The Citizen Potawatomi Nation has donated $1.7 million to Gateway to Prevention and Recovery, Inc., helping the nonprofit continue serving rural communities after state funding cuts threatened its operations.
Gateway, based in Shawnee, provides treatment services and wellness programs addressing mental health, substance misuse, and gambling addiction across rural Oklahoma. The funding arrives at a critical time, as the organization was among several providers that did not receive anticipated support from the Oklahoma State Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in 2025.
The $1.7 million contribution will allow Gateway to retire debt tied to its newly constructed facility—an obligation that had placed the organization in a precarious financial position.
“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 said the loss of state funding forced Gateway to reduce staff, scale back operations, and close an office in Seminole. Without the tribal donation, the organization may have had to sell its new Shawnee facility to remain operational.
Instead, the funding ensures Gateway can maintain the facility and continue delivering critical services to both Tribal citizens and the broader community within and surrounding the Potawatomi reservation.
“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,” said John “Rocky” Barrett, chairman of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
Under the agreement, Gateway will continue to provide prevention and treatment services for opioid use disorder, along with other substance use and mental health conditions, serving both Native and non-Native clients in Pottawatomie County and on the Tribe’s reservation.
The donation is funded through proceeds from the National Opioids Settlement Agreement, which supports efforts to prevent opioid misuse and expand access to treatment for substance use and mental health conditions.
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