Friday, January 31, 2025
Bella Casey Stephanie Gallion embraced Donnie Wallace after Wallace announced he was one month sober.
‘If you don’t see them, who will?’ Cardinals Love for the Homeless helps Stillwater unhoused community one dinner at a time
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BY BELLA CASEY
s Stephanie Gallion scoops a heaping portion of pulled pork onto a plate, she sees herself in the unhoused woman she is serving. Gallion spent many years unhoused, bouncing from city to city with her husband and four children. She lived a lot of lives during that time — restaurant owner, cook, addict. Yet she felt invisible. “I literally would walk up to somebody and say, ‘Hey, can you see me? Hi,’” Gallion said. “And they’d look at me like I was drugged out.”
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Gallion is housed now, but unlike those who shunned her while she was on the streets, she couldn’t look away from the Stillwater unhoused population. Despite barely having any money to spare, Gallion began helping the unhoused people she saw in her community. It began with bringing Ziploc bags of chili to people in a park, and it grew into a weekly lunch at Christian Missionary Alliance Church. She named it Cardinals Love for the Homeless. Who she’s helped Tammy McKinney’s feet burned
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with every step she took on the hot pavement. She couldn’t take it anymore. “I went to Grand Lake (Grand Lake Mental Health Assistance) and told them, ‘I’m ready to stick my jugular,’” McKinney said. “I can’t take another night. I can’t do it. I’m dying of heat. I need something to drink.’ You know, food stamps only last two weeks to be practical of what they offer you.” McKinney’s house burned down in a fire, and she received housing assistance afterward but said she had the wrong roommates, which led to her becoming unhoused. She said there is
no help for those who have lost their homes to fires in Stillwater, and many suggested she turn to churches for help. “And I felt like that’s all we did was knock on doors of churches, and they get tired of hearing it,” McKinney said. “It’s a revolving door with them.” McKinney’s Red Cross assistance money stretched thinner each time she rapped her knuckles on a church door. It eventually ran out, and she found herself living in a tent.
See COMMUNITY on page 5A
Trump administration pauses federal grants, impact for OSU’s research currently unknown KENNEDY THOMASON
STAFF REPORTER @_KENNEDYPAGE The federal Office of Management and Budget has ordered all federal grants, loans and assistance programs be paused. The office distributed a memorandum Monday, which has since been rescinded, citing President Donald Trump’s “policies and requirements” as its reasoning. The pause took ef-
fect 5 p.m. ET Tuesday, though much confusion remained over the order’s exclusions and a federal judge’s block on it. OSU Vice President for Research Kenneth Sewell said in an email Thursday that a “lack of clarity in the communications coming from the federal government thus far” has made it impossible to predict how many projects the order could affect at OSU. Sewell, who said he was traveling internationally, was not available for an interview.
See GRANTS on page 7A
Courtesy Creative Commons The federal Office of Management and budget paused all federal grants Tuesday.
Payton Little Eskimo Joe’s is celebrating its 50th anniversary July 14-20.
Eskimo Joe’s celebrates 50 years HAYDEN ALEXANDER NEWS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR
story building on Elm. “Within a half hour of Steve coming up with this idea, we shook hands and agreed on it,” Clark said. They had acquired the property, but what about a name? As Clark and File began remodeling, they brainstormed Stan Clark lay on the couch watch- ideas for what to call their fledgling ing reruns of “Star Trek.” It was the business. File suggested Eskimo Joe’s, summer of 1975, and Clark had just and the crazy name took hold quickly. graduated from OSU with a business Clark said his friends would chant degree. “Eskimo Joe’s.” Their shouts sold him Suddenly, Clark’s friend, Steve File, on the idea. The 22-year-old self-proburst into the room, declaring loudly claimed marketing guru knew they he wanted to open a bar. Clark was needed a logo worthy of the name. all for the idea and had a location in “We needed a logo and a symbol mind. The friends hopped in File’s that would conjure up our business in 1953 Chevy and cruised to 501 W. Elm the hearts and minds of our customAve. ers,” Clark said. Less than an hour later, Clark and File were the proud owners of a two-
See JOES on page 6A