District 6, November 2022

Halito!

It’s finally fall, and we are enjoying the cooler evenings and mornings and are looking forward to embracing all the upcoming holidays and events of the season.

The past three months seem to have flown by with all the activities, events and constant meetings we are all in.

We have been keeping our seniors busy with many activities, such as the CHR Fall Festival that was held at the McAlester Expo on September 28, as well as lunch and a Drone demonstration on October 4 in Daisy. They enjoyed not only getting to watch them but also holding the controls and flying the drones. This was an exciting event that our seniors loved being a part of.

We also want to congratulate two of our District 6 seniors who have been awarded the Choctaw Nation Outstanding Elders Awards. Paul Sockey and Sharon Moore are the recipients of this award, and we know they will represent District 6 and the Choctaw Nation well.

We are continually putting people to work through our Job For The Day Program in our Travel Plazas and Community Center. There are great opportunities for those who are looking for employment.

Our Small Business Chahtapreneurs Program recently held ribbon cuttings for the Serendipity Event Center in Wilburton and the Raising Arrows Day Care Center in Panola, Oklahoma. We are very excited to assist new businesses in getting launched in our communities.

We continue to take applications for our LEAP homes, Affordable Rental, and Independent Elder homes. We are ready to begin building in Red Oak and Buffalo Valley, but we must have completed applications before beginning the building process, so please get your applications in.

We had a representative from our Healthy Aging Program and a representative from the Kiamichi Economic Development District of Oklahoma (KEDDO) visit with our seniors recently with information regarding the Respite Program. The organizations are working together to help our seniors 55+ with chore services and personal care assistance to keep our elders living in their homes own longer. The program also helps grandparents who are raising or caring for their grandchildren.

Both programs are working to help provide assistance so that caregivers can take time out for themselves, for often, a much-needed break.

We continue to support the Latimer County communities through the Community Development Programs and were so excited to be a part of the new Splash Pad built in Wilburton.

The Choctaw Nation awarded the City of Wilburton $49,900 that was used in partnership with the Wilburton Lions Club and the City of Wilburton to install the new Splash Pad at Rosebure Park in Wilburton.

The 2,415 square-foot animal-themed splash pad will enhance the community by offering interactive recreational space and opportunities for children’s sensory and mental growth while also allowing families to grow together and socialize.

We are also still supporting our city and county with quarterly check presentations. These funds help with maintaining our roads and other projects. Our third quarter total given to the City of Wilburton and Latimer County was $32,900.

We would like to recognize Kelbie Kennedy, who was sworn in by FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks as National Tribal Affairs Advocate. Her mother, Brenda Strange, was in attendance. Kelbie is a Choctaw tribal member and was sworn in using a Choctaw language Bible.

November is Native American month, so we will be serving our seniors traditional Choctaw meals throughout this month.

Our community Thanksgiving meal will be served on November 16. We invite all to come and celebrate with us. Our new community center building is now being worked on, and we have a projected opening date of February 2023. The larger community center will allow us to have more departments available to service our tribal members.

If there are services that you would like to get more information about, please contact our District 6 Community Center at 918-465-2389. We are here to assist our tribal members in any way that we can.

Yakoke!