DURANT, OK – The Choctaw Development Fund awarded Coal County $150,000 in grant-matching funds to build a community center in Cottonwood, OK.
Cottonwood is a small, unincorporated community two miles outside of Coalgate that has a large elderly population. The funds received by Coal County will be used to match grant funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to build a community/activity center in Cottonwood, which will also serve nearby Lehigh. Together, the communities have roughly 400 residents, many of whom are elderly.
“I think it’s very exciting because that little community out there could use a community center,” said District 12 Council Member James Frazier. “We have a community center in Coalgate and one in Lehigh, but I think it’s important to serve the Cottonwood community, as well. When we did the check presentation, the community was very excited the Choctaw Nation was helping the county out.”
Once completed, the center will act as a vital resource for the residents of Cottonwood and Lehigh, offering a range of services and activities that promote an active lifestyle. The facility will serve nutritious meals to those without access to transportation, ensuring that no elderly individual in the community goes hungry or lacks proper nutrition.
