Lakota Friends Circle Achievements for 2019 Wanblee, SD February 24, 2020 |
  Lakota Friends Circle has now been a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization for five years. It was founded by a small group of people who wanted to support the community activities of Theresa and Jerome High Horse in Wanblee on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Since then we have been joined by four partner groups and our support has been extended to a number of Native-led organizations on Pine Ridge, Rosebud and Yankton Reservations. These groups are: Sew For Kids; For the Children of Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservation; Half Knits; and Pine Ridge Elders. While LFC is the fiscal sponsor and raises the money for projects that need funds, the partner groups provide practical items, many handmade, for these projects. Between them they have now sent over 10,000 items, including: blankets; hats, gloves, and scarves; coats; school supplies; books; baby clothing, diapers, and toiletries; stuffed animals, dolls, and toys; food boxes; and reusable cloth bags. In 2019 a total of $33,500 was raised and spent or allocated for existing projects. We are so thankful for all of you who contributed. Below are some highlights of what was accomplished, first by LFC and then by the partner groups.   Lakota Friends CircleDonated food was picked up from the Running Strong for American Indian Youth warehouse in Manderson, SD when available, and once or twice a month from the We Don’t Waste organization in Denver (a twelve-hour round-trip drive). The food was distributed locally to more than 150 families in Wanblee and surrounding communities and to the Gather Our Children emergency foster home. Monetary donations provided the funding for the gas required and for repairs and new tires for the truck.The volunteer Wanblee Woodchucks cut and delivered wood for more than 30 elders and families that heat their homes with a woodstove. LFC provided the gas needed and funds to repair the chain saws. One generous donor bought two new saws for the program.Each month we provided perishable foods and laundry detergent to the My Place Youth Center and the Sacred Shawl Society domestic abuse shelter.Each month we provided disposable diapers, baby toiletries, and formula to the Sacred Shawl Society domestic abuse shelter, the Bright Start program and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Maternal and Child Health program.Snacks were bought for the children at Marty Indian school on the Yankton Sioux Reservation in Marty, SD.A freezer and a tankful of propane were purchased for the Emergency foster care home. $500 of propane was bought for Ruby, a local volunteer who feeds many homeless people in Pine Ridge. This was made possible by members of For the Children of Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservation.A tiled floor was installed in the Sacred Shawl Society domestic abuse shelter. The $450 cost was raised by members of For the Children of Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservation.A log splitter was purchased using money raised through the Giving Tuesday event.Three donated trailer homes were moved from Pine Ridge Village to Wanblee. Electrical wiring and other necessary building supplies were purchased. Around $10,000 was raised for this project through a special fundraising appeal to LFC donors. The trailers are in place but each still needs tie-down securing, skirting, and two sets of steps. The installation of these has been delayed by bad weather, but hopefully three needy families will be able to move in by spring. A few donors helped provide funds for some lots that Jerome High Horse was able to purchase privately from the landowner. The initial plan is to build a food pantry and weekend soup kitchen for the community, followed by a vegetable garden, a laundromat, a community room for events and activities, and a library and homework room requested by the local kids. Sew For KidsSent clothing, coats, shoes, comfort bags, toiletry bags, school supplies and backpacks to the women’s shelter in Martin.Made reusable cloth bags for all donation areas to transition them from using plastic bags to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly choice.Provided sheets, pillows and pillowcases and towels to the women’s shelter, Marty Indian School and the Wanblee community.Books were sent to the shelter and youth center in Martin, some Head Starts on Pine Ridge, Marty Indian School, foster care home and the elder center in Wanblee.Provided clothing, cookware and utensils, sheets, towels, blankets, storage containers and shelving, school supplies, toys, laundry detergent, toiletries, diapers and formula to the Emergency Foster Care Home.Provided warm winter gear to the Woodchucks in Wanblee, including gloves, chopper mitts (thank you Beulah!), coats, overalls, boots, long underwear and hats. Many thanks to generous SFK members who donated many pairs of work gloves, coats and overalls for the men and for others that made monetary donations for the purchase of work boots.Sent warm clothing and coats to Marty Indian School and the Community Development Corporation in Martin for distribution to local schools, the youth center and anyone in the community in need. Winter needs were also sent to the Wanblee community and Rosebud Reservation.Several members of SFK are room parents at Marty Indian School and have sent and will send throughout the year school and party supplies, books, Christmas and birthday gifts, etc. Our entire group supported the school’s Feather Store by sending clothing, toiletries, school supplies, toys, shoes, socks and underwear, blankets, snacks, etc.Baby items including clothing, toiletries, blankets, diaper bags, toys and books, diapers and formula were sent to our two baby programs Bright Start and RST Maternal and Child Health on Rosebud Reservation.Sent swimsuits, towels, goggles, summer toys, games and movies to the youth center in Martin. Filled toiletry bags and sewing supplies that were sent to Martin for the Isnati coming of age ceremony for girls.Provided toys and other Christmas gifts for all donation areas. Over 500 stuffed animals and dolls with wardrobes were part of those gifts, made possible thru our Doll ProgramHead Start kids on Pine Ridge each received a blanket, stuffed animal and a book from SFK and many from the group “Dolls of Hope”.Generously gave lap robes, shawls, toiletries, slippers and many other gifts for residents of nursing homes in Martin and Pine Ridge. For the Children of Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservation Our members generously donate to areas served by LFC, but additionally support elementary school children on the Rosebud Reservation plus veterans and the homeless on Pine Ridge. Provided back packs, school supplies, books, toiletries, games, toys, hats and mittens, warm blankets and a small Christmas stocking to the 300 children in the elementary school on Rosebud ReservationMany coats, blankets, scarves, mittens and gloves were sent to the Wanblee community, plus the women’s shelter and youth center in Martin.Sent toys, toiletries, games, warm clothing, bedding, laundry soap, etc. to the Emergency Foster Care Home in Porcupine and the women’s shelter in Martin.Sent diapers, formula, clothing, toiletry bags, sanitary items and tea bags (for moms), blankets, sweaters, books and toys to Bright Start and RST Maternal and Child Health on Rosebud.Generous donations from individual members include a TV, DVD and CD player, movies, books, floor lamps and crock pots for the women’s shelter in Martin.Sent monthly food boxes to the youth center and women’s shelter and included a recipe, ingredients, utensils, etc. so residents could learn to cook. The youth center now has a regular program called “Kids in the Kitchen”, sponsored by our members.Sent pots, pans and food items to Ruby, a woman who feeds the homeless in Pine Ridge.Sent many books to all the areas we help on Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations.Provided each resident at the Veterans Home in Pine Ridge with a Christmas gift.Provided Christmas gifts for the children in Wanblee and Martin.Provided warm hats, mittens, gloves, etc. for the homeless in Pine Ridge. Halfknits Halfknits is a partner group from Dallas, Texas which was started 16 years ago to provide local charities with blankets and other warm items. Warmer items made largely by eight members and not needed locally are donated to Pine Ridge organizations. This past September group leader Kat and her husband delivered 209 blankets, 30 shawls, over 300 hats and 40 pillowcases to the South Dakota areas we serve! In December Kat mailed 15 blankets and some hats to Marty Indian School for the second-grade class, who were thrilled by the donation! Pine Ridge Elders The Pine Ridge Elders group was initially formed to help elders on Pine Ridge, but has now expanded to include all ages. When a need arises this small but mighty group rallies to the cause and helps as much as they can. They knit, crochet, sew and send food, toiletries and other items to organizations needing help and occasionally people they hear of needing assistance. In 2019 year they helped Wanblee and the Sacred Shawl Society domestic abuse shelter with warm clothing, hats and gloves, etc. When they heard that four 5th grade classes at Wolf Creek Elementary School on Pine Ridge had no heat in their classrooms, they sent blankets, hats and mittens and healthy snacks to the students so they could stay warm and concentrate on learning. They also provided food and other items for the family of a local Native American suffering from cancer and severe heart problems. This man has given so much of his time volunteering to help people in the community but now struggles just to feed his family and needs help himself. Lakota Friends Circle is proud of what was accomplished in 2019. We try to help areas and organizations we know are not getting much assistance and would benefit from some outside support. Again, our thanks to all of you for a job well done! We will be sharing the news of projects for 2020 as they become available. Anne FieldsVice President, Lakota Friends Circle |
