St. Gregory’s student helps feed Shawnee’s homeless

What began as an act of love following a chance sighting has grown into a realization of a life mission aimed at making a difference in the lives of the homeless for one St. Gregory’s University student.
Anthony Rocko, 21, an international relations major from Springdale, Ark., was driving through Shawnee when he noticed something that really affected him.
“I saw a homeless woman lying on the street, back before the last ice storm,” Rocko said. “I asked if she was hungry and I went to Burger King to get some cheeseburgers and brought them back and I just lost it; it was so sad. It really touched my heart.”
Rocko said his mother had taken him to volunteer at soup kitchens when he was younger but what he saw in Shawnee made an even deeper impact on him as an adult.
“I never could’ve imagined there were that many homeless people in Shawnee,” Rocko said.
Rocko decided to meld his love for the homeless with his responsibility of a senior capstone project at the university, which includes creating a one-year documentary “showing how one person’s good graces can spark a movement,” he said.
He heard about a man in Midwest City, Rick Swyden, who has made hot dogs for the homeless in that area for several years and decided this was something he could do for Shawnee’s homeless.
In addition to learning about Swyden’s organization, Rocko was on his way to the Salvation Army to donate some clothing and he saw many homeless people gathered there.
He spoke with Salvation Army representatives, and they told him they are only able to provide one meal per day for the city’s homeless.
Rocko knew that on his own he couldn’t contribute daily meals to the homeless but that he could provide a weekly meal.
“I made about 24 hot dog lunches and took them down to the park by the Salvation Army where I saw a lot of homeless people and I told them that if they wanted, I’d be here at 1 p.m. every Sunday,” Rocko said. “When God gives you a passion in life, you run with it and this is it. This is mine.”
The number of hot dog lunches he provided on June 7, only a couple months since he began the weekly routine, rose to 32, he said.
“You look at a hot dog lunch and you don’t think much and you give it to a homeless person and they light up,” Rocko said.
The lunches include a hot dog, a bottle of water, a bag of chips and a dessert, which were all purchased, prepared and sacked by Rocko. That is, until recently.  
Rocko said that others are learning about his love for the homeless and what he now calls his not-for-profit Labor of Love Charities and are donating items and money to help him help the homeless.
“It’s something that’s taking on a life of its own,” he said. “I knew it would grow, but not this fast. It’s really growing.”
One group donated $150 in food for his organization and delivered it to Rocko’s home. Daylight Donuts donated 12 dozen doughnuts to him, as well, he said.
“Where I work, at Santa Fe Cattle Company, sometimes people will ask about what you do outside work, what you plan to do with your life,” Rocko said. “Sometimes I tell them about my love for the homeless and some people leave checks at the restaurant for my organization.”
The donations have been enough now that Rocko opened a bank account specifically for Labor of Love Charities.
Rocko said his main local objective is to “spread awareness of the homeless here in Shawnee.”
In addition to providing a weekly meal to the homeless, Rocko provides friendship.
“I talk with them for about an hour and I ask them where they’re from, how they are,” he said.
As for his future, Rocko’s goals are similar to what he is doing now, he said.
“I want to devote my life to the homeless and to open shelters,” he said.
For more information about Rocko’s Labor of Love Charities or to donate, call 479-283-3933. Donations may also be mailed to Labor of Love Charities P.O. Box 3244 Shawnee, OK 74801, or delivered to Arvest Bank in town.
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Johnna Ray may be reached at 214-3934.