CNO Community Centers offer essential services for tribal members and elders
By Christian Toews
February 1, 2023
Community centers are a vital resource to the tribal members across the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma reservation area.
They provide access to critical programs and assist tribal members in every part of the reservation. These centers and their field representatives impact the lives of tribal members daily.
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma currently has 17 community centers across the reservation.
Three to four thousand tribal members are physically assisted in some way each month through the centers, according to Robyn Morgan, Program Manager for the community centers.
Morgan said that number doesn’t include the four to five thousand phone calls they receive each month.
According to Morgan, the numbers fluctuate depending on the time of year. However, the number has increased in the six years she has been the program manager.
Choctaw elders utilize the community centers to gather, play games and share meals.
Every Wednesday, a meal is provided by each community center for Native American elders 55 and older.
According to Jana Underwood, the Program Manager of the Senior Nutrition Program, they served over 120,000 meals in 2022.
During the holidays, the community centers host a Thanksgiving meal in each district.
According to Morgan, they also utilize the community centers for Christmas celebrations for local children.
“Santa will come, and we will give gifts and have treats for the kids,” she said.
One of the most popular features of the community centers, especially in the more rural areas of the reservation, are the computers and Wi-Fi access.
Morgan said that these business units allow tribal members, who might not otherwise have the opportunity, to apply for jobs, get assistance and study for school, among other things.
The business units are available during regular business hours.
There is also a lab assistant who can help people as they access the computers or the internet.
At the heart of every community center is a field representative.
These are the first people who greet you inside the community center, and they provide and assist people with information.
“Our field reps are so important. They (tribal members) can come here, and we can get it to where it needs to go without having to drive all over,” said Morgan.
The field representatives assist tribal members with a vast array of information and assistance in getting that information to the correct departments.
“We are front lines. Whatever they need, if we can do it, we will,” said Terri Ramirez, the field representative in Wilburton, Oklahoma.
According to Ramirez, she assists people with all types of needs.
“Emergency services, homeless, health issues, the safety of an elder, helping people apply to different services that the Choctaw nation offers. And if we can’t help them, we try to always get them to the right person,” she explained.
For Vanessa Allen, the field representative in Crowder, Oklahoma, her job means more than simply helping people.
It also involves developing lasting connections.
“A lot of people come in to see the same person and feel comfortable because they trust us,” said Allen. “Sometimes they don’t even want to talk to anyone else because you have built a lasting relationship with them.”
Both field representatives highlighted their satisfaction in connecting with tribal members for many years.
Ramirez said helping multiple generations of the same Choctaw families is very rewarding.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love my job, and this community has become my family, and we help each other, and that’s the way it’s supposed to be,” said Ramirez.
Scotti Fralicks is a tribal member from the Durant area. Fralicks finds the convenience of the community center very helpful.
“I don’t have to drive anywhere, and that’s really nice. They are great about helping me out. I do go online, but it’s so much easier for me to speak with someone in person,” said Fralicks.
Whether it’s assistance in finding the correct department, internet access, a meal or a gathering location, the community centers are an extending arm of the Choctaw Nation’s services and culture.
See events happening at Choctaw Nation Community Centers.