Jon Maust

Jon Maust is not a household name to most people, but to the homeless population in Tulsa, Oklahoma it is a name that means more than any of us could ever think or imagine.  In 2000, Jon left the Dallas area  where he was raised and went to college in Tulsa.  After a few years, marriage and beginning a family, he felt called to make Tulsa his home and begin a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization: City of Hope Outreach, Inc. whose mission is to minister to and reintegrate the underserved homeless population of Tulsa into mainstream society.  Jon and his family, along with many volunteers, spend countless hours day in and day out making sure that homeless men, women, and children have clothes on their backs and shoes on their feet.  They sift through thousands of donations every day and search the streets for someone who may need a coat, clothing, hygiene products, or other essential items, while also providing meals and various means of rudimentary shelter from the weather in the cold winter.  They also provide portable showers and clean drinking water in the summer to try to help keep the heat at bay in the hot summer.  All of this, and to also nourish their souls, regardless of what led to their homelessness, through partnerships with local churches.  Another part of the mission is to help get them back on their feet, rehabilitated (if necessary), job placement (including securing key personal documents which are necessary to apply for a job), and even helping them find housing, furniture, transportation, and more.  I could go on and never even begin to cover the myriad of things that City of Hope Outreach (#Hopeforthe918) is doing in Tulsa, because of one man’s heart and burden for those that most people would drive past and not give a second thought.  


At this point in time, though, Jon is the one needing a hand.  You see, no one knew until a little over a year ago that Jon was born with a birth defect that has severely affected his spine.  A back specialist in TX who agreed to look at Jon's back was amazed at how damaged it is because of a form of Spina bifida and other complications that affect every aspect of his life from simply being able to walk or trying to even get comfortable enough to sleep for a short period of time off and on through the night.  At this rate, he may be permanently in a wheelchair in the not so near future, but this still does not stop him from showing the love of Christ to those on the streets.  Jon is in desperate need of major surgery, but the cost involved is astronomical.  His income is, like many of us in 2020, limited, and the cost of the surgeries is unaffordable.  We are hoping to raise enough money for Jon to have the surgical procedures he desperately needs, along with any medical equipment that will help him in his daily activities. Please consider giving to someone who never thinks twice about even giving the shoes off his own feet to someone else for that person to have what they need, even if he must go without himself.