TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation recently announced its elder nutrition sites in Nowata and Stilwell will be open five days a week, providing nutritious meals and a place to gather and fellowship for elders.
“Last year, Deputy Chief Warner and I announced the expansion of our elder nutrition program, which is supported by funds from our Public Health and Wellness Fund Act,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “These two sites having their hours expanded is just a part of those efforts. With these two sites being open five days a week, it provides a place for elders to share a meal and fellowship, which is some of the best medicine you can get. Our elders are the foundation of the tribe and it’s our responsibility to take care of them.”
Currently, the Nowata Elder Nutrition Site serves an average of more than 500 elders per month, while the Stilwell site serves over 620 elders per month.
The tribe aims to increase elder nutrition meal service to five days per week at all sites in the future, considering local demand and staffing needs.
The tribe’s Human Services elder nutrition sites and the Career Services Work Experience Program have partnered to provide culinary training to the site’s current cooks and potential hires as well.
The Cherokee Nation Gadugi Corps department will also expand its services to the elder nutrition sites through a partnership to recruit Cherokee Nation citizen volunteers to help with projects, entertainment or anything else the site may need help with.
“These elder nutrition updates have been such a blessing to see come to fruition lately,” Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner said. “It’s important that we listen to our elders and their needs to make those appropriate changes. We are proud of the progress and are excited for what’s to come in the future.”
The tribe has actively worked on prioritizing improvements in outreach and branding, including enhanced visibility and accessibility on the Cherokee Nation website and at all participating sites as well.
The tribe currently operates more than a dozen elder nutrition sites across the reservation, with programs located in Dewey, Porum, Marble City, Belfonte, Kenwood, Evening Shade, Oaks, Spavinaw, Tahlequah, Dry Creek, Greasy, Caney/Tailholt, Nowata, Foyil and Stilwell. The tribe plans to open another site in North Tulsa in the future, along with the announcement of other sites in the future. The tribe also has an elder nutrition partner in Bowlin Springs with Peoples Community, Inc, a Cherokee Nation Community and Cultural Outreach participating non-profit..
For elders interested in becoming a participant of the tribe’s elder nutrition program, they must be 50 years or older and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation or another federally recognized tribe. For more information, map of the programs, menus, eligibility and other details, visit https://cherokee.org/all-services/human-services/elder-nutrition-program/.