VINITA, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation opened its eighth food distribution center on Friday in Vinita, Oklahoma.

The ribbon cutting celebrated the grand opening of the 6,000 foot facility built using the tribe’s Respond, Recover, Rebuild ARPA funds during the pandemic. The facility holds office space, a teaching kitchen and a grocery store that will provide Native American families with food each month.

Collinsville Food Distribution center was the last one opened in 2014. Other locations include Jay, Nowata, Salina, Sallisaw, Stilwell and Tahlequah.

“When Cherokee Nation first started its food distribution program with the USDA they were located in just a few of our areas in the Cherokee Nation reservation and in Vinita families would have to drive long distances or pickup food from a ‘tailgate site’ with limited options.” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “This investment is one that we can all be proud of. This new Vinita food distribution center is an essential step in ensuring that Cherokee Nation is meeting the basic healthy food needs for tribal citizens and members of federally recognized tribes.”

The Cherokee Nation food distribution program began in 1984 and is funded through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It was also a part of the $25 million investment the tribe made in 2020 from the CARES Act.

The program provides eligible members residing in the Cherokee Nation Reservation with readily-available foods including fruits, vegetables, proteins, dairy and traditional foods in a grocery-store type setting.

“The food distribution program is such a blessing to Cherokee Nation citizens and other tribal citizens who are experiencing food insecurity,” Deputy Chief Bryan Warner said. “This new facility can mean everything to a family, and it is so great that we will be able to extend that blessing to tribal citizens living in the Vinita area.”

In 2022, more than 36,000 Native American households, including more than 68,000 individuals, shopped at food distribution centers.

The newest Vinita center has operated curbside services since June 2022, but numbers are expected to increase now that the building is officially open.

The building will also house a Career Services satellite office in the same building so clients don’t have to travel to Tahlequah. This new Career Services office will better accommodate clients in Craig County and surrounding areas. Cherokee Nation Career Services include different types of training, alternative education/GED classes, youth employment, the Coming Home Re-Entry Program, Talking Leaves Job Corps admissions/placement, the dislocated workers program and the Tribal Employment Rights Office and more.

“The opening of our Vinita Distribution Center means that more tribal families can now have access to fully stocked shelves and wider food selections to put on their dinner tables. That is how we continue on the path of creating a healthier Cherokee Nation,” Deputy Speaker of the Council Victoria Vazquez said.

For more information on the Cherokee Nation Food Distribution Program and eligibility, visit the Cherokee Nation website.

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