Cherokee Nation providing $250K to help rebuild Vian community
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — The Cherokee Nation is providing $250,000 to the Vian Community Foundation as a part of the tribe's plan to rebuild the community.
The money will help the organization install electricity, an HVAC system, and plumbing to the Vian community building.
The nation met with Vian community leaders to present the check, part of which is contributed from a portion of the $30 million Housing, Jobs, and Sustainable Communities Act.
Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said the Housing, Jobs, and Sustainable Communities Act of 2019 is continuing to make a huge impact on Cherokee communities.
"Cherokee organizations like the Vian Community Foundation do amazing work all year addressing the needs of their community, but they need our support to continue their critical work,” Chief Hoskin said. “That’s why Deputy Chief Warner and I created this Act – to invest in our community buildings and make them functional as well as cost efficient.
Chief Hoskin also said investing in community buildings will pay off in many ways not just in today, but in the longer term as well.
Funding for the project is distributed through the tribe’s Community & Cultural Outreach sustainability grant.
“We have been working on this building for years now, and we have been trying to figure out how we were going to finish it. Thankfully the Cherokee Nation stepped in and wanted to see it finished as much as we do,” Vian Community Foundation CEO Suzanne Sullivan said. “This funding will help us take a major step in the right direction to being able to complete the building, so we are just beyond grateful to have this support and partnership with the Cherokee Nation.”
Once complete, the community building will be a multipurpose facility for the community to use for athletic events, entertainment, community and family dinners, as well as a place to host Cherokee art and cooking classes.
“This is something the community has wanted for years,” Councilor Smith said. “This organization has been working so hard to complete this building, and now with the help of Cherokee Nation we can finally see the light at the end of tunnel. We have some great plans for it, but the main thing is we are going to get something in it for the community.”
