ABOUT US
The focus of Danielle's Place is to house, educate and provide for teenage girls between the ages of 16 and 18 who are currently living outside of their legal guardian's home or facing hardship in such an environment that prohibits the healthy development of the teenager.
The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness shows the Oklahoma Homelessness statistics are as follows; "Public school data reported to the U.S. Department of Education during the 2018-2019 school year shows that an estimated 23,372 public school students experienced homelessness over the course of the year. Of that total, 774 students were unsheltered, 1,668 were in shelters, 615 were in hotels/motels, and 20,315 were doubled up."
Youth who are concerned about where they will sleep, what they will eat, where they will find clean clothes, or if the person next to them can smell them are not worried about their grades or the test coming up on Friday. Some of these youths have no one to teach them to drive or to sign for a permit. Youth who are facing hardships will have to spend their 20's still trying to figure out the system. We are here to relieve some of these concerns so they can focus on bettering themselves. We want to teach them how to be a productive member of society and how to find value in self.
With the growth of this organization and the help from our community we hope to one day open a larger facility that will enable us to house both boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 18.
OUR TEAM
Ikeya Barker,
Founder and CEO
Ikeya Barker is a mother of 4 with a Bachelor's in Business Administration from Langston University. She currently works in the Sand Springs School District. She has served over 7 years in children's ministry, assisted in nonprofit startups, and takes pride in volunteering for community events. Danielle's Place is a seed of our vision to impact and empower our youth. She was a teen in need who found herself extremely grateful for
Jaxon Landrum,
Chair President
Jaxon Landrum is a native of northeastern Oklahoma and born in Bartlesville, OK. He is alumni of Nathan Hale High School and study Public Affairs Administration at the University of Oklahoma. As a youth, he served on the board of American Red Cross. Over the last fourteen years, he has worked at Enterprise Holdings in a leadership position.
Heather Smethers,
Vice Chair of the Board
Heather Smethers is a single mother of one child. Heather is a certified medical assistant for a total of 10 years and has worked in Pain Management for a total of 7 years as of 2022. Heather supports Danielle's Place because it stands for what she loves to do the most, help people. Heather wants to be a part of changing lives.
Heather Kitchen,
Secretary of the Board
Heather Kitchen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at OU Health Physicians and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. She has been practicing in the mental health field for many years and enjoys working with children and teens. Heather supports Danielle's Place because she believes that providing safety and hope to a child can change families for generations to come.
Matthias Kitchen,
Treasurer of the Board
Matthias Kitchen has a passion for equipping individuals to become self-sufficient, successful members of society who will go on to make positive contributions to our communities. Matthias has had the honor of serving the citizens of Oklahoma since 2007 in various public service roles. He currently holds a senior leadership position within an Oklahoma Works partner agency. He believes that investing in people, particularly the up-and-coming generations are the best investments we can make.