The Title VI program designated for Native Americans over 55 used to subsidize lunch for non-Natives, but as of April, those without a CDIB or tribal ID from a federally recognized tribe must now pay the $6 cost of lunch.
This change comes after a review of how much funding it took to subsidize lunch for the non-Native portion of the population in Osage County. “It’s around $96,000 a year, food cost only,” said Amy Dobbins, who directs the Title VI program. “It’s a stretch.”
In 2023, the U.S. census estimated a population of 46,130 in the county, with 21.7 percent of residents being 65 and older. With the 55-and-over designation of Title VI, that’s around a quarter of Osage County residents over 55 who were eligible to be served a reduced or no-cost lunch. And in reality, not all the elders who were approaching the counter did so with gratitude.
“You should be serving us,” one non-Native regular was overheard remarking to a Native American working in the program. And the meals served are attractive to elders, including a mixture of higher- and lower-end meals, such as roast beef, and cornbread with beans and okra. During a recent weather crisis that took out their refrigerator supply, Title VI Cook Melissa Fleener impressed diners while using shelf-stable foods alone. “She can do anything on the fly,” Dobbins said of Fleener, who is Osage. “I can give her coconut milk, spam and rigatoni and people will come out saying that’s the best meal I ever had. She’s very talented.”
In evaluating whether Title VI could sustainably continue serving non-Natives, James Razzle of the Si-Si A-Pe-Txa Board worked with Dobbins to find out the average cost per meal, including both lower- and higher-cost meals. That number is between $7,000 and $8,000 a month.
When Razzle and Dobbins saw the true cost of serving all the non-Natives who were receiving home delivery, carry-out and dine-in service, they had to make their choice. “When we saw how much the overage was, we saw we couldn’t get out of it,” Dobbins said. “We did issue a letter to Osage County as of last Monday [April 15] that we are serving Native Americans age 55 and older, anyone is welcome to walk into the site and eat, at the Fairfax site.” Dobbins stresses that non-Natives can still have lunch at Title VI. “There was some misinformation that was circled about that non-Natives cannot even enter that site. That is untrue.”
Dobbins said she asked the county for resources and contact information for alternative programs, but her request was not answered. “That was one question from the elders,” she said. Those who are in need can go to New Hope Christian Fellowship, and for those who want to continue eating at Title VI and have the $6, they can most certainly enter the Fairfax location.
Dobbins commented that the program will continue to serve everyone with heart, and she is very proud of her staff who make this possible. Brenden Rogers, who is Cherokee, was out delivering meals from the kitchen to the front at the Civic Center this week, and said he loves his job, which is both meaningful and fast-paced. Elder Nutrition looks forward to seeing everyone again in Pawhuska, when in-person meals are expected to resume in July, as soon as repairs related to water damage from a waterline break have been completed.
Currently, Title VI lunch is available from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. via a curbside drive-through at the Civic Center in Pawhuska, 1449 W. Main Street, and has been operating in this fashion since March. The Fairfax address for Title VI lunch remains the same, Elder Nutrition at 401 S. 8th Street, Fairfax, Okla. To receive reduced- or no-cost lunch for Native Americans over 55, present a CDIB or tribal membership card. The suggested donation for Native Americans over 55 years of age is $2. More information is available at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/services/elder-nutrition.
