Rural Kansans know one thing for certain — getting into a bind out here means it could take minutes or hours before help comes along. You could be sitting on the side of the road for some time, looking for shapes in the clouds to pass the time waiting for a helping hand, or your neighbor could pull up in your hour of need, just when you least expect it, happy to help. Because that’s what neighbors do, they help.
But what about when the issue is heavier than just a flat tire or a broken fence? What if the help you need has a deeper impact? More personal? That is the type of help Pheasant Heaven Charities, Inc. (PHCI) steps in to provide not only to neighbors but to any resident within southwest Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle.
Started in 2004 as a simple calf fry for out-of-town hunters by a group of community members, the cause has grown into an organization with a desire to ease the financial burdens of those facing “catastrophic medical challenges, including cancer patients and those struggling with life’s toughest hardships.” PHCI has extended charity to those in need in a way that only a neighbor can. To date, the charity has raised over $6 million and donated more than $5 million back into the communities it serves.
“Pheasant Heaven Charities is about the people we can help,” said Adam Gerrond, PHCI board member. “We see it as our job to raise the funds to help the communities and then allow the committees to decide how to help those who need it.”
Committees of volunteers from counties in PHCI’s service territory review applications based on need to determine what type of assistance is needed and how to best provide it. The organization operates through two primary outreach arms: Benevolent Assistance and Love From Above.
Benevolent Assistance
An elementary student in need of dental surgery, a family passing through town in need of a car seat after a car accident — these are the needs for Benevolent Funds that PHCI sees. The Benevolent Fund supports individuals and families facing hardships or illness of any kind.
“The requests we receive are not always from the ones who need it,” said Adriana Alfaro, PHCI administrative assistant. “A lot of the time requests will come from school counselors, church, neighbors and friends.”
PHCI also supplies the hospitals in Hugoton and Satanta with $250 gift cards and “go packs” given to patients and their families in the event of an emergency, such as an airlift.
“When someone is being airlifted, you’re going right that minute,” said Greg Stopple, PHCI board president. “You don’t have time to go home and pack. The ‘go packs’ provide essential items, like toiletries that you’ll need when you get wherever you’re going.”
Love From Above
Established in 2015, PHCI’s Love from Above committee provides support to individuals battling cancer by assisting with travel and hotel expenses, mortgage/rent payments, utility bills, and other essential living expenses.
“A cancer diagnosis is heavy and scary,” said Stoppel. “It often spurs many questions and concerns on what it could mean financially for the person and family. Love from Above looks to take some of the burden off of these individuals so that they can focus on their fight.”
Hugoton school teacher, Macayla Rome experienced firsthand how PHCI is able to jump in and offer support to cancer patients after her 2019 diagnosis of Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
“The committee stepped up and asked ‘What can we do to help you?’” Macayla said. “They were able to take the burden of worrying about my car payment off of me and helped organize a T-shirt fundraiser; they provided gift cards to help me pay for gas while traveling back and forth from Wichita. It all gave me one less thing to worry about.”
In addition to helping ease the financial strain associated with a life-altering diagnosis, PHCI provides supplies that one might need during their battle with cancer. “Chemo Care Bags” include items like a planner to help organize appointments, a blanket, water bottle and more basic care items.
Offering a Helping Hand
PHCI offers several ways for individuals to get involved in its mission. Charitable donations can be made at www.pheasantheavencharities.com or designated as a memorial through the Departed Friends Fund.
“No amount is too small,” said Matt Rome, PHCI treasurer. “Any money donated goes directly back into the communities of southwest Kansas.”
For those wishing to play a more active role, the organization also welcomes volunteers to help during its events.
“Volunteers are always appreciated,” said Alfaro. “We often see someone who we’ve helped in the past come back to help volunteer time at our events.”
PHCI also hosts several events throughout the year, including two upcoming golf tournaments in July, and the Annual Calf Fry in November, which takes place on the night before the opening day of pheasant season — an event that draws people from all over southwest Kansas, Oklahoma and beyond.
Valued Partnerships
PHCI also offers businesses and individuals the opportunity to become a partner. Partners contribute $1,000 per year, generating the funds necessary for PHCI to continue its mission.
“Pheasant Heaven Charities is entirely community-supported,” said Stoppel. “We could not do it without our partners. As a board, our responsibility is then to distribute that money in a very respectful and beneficial way.”
The organization currently has 245 partners, including individuals, groups and businesses. Partner contributions form the backbone of the organization.
“We use those partnership dollars to put on our various events and turn that $1,000 contribution into $1,500 that we can then give back to someone in need,” said Gerrond.
From a small calf fry among friends to a nonprofit that has raised millions and impacted thousands, PHCI continues to grow, without losing sight of its original purpose.
“When someone in this region faces cancer, illness or hardship — this community responds,” Rome said.
The help that PHCI offers can’t be condensed into an hour, a day, or even a weekend’s worth of “neighborly help.” The charity’s impact goes much further. It spans miles and lifetimes, extending help in a way that few know is even needed until faced with a situation that demands it. Extending that helping hand, supporting communities, being that neighbor — is the mission they continue to pursue.