A bill to effectively outlaw municipal funding of homeless shelters outside of Tulsa and Oklahoma City is drawing confusion and opposition among advocates and professionals who serve unhoused Oklahomans.
Tahlequah United Methodist Church’s community center doubles as one of the biggest homeless shelters in Cherokee County during winter weather events, which is a point of pride for its pastor, Rev. Shana Dry.
- Previous coverage >>> Tahlequah church steps in as shelter during frigid temperatures
“It takes a whole community to come together,” Rev. Dry said of the volunteer efforts combined with municipal support for the warming shelter. One of its requirements is having a Tahlequah police officer’s presence.
“We serve between 70 and 80 (people),” the minister added. “And any given night, we had over 69 that stay here during different times through the last (freeze and snowfall).”…