Maudie Hirschi was a mother, grandmother and a long-time resident of Guthrie. She passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 96. It will be her legacy that has and will stay with children and families in need.
Maudie Hirschi Children’s Shelter in Guthrie.
Hirschi was concerned for families who were experiencing problems and leaving children in trouble when it came to temporary housing after the parents had become incarcerated. So in Nov. 1976 with the suggestion of her pastor (Dale DePue), Hirschi called a group meeting and later helped organized the non-profit group known as the Logan County Youth and Family Services.
Three needs were identified in that first meeting: a shelter for temporary housing, a drug abuse program and a parent training program to help parents deal with their children.
Three years later, the shelter held an open house in its first location inside the former Logan County Hospital. During the first three years, Hirschi never allowed anyone to give up on the shelter when at times it appeared it was becoming hopeless.
In 1983, the hospital was sold and the shelter moved into its current home, known as the Castle, located at 4710 S. Division.
The shelter was named in Maudie Hirschi’s honor in 2010.
The shelter is licensed by the Department of Human Services Office of Child Care and is also monitored by the Office of Juvenile Affairs. Priority admission is given to children whose residence is in Logan County. Referrals are accepted from the office of Juvenile Affairs, the Department of Human Services, and in some cases, from families in need of assistance.
Today, Maudie Hirschi Children’s Shelter is funded for 9 children and can house up to 11 children at a time. Between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014, the shelter served 122 children ages 2-17 and provided those children with a total of 2952 days of care, serving 13,386.25 meals and snacks. Many of the children stayed in excess of 45 days, many stayed much longer.
Logan County Youth and Family Services continues to grow and provides a full menu of services, including grandparents raising grandchildren, Smart Start and victims support services.
The mission of the shelter is to serve families and keep children as close to home as possible during times of trouble.
Exactly the vision Maudie Hirschi had over 38 years ago.
God Bless Maudie Hirschi….Rest in Peace