GREASY – Enter the Greasy Community Center in southern Adair County on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday and it becomes apparent very quickly that this is not your typical lunch spot atmosphere.
The sound of conversation and laughter between Cherokee elders immediately hits your ears and then you see the fellowship around the table as citizens play board games or watch television. And, the drawing attraction, a free, warm meal, is visibly enjoyed by all in the room.
“I usually come here Monday, Wednesday, Friday,” said Mary Vann, a Greasy resident. “I enjoy most of the food they serve here – the menu. This is a fantastic program.”
Rachel Pettit prepares lunches at the Greasy Community Center three days a week and Dry Creek Community Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The program Vann references consists of more than a dozen Senior Nutrition sites in the Cherokee Nation aimed at addressing food insecurity among the tribe’s elderly population. It is operated by CN Elder Services. A new site opened in Stilwell on Jan. 28. The nutrition program has been in place since 1978, and meals are also delivered to elders.
Food insecurity casts its shadow on plenty of Cherokee households. The scope of the problem among elders can vary a bit with good and bad economic times, but demand for the meals draws plenty of regular guests. Most sites are open Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Others that may see less traffic might are open Tuesday and Thursday.
A Wednesday lunch at the Greasy Community Center included turkey, corn, a vegetable medley and cookies.
“They are open on various days, and we rotate our staff through the sites,” CN Secretary of State Shella Bowlin said. “This mostly depends on the location of the site and the number of participants. Most sites are open three days a week. Others serve lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
The need for such programs was borne out by a 2023 study ordered by CN Human Services to determine the number of elder citizens around cities within the reservation. Tulsa had 3,718; Tahlequah 1,926; Muskogee 1,385; Stilwell 1,029; and Bartlesville 962.
The USDA reports that about 7 million elder Americans experienced food insecurity in 2022. Feeding America, assessing Native majority counties in 2020, identified higher rates of food insecurity.
Cherokee Nation officials say the social interactions around the Senior Nutrition program are also important to the general wellness of Cherokee elders.
At the state level, the United Health Foundation ranked Oklahoma 48th in senior food security with 20.9% of Oklahomans 60-older facing “the threat of hunger.”
The Cherokee cultural tradition of strong family bonds can complicate food insecurity. The Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Office reported that 19 percent of food insecure elders are caring for grandchildren.
It is important to estimate the number of people expected per day with reasonable accuracy. Preparing too much food results in waste, and too little food results in people turned away. Bowlin said this information is vital to know as staff prepares for citizens utilizing the program.
“They actually serve about 1,500 eligible Native elders,” Bowlin said. “They look at how many people typically come in over time. Funding is received from our administration and its Title VI program for our Native elders. The USDA also helps through their Nutrition Services Incentive program. That’s where the main funding comes from. Then we keep track of how many eligible elder citizens that we have in each of the areas of our nutrition sites and that allows us to plan and understand how much food we need.”
Cherokee Nation Elder Services operate 15 Senior Nutrition sites across the CN reservation.
Bowlin said the funding and resources are not “unlimited.” The current budget configuration requires the program to rotate staff to different sites depending on the weekday.
“We typically get 20 to 25, and most of them are regulars,” said cook Rachel Pettit, who is at Greasy three days a week and at the Dry Creek Community Center twice a week. “I’ve always had a passion for cooking. I worked at a bakery job for 23 years. I’ve also always prepared big meals at home for family get-togethers. I’m not even used to cooking small meals.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is held Jan. 28 in Stilwell at the Cherokee Nation’s 15th senior nutrition center.
Pettit also takes some initiative, as do the elders, to assist with budget efficiency. She said three new visitors were frequenting Greasy since she returned from an absence, and four more were frequenting Dry Creek.
“I ask them to call me if they don’t think they’re going to be here,” she said. “That way I’m not making too much food. Or if they are going to bring someone with them, I ask them to let me know. One time I had several extras come in, and I had to jump back in the kitchen and start cooking.”
The social aspect of the Senior Nutrition sites is considerable as well, Bowlin said.
“Our eligible seniors can get a hot meal and socialize with their friends – keep up to date on things going on in the community,” Bowlin said. “They can participate in happenings at the site. They do things like basket making, arts and crafts, games and other activities. They also have wellness checks like blood pressure, blood sugar checks. They do holiday parties and celebrations. We believe it helps with overall wellness, and it’s a really good model to keep our elders engaged.”
Bowlin said the data most closely monitored involves demand for Senior Nutrition. She added that the meals served are nutritious, using “whole” food and avoiding processed items while following USDA guidelines.
“We can serve over 5,500 in a month, so the demand for the services and number of elders served monthly are proof that there is a need,” Bowlin said. “Having a place for our elders to gather and share a meal and fellowship is working. It’s our intent to improve the quality of life for the elders of Cherokee Nation so that they can remain in their homes and they can continue to make valuable contributions to their communities. Those are the goals we have set overall, and we believe the nutrition program is delivering on that.”
Tribes have different elder nutrition configurations to fit the need and their budgets. The Choctaw Nation’s Senior Nutrition program serves lunch each Wednesday at 16 sites across its reservation in Oklahoma, and five days a week at the tribe’s Talihina Community Center. The program claimed more than 120,000 meals served in 2022.
Running a smaller Title VI program that serves roughly 400 per day, the Osage Nation in Oklahoma keeps two dining halls available for lunch at Pawhuska and Fairfax five days a week.
While the program mainly serves CN citizens, to utilize the CN Elder Nutrition program participants must be age 50 and up and citizen of a federally recognized Native tribe or nation.
Bowlin said it is important citizens know this service is available to tribal elders.
“This is available if [families] have elders who need a meal or need an environment where they can socialize,” Bowlin said. “They’re welcome to come and join in.”
There are 15 elder nutrition sites across the reservation. They include the newest site in Stilwell as well as senior centers in Porum, Marble City, Kenwood, Oaks, Spavinaw and Greasy; the Nowata Center and the Foyil Nutrition Center; Caney-Tailholt near Welling; the Belfonte Community Center near Muldrow; Wisdom Keepers in Tahlequah; the Tsa-La-Gi Senior Center in Sallisaw; the Dry Creek Community Center in southern Cherokee County; and the Evening Shade Community Center near Vian.
For information, visit https://cherokee.org/media/k4shif5q/nutrition-site-w-phone-number.pdf.
This story has been supported by the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems. For more information, visit solutionsjournalism.org.
Editor’s Note: In July 2024, the Solutions Journalism Network and Indigenous Journalists Association partnered to launch the 2024-25 Health Equity Initiative, a project to support newsrooms in covering issues of health equity through a solutions lens. The Cherokee Phoenix was one of four newsrooms selected to participate in the initiative. A journalism collaborative was also selected. Utilizing training and grant funding from the initiative, the Cherokee Phoenix is further serving Cherokee Nation citizens and its readers through a series of solutions journalism stories, “ᎪᎷᏩᏛᏓ ᎧᏃᎮᎸᏍᎩ” or “Goluwadvda Kanohelvsgi,” which translates to solution story in English. Solutions journalism is a rigorous, evidence-based approach to reporting that focuses on responses to social problems rather than solely highlighting the problems themselves. Unlike traditional news, which often emphasizes conflict or failure, solutions journalism explores how individuals, organizations and communities address challenges in innovative and effective ways. This approach involves investigating the implementation, impact and limitations of these solutions, ensuring they are accurately portrayed without overhyping results. By offering a more complete view of societal issues, solutions journalism empowers audiences with actionable insights and fosters constructive dialogue. It aims to inspire change, encourage accountability and provide a balanced narrative that counters negativity bias, helping readers see the potential for progress and understand what works, where and why, in addressing complex issues. The Cherokee Phoenix was also selected to participate in a separate SJN initiative in September 2024. Solutions journalism stories produced by the newspaper via the additional initiative will focus on climate and environmental issues and solutions. For questions or ideas, email [email protected].
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