and systems that improve the quality of life among Black and other marginalized populations in Oklahoma.
Our staff works tirelessly to increase the health awareness and education of our community while connecting our clients to helpful resources. Guiding Right’s Outreach efforts not only provide support to individuals and their families, but we strive to alleviate the inequality resulting from legacy socioeconomic problems.
Pictured: Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma
Our Vision
We envision a community where all people live with dignity and respect with equitable access to comprehensive services grounded in proven, evidence-based public policy.
We envision increasing the quality of life for all citizens of Oklahoma by offering opportunities for youth and adults to acquire knowledge of surviving beyond poverty and other socioeconomic circumstances.
Our daily efforts and programs will advance our mission and vision into fruition.
Guiding Right, Inc. is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization dedicated to the fight to reduce the rate of HIV/AIDS infection.
Guiding Right, Inc. (GRI) was incorporated in the State of Oklahoma in August of 1999. The inception of the organization came as a response from the Founder and CEO , Theodore Noel’s previous work with minority adolescent youth in afterschool programs who exhibited complex behavioral issues. Mr. Noel observed a great majority of the children being reared by grandparents and to his dismay, the reason was some of the parents were HIV positive or diagnosed with AIDS and could not take on sole responsibility to care for their children.
This brought to light a need for HIV/AIDS services in Oklahoma City to
provide culturally competent services and support for African Americans infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. In addition to this, HIV/AIDS is a highly stigmatized disease, especially within the African American community; therefore, acquiring the virus often produced feelings of fear, shame, and isolation.
Unfortunately, this continues to hinder so many who have been infected with or affected by the disease from accessing proper treatment and care and/or support services. Hence, the beginning of GRI, whose mission is to promote and provide culturally appropriate education and life skills training to persons of all ages to decrease social, economic, and health disparities including (HIV/AIDS) for high risk populations with special emphasis on women, African Americans and youth within the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and the Tulsa MSA.
ESSENCE OF OUR OUTREACH
Our Outreach Efforts will continue to be the motivating force of the staff’s community engagement. Our reputation is based on the concept that we meet our clients were they stand, literally.
Without judgement or precursor, Guiding Right often reaches those deemed hard to reach by traditional health care practices.
We know, for this effort, our clients appreciate us, and we enjoy assisting them. As Guiding Right, Inc. continues to have a vivid presence in Oklahoma; one of the basic organizational premises is to continue providing services that address the complex and unique issues of marginalized, underserved, and hard to reach populations.
SYSTEMIC CHANGE
It began with the desire to help.
Our mission and vision outline the goals of Guiding Right, Inc. However, with our growth, our goals have grown – to include a more encompassing approach of systemic change.
It will take being at the table to invite new ideas and create innovative approaches that we end minority health disparities.
Pictured:
Dr. Eugene McCray, CDC Dir of DHAP
Dr. Robert R. Redfield, CDC Director
