The City of Altus was among those receiving Nutrition Assistance Awards. Anthony Fixico, right, is shown receiving Altus’ $2,486.25 grant.
Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) and Community Enhancement of Nutritional Assistance (CENA) grants were presented. These grants are an investment toward improving the lives of the citizens in rural communities by improving infrastructure, promoting economic growth and community stability.
Myrna Ashby, Mayor of Hammon, was present to receive a CENA award on behalf of the Hammon senior citizens center. “I am so thankful for the SWODA organization,” said the mayor. “If we had to compete against bigger towns and organizations for funding on our own, we would not be progressing like we are.”
Many rural communities depend on the Community Enhancement of Nutritional Assistance (CENA) grants to help provide nutritional meals for senior citizens. CENA grants awarded last week will help to serve an average of 900 meals per week to senior citizens across southwestern Oklahoma. Representative Purcy Walker praised the CENA program for, “helping to hold smaller communities together by providing fellowship through the nutritional programs.”
The town of Blair is working toward being able to provide nutritional meals for area senior citizens like many of their neighboring communities. Karri Orick, Blair Town Administrator, said, “This grant will help us to move forward. It’s a blessing for small towns like ours to have this resource.”
Improvements to infrastructure such as sewer systems, roads, and water lines made possible through the REAP grants may not be as noticeable to residents of the communities receiving them, but as Kelly Harmon of Mountain Park said, “The grant money to improve our sewer lift stations will save the city many hours of man power that has been used to continually fix the problems we’ve been having.”
Representative Todd Russ echoed the sentiments of rural communities in southwest Oklahoma by adding, “It’s always a fight at the capitol to keep the funding here in our rural communities. The REAP grant program is a very important mechanism for getting tax dollars that have to be spent in Oklahoma City, by rural citizens, back to rural communities. This is a workable process that has helped with hundreds of projects throughout my district. I will continue to work hard to keep the funding in place for the REAP program and those who need it.”
For more information regarding SWODA grant programs, call (580) 562-4882.
Those presented awards include:
Town of Mountain Park for Sewer Lift Station Improvements - $19,975; Town of Gotebo for Waterline Replacement Project - $100,000; City of Hobart for Construction of Animal Shelter Building - $100,000; Town of Carter for Waterline Replacement Project - $100,000; Town of Sentinel for Waterline Replacement Project - $99,900; Town of Dill City for Purchase generator to run water wells in emergency - $17,490; City of Snyder for Water Storage Tank Renovation - $100,000; Beckham Co./Beckham Rural Water #1 for Installation of Booster Pump Station - $100,000; Town of Rocky for Purchase of Backhoe Machine - $50,000; City of Hollis for Installation of Sewer Line Replacement Project - $79,400
City of Thomas for Construction of new City Maintenance Barn - $79,500; Beckham Co/North Fork Red River Conservation District for Purchase of No - Till Drill - $47,500; Jackson Co. /Elmer Rural Volunteer Fire Department for Purchase of Pick Truck 4x4, Bed Equipment. Pumps Hoses - $100,000; Opportunities, Inc. - $17,000.72.
Nutrition Assistance Awards include:
Town of Hammon for nutrition assistance - $17,000; Cordell Senior Citizens Center - $17,000; Dill City Sr. Citizens Center - $4,250; Town of Mt. View - $4,189.09; Town Rocky - $3,750; Town of Sentinel - $3,750; Hobart Senior Citizens Center - $13,000; City of Altus - $2,486.25; Lone Wolf Senior Citizens - $13,000; Roosevelt Senior Citizens - $3,250; Weatherford Pioneer Center - $3,250; Mt. Park Senior Citizens - $13,000; Warren Senior Citizens - $13,000; Town of Granite - $3,250; Town of Eldorado - $1,131; Town of Snyder - $6,514.14; Town of Willow Jim Baker Community Center - $3,250; Thomas Senior Citizens - $3,046; Cloud Chief Community/Washita County - $1,137.30; City of Erick - $8,920; Town of Gotebo - $1,631.12; Berlin Community Center/Roger Mills County - $2,720.60; Town of Reydon - $8,920; Corn Senior Citizens - $385.93; Cowden Community Center/Washita County - $858; and Town of Blair - $3,952.
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