The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference (OIMC) contributed $5,000 from its disaster response fund on Aug. 29, 2019 to Webbers Falls Public Schools. The school, serving 300 students in grades K-12, was submerged in water after historic floods in May. The water destroyed classroom materials, books, desks, chairs and other teaching materials.
“While visiting family nearby Webber Falls, I learned in a news report that the insurance for the school would only cover about half of what they needed,” said the Rev. David Wilson, OIMC conference superintendent. He says the Webber Falls School enrollment is about 55 percent Cherokee students and in the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation. Officials had to pushed back the school start date to Sept. 9 due to the clean-up efforts.
“It is such a joy to be able to share the resources of The United Methodist Church with persons and places who need support,” said Wilson.
Webbers Falls is an historic Cherokee community and is located right by the Arkansas river which engulfed almost the entire town. In addition to the financial donation, the United Methodist Committee on Relief shipped hundreds of school kits to the Webber Falls schools earlier this summer.
