"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Greasy School Receives Helping Hand from Cherokees

Rodney Haddock (left), facilities associate, and Kenny Richard (right), facilities manager with Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs, unload boxed lunches the casino’s food service provided to Greasy School. Several Cherokee Nation entities and departments have come together to assist the community after its school was destroyed by fire earlier this week.

Cherokee Nation is stepping up to lend a helping hand to the Adair County community of Greasy after that community lost its school to a fire earlier this week.

The tribe’s Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs is providing boxed lunches to the students, faculty and other staff through Wednesday, to fill the gap until the school’s food supply can be replenished. Most of Greasy School’s 80 students are Cherokee, as well as many of its faculty and staff.

Cherokee Nation’s Office of Emergency Management has worked with the school to determine and help coordinate operational needs since the early morning fire destroyed all of its buildings, including the cafeteria and other outbuildings. In addition, OEM staff are working with the school’s cafeteria staff to solve temporary food storage issues, including providing a refrigerated truck and a freezer.

The tribe’s Office of Environmental Health is monitoring food safety and other environmental aspects of temporarily re-housing the classes at various sites throughout the community. Several modular buildings have been ordered, but until those arrive the school plans to hold classes at a community building built by the Nation and two local churches.

Other departments at Cherokee Nation are also poised to help. The tribe’s Human Services Group is looking into ways to provide assistance and Cherokee Nation’s Talking Leaves Job Corps plans to begin providing the school with meals later this week.