YUKON — Judy Miller spent 25 years helping her husband represent banks in court.
Beginning May 1, she’ll be helping people who may not have bank accounts pay their utility bills.
Miller was chosen in March as the new director of Yukon’s Compassionate Hands.
Compassionate Hands is a service organization under the direction of the Ministerial Alliance that helps the city’s residents with a variety of needs.
“I’m really excited about being back in Yukon and doing something for the community, Miller said.
She said Compassionate Hands assisted almost 5,000 Yukon residents with utility cut-off notices, teaching self-sufficiency classes, job interviewing skills and referrals to other agencies.
The organization also drives senior citizens more than 27,000 miles in their Care-A-Van to doctors’ appointments and shopping.
“People in temporary crisis is what we try to address everything from food to clothing to financial assistance, she said.
Interim director Jackie Hartpence said that to receive financial assistance, people have to live in the Yukon school district, “have to have an eviction notice or cut-off notice and some identification, then they have to fill out an application.
Compassionate Hands is part of the Ministerial Alliance that includes all of Yukon’s pastors.
Christ’s Church pastor and former alliance President John Miller (no relation), said, “We have wonderful pastors here in town. We don’t see this as competition, we see it as cooperation.
The alliance also participates in building one house annually as part of its local habitat ministry, and also operates an emergency food pantry called the Manna Pantry.
John Miller sits on the alliance’s board and helped choose Judy Miller from a field of 78 candidates.
“We called the top eight references and interviewed six, but three people really shone out. Any one of them would have been tremendous leaders, he said.
The leadership skills Judy Miller acquired while at Casey Family Services in Oklahoma City pushed her to the top of the list, John Miller said.
Judy Miller’s husband is Canadian County Judge Gary Miller.
As a trial attorney, Gary Miller represented banks, his wife said.