Cherokee Nation Donates to Claremore Shelter and Others!

Safenet Services : (L-R) Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilors David Walkingstick and Mike Shambaugh, Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr., Deputy Chief S. Joe Crittenden, Tribal Councilors Keith Austin and Janees Taylor, Safenet Services representative Donna Grabow, Principal Chief Bill John Baker, Safenet Services representative Sylvia Starr, Tribal Councilors Dick Lay and Bryan Warner, Tribal Council Speaker Joe Byrd and Tribal Councilor E.O. Smith.

The Cherokee Nation donated a total of $90,000 to six domestic violence shelters on Tuesday.

Each shelter received $15,000, including Women in Safe Homes Inc., of Muskogee; Safenet Services, of Claremore; Help-In-Crisis, of Tahlequah; Family Crisis Counseling Center, of Bartlesville; Domestic Violence Intervention Services, of Tulsa; and Community Crisis Center Inc., of Miami.

“Together, these entities are helping hundreds of domestic violence victims across northeast Oklahoma escape the atmosphere of physical, verbal and emotional abuse,” said Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. “All six of these services are doing some fantastic work with the help of their employees and volunteers. There should be no doubt they are committed to breaking the cycle of domestic violence which is, unfortunately, plaguing Indian Country. I’m proud to say the Cherokee Nation is supportive of their mission.”

Safenet Services, of Claremore, operates a 35-bed center for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Among the key services offered by Safenet is an intervention program for those accused of domestic violence.

Cherokee Nation’s donation is helping Safenet recruit new volunteers and organize approximately 300 who already work with the entity throughout the year.

“Cherokee Nation has always helped us,” said Donna Grabow, executive director of Safenet Services. “This day and age, it’s hard to keep the funds coming and not be cut, and it’s really tough because utilities and food costs are going up and we’re helping three times the number of people. When they come in with nothing, it makes such a big difference to have the help of Cherokee Nation.”

Tribal Councilor Keith Austin, of Claremore, often visits with Grabow and others who work at Safenet Services to check in on their programs.

“The team at Safenet, led by Donna Grabow, is so dedicated to helping those who are most vulnerable build a better future,” Austin said. “I am proud the Cherokee Nation supports their good work.”

The donations to the shelters were provided through the Cherokee Nation’s charitable contributions fund.

About Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee Nation is the federally recognized government of the Cherokee people and has inherent sovereign status recognized by treaty and law. The seat of tribal government is the W.W. Keeler Complex near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of the Cherokee Nation. With more than 360,000 citizens, 11,000 employees and a variety of tribal enterprises ranging from aerospace and defense contracts to entertainment venues, Cherokee Nation is one of the largest employers in northeastern Oklahoma and the largest tribal nation in the United States.

To learn more, please visit www.cherokee.org.

 

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