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State Sen. Brent Howard, left, SWODA board member Edie Brown, Keith Young (Cordell Senior Citizens Center), SWODA board member Leo Goerginger, and State Rep. Todd Russ during the CENA grant presentation July 24, 2019. Photo courtesy of Mary Peck, SWODA.
Washita County agencies and organizations were recently awarded more than $325,000 in grant funding. The grant awards were presented July 24, 2019, by the Southwestern Oklahoma Development Agency (SWODA) and local legislators.
Six Community Enhancement of Nutritional Assistance (CENA) grants were awarded to organizations in Washita County, totaling $21,395. CENA grants assist rural communities in provided nutritional meals to senior citizens through various community or volunteer programs.
The Washita County CENA grant recipients were Cordell Senior Citizens Center ($7,480), Dill City Senior Citizens Center ($5,253), Town of Sentinel Senior Citizens Center ($5,037), Town of Rocky Nutrition Site ($1,625), Cloud Chief Senior Center ($1,000), and Corn Senior Citizen Center ($1,000).
Six Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grants were also awarded to Washita County agencies and municipalities, totaling $312,847. REAP grants are a way the state helps supplement the coffers of rural communities, by reserving some of the collected sales tax revenue from larger cities who are often the beneficiaries of rural customers.
The Town of Cloud Chief Fire Department was awarded $75,000 to help fund an addition to the fire station. Washita County/Washita Rural District #2 also received $75,000 for the installation of a telemetry system for five standpipes and three water wells, while the Town of Rocky picked up $75,000 to purchase a loader/backhoe unit for its water department. The Washita County Conservancy District was granted $52,847 for a compact excavator. The fire departments of Colony and Dill City were given $20,000 and $15,000, respectively, to assist with repair costs.
SWODA helps rural communities throughout Washita, Beckham, Custer, Kiowa, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, and Roger Mills counties apply for CENA and REAP grants to help improve the lives of citizens in those communities. In 2019, SWODA helped the communities in its eight county operating area secure more than $1 million in grant funding.