CASC Delegates C.A.R.E for Local Elderly While Celebrating Their Culture

(Back Row - L to R) Ivan Baker Jr., Noah Martin-NASNTI Technology Specialist, Micky Solomon - NASNTI Project Coordinator, Katie Herr - College FYI First Year Experience Coordinator, & Kaylia Trejo (Front Row - L to R) Jagger Meshaya, Montana Farmer-NASNTI Coaching Coordinator, Alizah Baker

Through a campus-wide collaboration, Carl Albert State College delegates recently distributed hand-made corn husk dolls to residents of The Oaks Nursing Home in Poteau, and plan to distribute additional dolls to residents of The Sequoyah Manor in Sallisaw next week. 

In November, CASC departments collaborated to create Project C.A.R.E. (Collaborating Areas, Respecting the Elderly) as one of the initiatives developed through celebrating Native American Heritage Month. 

This project would allow campus departments and student organizations to give back to their communities while also celebrating Native American culture. CASC students and employees were invited to participate in a variety of cultural workshops throughout November. One of the workshops provided education and training for how to build a traditional native corn husk doll. 

The corn husk dolls made in the cultural workshops on both campuses would be combined with donated items gathered by the CASC Native American Club and Residential Assistants, to make gift bags to deliver to residents of The Oaks Nursing Home and the Sallisaw Manor Nursing Home during the upcoming holiday season. 

“It has been an honor to tie Native American Heritage Month events to a community project,” said Micky Solomon, CASC Title III Project Director, “that several clubs and classes at CASC could support. I believe we should take every opportunity we can to show love to others. It has been a privilege to work with CASC’s partners, students, faculty, and staff on Project C.A.R.E.”

Rachel Johnson, Native American Club Sponsor and CASC Enrollment & Advisement Director, said every member that participated in making the corn husk dolls poured love into each package they made, and saw this service opportunity as a way to share a piece of their heritage with others, while also giving back to their communities.

KXMX News Staff

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