The Cherokee Nation is aiming to address food insecurity through a $5 million investment in local Boys and Girls Club programs.
The funding will go to clubs in Bartlesville, Pryor, Tahlequah, Nowata, Chelsea, Tulsa, Adair County, Delaware County and Sequoyah County.
“When it comes to the Boys & Girls Clubs, these programs do important work. The Cherokee Nation is always looking ahead seven generations, thinking in generational terms, and naturally we look to the young people across the reservation. So much of what we aspire to do for young people are things our local Boys & Girls Clubs are already doing,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Of the funds, $2.7 million will be set aside for a childcare pilot project.
“There are an untold number of children in Northeast Oklahoma that have been positively impacted by the wonderful work of Boys & Girls Clubs programs,” Deputy Chief Warner said. “I am proud of the great work that has been done by all of these programs and the lives that have been changed as a result of finding a safe place to be challenged, to learn, and to be mentored.”