Andrea Goings and Andrew Hagelberger display the large pellet smokers that can hold up to 900 pounds of meat at Three Rivers Meat Company. The store, which opened in April in Octavia/Smithville, increased food availability in the area.
Food programs at top of list of most utilized programs in 2024
Published January 3, 2025By Shelia Kirven
Since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and in today’s challenging economy, Choctaw Nation has seen more need to serve our people with food than ever before. The Tribe has been able to assist through several different programs, and in 2024, a record number of households were given assistance with food for their families.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA FRF), funding for the Elder and Disability Food Security Programs, began as a response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and provided food and nutrition assistance to over 17,000 elders (over 32,000 since program inception) and more than 5,000 individuals with disabilities (over 6,000 since program inception) in FY24.
Applications for the final allocation of funds closed on September 30, 2024. Federal law requires the Choctaw Nation to obligate all ARPA funding for the program by the end of December 2024, thus ending the program.
The Choctaw Nation Food Distribution Program served over 18,000 with healthy, nutritious foods. It has five markets located strategically across the Choctaw Nation to better serve our tribal members, including Antlers, Broken Bow, Durant, McAlester and Poteau.
During the summer break, the Summer Food Service Program supplied nutritious meals at 13 locations throughout the reservation. All children under the age of 18 were eligible for the grab-and-go kits.
From May through August, packets that included breakfasts, lunches, snacks and milk for a week were given out weekly. A total of 738,311 meals were distributed throughout the summer months. Choctaw Nation and the USDA funded the program for all children 18 and under, and it was immensely popular due to the rising cost of food, the fact that children were home during the summer from school, and families needed extra support.
The Three Rivers Meat Company opened in Octavia/Smithville, Okla., in April, and people in the area no longer need to drive long distances to purchase fresh meat. Choctaw Nation partnered with area investors to build and operate the facility, which will increase food availability and employment security within the location, which has long been considered a food desert area. It is the only location within 800 miles to offer high-quality custom meat processing, top-shelf value-added products, a cafe, a retail store, a fresh meat market, and Oklahoma-sourced products under the same roof.
The Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) and the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Programs have also continued their service to clients this past year. WIC is a federally funded supplemental nutrition program that contributes to healthy pregnancies, babies, and children. The WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program is a USDA-funded program that provides local, fresh fruits and vegetables to participants of the tribe’s WIC program.
The Senior Nutrition Program provides meals to our elders at local Choctaw Nation community centers throughout the Choctaw Nation once weekly. The Talihina location serves meals five days a week.
The Choctaw Beef and Pecans Program, which has become a very popular new tribal program, provides eligible Choctaw Nation tribal members with the opportunity to receive ground beef and cracked pecans.