A remodeled telephone booth designed to connect people with mental health resources has been installed in downtown Oklahoma City’s Underground.
The installation, called the Hope Booth, debuted Friday with a ribbon cutting.
The booth offers a three-minute experience featuring breathing exercises and encouraging messages. It can also connect users to roughly 20 categories of mental health support within a five-mile radius.
The booth was created by Gloria Umanah, who says her own mental health experiences more than a decade ago inspired the project.
Oklahoma City marks the 39th installation worldwide, with the first debuting in London in 2021.
Umanah says the booth is intended to fill a gap in accessible mental health support, citing cost and socioeconomic barriers as factors that prevent many people from seeking help.
In 2025, Oklahoma ranked in the top 10 states with the highest suicide rates, with 21 suicide deaths per 100,000 people.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm, call 988 or visit 988Oklahoma.com.
