TULSA, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation is hosting a series of community drive-through events focused on helping Cherokee elders register and apply for the tribe's $2,000 COVID-19 assistance payment.
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signed legislation on May 27 to provide a $2,000 lump sum COVID-19 assistance payment open to all 392,000-plus Cherokee Nation citizens.
READ MORE: Cherokee Nation's plan to give individual assistance to its citizens
Nearly 150,000 Cherokee Nation citizens have applied for assistance funds to help recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
Chief Hoskin says this about the drive-through events:
"We know some of our elders may lack the technology to register online or have barriers to connectivity, so the Cherokee Nation is coming to their community to assist. Putting our elders first is the Cherokee way, and we know many of our elders have been especially impacted by COVID-19 with higher utility and food costs. Our staff will be out in full force to ensure that our elders do not miss out on the COVID-19 assistance payments that the Cherokee Nation is offering."
The drive-through events will be focused primarily on assisting elders with the application, but will also help those who do not have access to the Internet or a mobile phone to apply.
Guidance will also be offered for elders who might have lost their citizenship card or do not know their registration number.
The Cherokee Nation will not be able to provide any assistance with new registration applications at the community events. Anyone needing to register as a Cherokee Nation citizen must continue to seek assistance via mail, phone, fax, email, and in-person in Tahlequah.
"The Cherokee Nation has dedicated 43 percent of the $1.8 billion received from the American Rescue Funds as a direct assistance payment to help our tribal citizens recover, and we hope these community events will help every single citizen apply for these funds," Deputy Chief Bryan Warner said.
The schedule and locations for the drive-through events include:
- June 14: Craig County Fairgrounds at 915 E. Apperson Road in Vinita
- June 15: Old Cherokee Nation Casino Parking Lot at 16489 US-62 in Tahlequah
- June 16: Warner Event Center in Warner
- June 17: Tri-County Technology Center at 6101 Nowata Road in Bartlesville
- June 18: Carl Albert State College at 1601 Opdyke Road in Sallisaw
- June 21: Pryor Rec Center at 111 SE 9th Street in Pryor
- June 22: JW Sam Building at 701 W Rollins Street in Catoosa
- June 23 - Cherokee Nation parking lot at former CNI and Walmart Building at 320 West Locust in Stilwell
- June 24 - Kansas High School at 700 Woods Ave in Kansas, Okla.
- June 25 - Hulbert City Park in Hulbert
- June 28 - NAFI at 215 Oklahoma Street in South Coffeyville
- June 29 - Parking Lot B of OSU-Tulsa at 700 N. Greenwood Ave. in North Tulsa
- June 30 - Cherokee Nation PPE/Food Distribution Center at 1305 N. Industrial Park Road in Jay
All events will happen from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. as scheduled unless otherwise stated.
The deadline to apply for assistance is set for June 1, 2022.
Trending Stories:
- Spectators gather at Cry Baby Hill for the final day of Tulsa Tough
- DOWNLOAD the 2 Works for You app for alerts
- Tulsa attorney charged with rape
- FOLLOW 2 Works for You on Facebook
- Orphaned fawns overwhelm Green Country animal rescue: 'Leave fawns alone'
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Twitter
