Under the Bridge Every Thursday: The City Lights Story That Changed How I See My City

Community Spotlight: City Lights Foundation of Oklahoma | Night Light Tulsa

In 2018, Tyler and I started serving together at Night Light Tulsa.

Every Thursday night. Under the bridge. Standing in line together, serving people who had nowhere else to go, learning their names, listening to their stories. Tyler and I did that together. Side by side.

That memory goes with me every single Thursday that I go back now.

I am writing this blog because City Lights Foundation of Oklahoma deserves to be known by every person in this city. And because the work they do under that bridge is directly connected to everything I believe about home, about dignity, and about what it means to show up for people who have been forgotten.

How Night Light Tulsa Started: One Woman, One Bridge, One Question

In September 2013, a woman named Sarah Grounds showed up under the Interstate 244 bridge at Maybelle Avenue and Reconciliation Way in downtown Tulsa with a simple idea: what if we just showed up for people experiencing homelessness and treated them like friends and neighbors instead of clients?

The first Night Light Tulsa was not what she had hoped. Almost nobody came to her. She had to walk around asking people one by one if they would like to have their feet washed.

Nobody was coming up. I even had to go around asking people, would you like to have your feet washed?

That was the beginning.

Today, Night Light Tulsa draws 300 to 350 guests every single Thursday evening and up to 100 volunteers who give their Thursday nights to stand alongside people experiencing homelessness in our city. What Sarah Grounds started with almost nobody has become one of the most consistent, meaningful community programs Tulsa has ever seen.

What is Night Light Tulsa and how does it work?

Night Light Tulsa is a weekly outdoor community event run by City Lights Foundation of Oklahoma under the I-244 bridge at Maybelle Avenue and Reconciliation Way in downtown Tulsa. It takes place every Thursday evening from 6:30pm to 9:30pm and is open to anyone experiencing homelessness or need. Volunteers provide hot meals, clothing, and a range of services while sitting alongside guests as friends and neighbors rather than serving them as clients from a distance. The event draws an average of 300 to 350 guests per week and up to 100 volunteers, and it operates on the founding belief of City Lights Foundation that every person has value and should be treated with dignity. Individuals and groups of fewer than 10 can show up any Thursday without prior registration. Groups of 10 or more should email [email protected] to schedule. Volunteers should arrive at 6:15pm for setup and be present at the 6:30pm orientation before serving begins at 7pm.

For full details visit https://www.citylightsok.org/night-light-tulsa.

Why This Is Personal: Tyler and the Thursday Nights We Shared

Tyler Glenn Beatty was my son, my soulmate, and my best friend.

In 2018 we started going to Night Light Tulsa together. Tyler had a heart for people who were overlooked. He believed, the way City Lights founder Sarah Grounds believes, that everybody has something to give and that the people standing in line at that bridge had just as much dignity and value as anyone on the other side of the serving table.

We stood in that line together. We served together. We drove home together talking about the people we had met and the stories we had heard. Those Thursday nights were some of the most alive I have ever felt, because there is something that happens when you step out of your comfort zone and into genuine connection with another human being that cannot be replicated anywhere else.

Tyler passed away on October 23, 2019.

The Tyler Glenn Beatty Rainbow Relief Fund exists because of who he was and what he believed: that hope is real, that every person deserves a friend, and that showing up matters more than showing off.

Every Thursday night that I go under that bridge, I bring him with me.

Legacy has had the honor of sponsoring the dinner 4 times since our 4 year launch and we will do this for the rest of the existence of Legacy. Service is our Legacy,

Everybody has something to give. That is what City Lights believes. It is what Tyler believed. It is what I believe.

The Full Picture of What City Lights Foundation Does in Tulsa

Night Light Tulsa is the most visible program City Lights Foundation runs but it is not the only one. The work of this organization touches people experiencing homelessness at every stage of their journey from the street to stability.

What programs does City Lights Foundation of Oklahoma offer?

City Lights Foundation of Oklahoma offers four interconnected programs serving Tulsans experiencing homelessness. Night Light Tulsa is the weekly Thursday evening gathering under the I-244 bridge providing hot meals, clothing, community, and services to 300 to 350 guests each week. Housing Stability serves approximately 100 people who have been assisted into housing across 42 different apartment complexes in Tulsa, providing relational case management that supports mental and physical wellbeing and ensures their housing is maintained long-term. Mobile Outreach fills gaps in service by reaching people who do not always appear at Night Light, identifying needs in the community through direct street-level contact. And City Lights Village is the organization's most ambitious initiative: a 23-acre master-planned community of triplex homes providing affordable, permanent housing paired with comprehensive supportive services to foster stability, dignity, and hope. To learn more about all programs and how to support them, visit https://citylightsok.org.

City Lights Village: Building Permanent Hope in Tulsa

The most exciting development in City Lights Foundation's history is happening right now.

City Lights Village is a 23-acre master-planned community in Tulsa dedicated to providing affordable, permanent housing for people coming out of chronic homelessness. At the heart of City Lights Village are triplex homes designed to offer residents a sense of peace and belonging while cultivating a strong, supportive community around them.

This is not transitional housing. It is not a shelter. It is a neighborhood. A permanent address. A home.

And as I shared in this week's builder spotlight, The Birch Co., founded by Angus Martin, is involved in the development of those tiny homes. The same company that builds luxury custom homes in Nottingham Hills is helping build homes for people who have never had one. Because every person deserves a home built with intention.

What This Has to Do With Why Jennifer Mount Sells Real Estate in Tulsa

I want to be direct about this because I think it matters.

I do not serve at Night Light Tulsa because it is good for my brand. I serve because Tyler and I started going together and I am not going to stop. And because standing under that bridge reminds me of something I need to remember: home is the most fundamental human need, and not everyone has access to it.

That reminder makes me a better real estate agent. It makes me take more seriously the privilege of what I do every day, helping families in Tulsa find, keep, and transition through the homes that shape their lives.

It also makes me want to use whatever platform I have to point people toward organizations like City Lights Foundation, toward builders like The Birch Co. who are doing the work, and toward a vision of Tulsa where everyone, regardless of their circumstances, has a place they can call home.

That is the city I want to live in. That is the legacy I want to build. And that is why Legacy Realty Advisors exists.

3-2-1 Takeaway

Education without implementation is only entertainment.

3 Things You Learned

• Night Light Tulsa is a free, weekly community event run by City Lights Foundation of Oklahoma every Thursday from 6:30pm to 9:30pm under the I-244 bridge at Maybelle Avenue and Reconciliation Way in downtown Tulsa. It draws 300 to 350 guests and up to 100 volunteers every week and is open to anyone who wants to serve. No registration needed for groups under 10. Just show up at 6:15pm.

• City Lights Foundation runs four programs serving Tulsans experiencing homelessness: Night Light Tulsa, Housing Stability serving 100 people across 42 Tulsa apartment complexes, Mobile Outreach, and City Lights Village, a 23-acre community of permanent triplex homes currently under development. This is one of the most comprehensive and relational approaches to homelessness in Tulsa.

• Jennifer Mount and her son Tyler began serving at Night Light Tulsa together in 2018. Tyler passed away in October 2019. Every Thursday that Jennifer goes back under that bridge she carries him with her. The Tyler Glenn Beatty Rainbow Relief Fund exists because of his belief that hope is real, that every person deserves a friend, and that showing up matters.

2 Things to Share

• Share this post with someone in Tulsa who has been wanting to volunteer but does not know where to start. Night Light Tulsa requires no special skills, no prior commitment, and no registration for individuals or groups under 10. Just a Thursday evening and a willingness to sit at the table with people who need to know they are not forgotten.

• Share this with someone who is thinking about donating to a Tulsa nonprofit. City Lights Foundation uses every dollar to build genuine relationships and lasting housing solutions. Visit https://citylightsok.org to give.

1 Thing to Do Right Now

Go to https://www.citylightsok.org/night-light-tulsa and save this Thursday's date in your calendar. Show up at 6:15pm. Stand under the bridge. Serve a meal. Learn someone's name. And let that experience remind you of what Jennifer Mount knows to be true after 25 years in Tulsa real estate: home is the most fundamental human need, and every person deserves access to it.

And if buying, selling, or investing in a Tulsa home is part of your story, Jennifer Mount and Legacy Realty Advisors are here for that conversation too.

Book your conversation here: https://link.cncsdirect.com/widget/booking/2BPftOW1aYttaxdttERz

Get Involved With City Lights Foundation

Night Light Tulsa: Every Thursday, 6:30pm to 9:30pm

Location: Under the bridge at 202 N. Maybelle Ave, Tulsa OK (Maybelle Ave and Reconciliation Way)

Arrive at 6:15pm for setup. Orientation at 6:30pm. Serving 7pm to 9pm.

Groups of 10 or more: email [email protected] to schedule.

Website: https://citylightsok.org

Night Light details: https://www.citylightsok.org/night-light-tulsa

Email: [email protected]