The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma said a federal agency’s decision to cancel a $1.7 million food grant will not hinder the tribal nation’s efforts to feed eligible tribal members with funds that have already been received.
Randy Sachs, a spokesman for the Choctaw Nation, said the tribe received notice of the cancellation on March 7 regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Program.
Sachs said despite the loss of the $1.7 million grant, a planned $4.5 million grant remains in place for the tribe’s distribution of beef and pecans to eligible tribal members, and the program’s second of four planned distributions moved forward this week. The program provides eligible Choctaw Nation tribal members with the opportunity to receive ground beef and cracked pecans.
“The remaining two are still to be carried out,” Sachs said.
Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton said the USDA remains an exceptional partner to the tribe, despite the loss of the grant.
“The LFPAP helps us provide high-quality, nutritious food to our Tribal members,” Batton said. “While we would have found beneficial ways to use the additional funding and provided food to more people, the initial grant remains in place and will allow us to feed thousands.”