Choctaw Nation
Kelsey Brown
DURANT – The COVID-19 pandemic has made protective face coverings a back-to-school supply for students this semester. The Choctaw Nation is providing high-quality, washable cloth masks for all Native American students attending school in the 10.5 counties of the Choctaw Nation.
“We are providing the masks and the Johnson-O’Malley Program is actually handling the distribution,” said Jeff Hansen, director of Choctaw Nation Emergency Management Department.
Johnson-O’Malley (JOM), a federal program within each school district that assists all Native American students, is coordinating with the Choctaw Nation Emergency Management Department to ensure a mask is delivered to each student.
“Masks are being furnished to all Native American students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade in 85 southeast Oklahoma schools,” said Shane Haddock, director of the Choctaw Nation JOM Program.
Currently, they are waiting on a new arrival of child-size masks for final delivery to the schools.
“Total number of masks that will have been delivered when completed is 13,588,” Haddock said.
For more information about student mask distribution, contact Shane Haddock, director of the Choctaw Nation JOM Program, at 1-800-522-6170 extensions 2258, 2423 or 2213 or shaddock@choctawnation.com.