SHAWNEE, Okla. (KOKH) — A tribal nation has made a major donation to help save a non-profit mental health agency.
The Citizen Potawatomi Nation donated $1.7 million to Gateway to Prevention and Recovery in Shawnee, a non-profit organization that offers treatment services to address mental health, substance abuse, and gambling addiction in rural Oklahoma.
Organizers say the funds will help Gateway pay a debt for its newly constructed facility after it did not receive expected funds from the Oklahoma State Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in 2025.
“This is an incredibly generous donation,” said Jon Greenwood, CEO of Gateway. “It means the world to us. It means our mission and vision can still be accomplished.”
Greenwood says budget cuts had forced them to downsize staff and close an office in Seminole. Without this donation, they say they may have been forced to sell the new Shawnee facility.
“These services are important. We are happy to be able to provide the funding Gateway needs to continue to help people and families in our community. This is another example of how tribal partnerships can benefit everyone,” CPN Tribal Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett said.
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An agreement between the tribe and Gateway says the organization must provide services to prevent and treat opioid use among Native and non-Native clients in Pottawatomie County and the Tribe’s reservation.