Emergency Winter (as in frigid & blizzards) Update for Project Lakota
Dear Friends of Project Lakota,
I hope you are having a happy, safe, and warm holidays!
Yesterday a large blizzard hit the state of South Dakota, so my thoughts have been with the Lakota people, especially those who are in dire need of adequate housing. According to weather reports, Oglala, a town on Pine Ridge, received 18 inches of snow yesterday. Just try to imagine spending the holidays in houses where you can feel the cold wind coming in or worrying that your pipes might freeze due to poor or no insulation. This is the reality for many families living on Pine Ridge.
In September, at a conference of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships working with Northern Plains tribes, tribal housing officials said that 4,000 new houses are needed on Pine Ridge Reservation alone and a total of 600,000 Native people are homeless in the US.
In the past couple weeks, Candy Boyd, Co-Coordinator of Project Lakota, has received several urgent requests for help that need to be taken care of soon:
Needed immediately to repair a grandmother’s trailer kitchen roof (2 long rifts) where the snow is blowing in and soon-to-be falling in:
Total cost of the repairs: $1312
The family, including 6 grandchildren being raised by the grandmother, also needs indoor plumbing (currently using an outhouse). We’ve bought some of the materials but need contributions for the labor.
Needed immediately to put underskirt on an old mobile home which prevents the home from blowing over in the severe winds on the reservation and prevents freezing of pipes.
Total cost for the materials: $80
Needed immediately — plywood to make a kitchen floor for an old trailer that has gaping holes in the floor.
Total cost for the materials: $125
Needed immediately – plastic to cover open windows (i.e. no glass) and 2 bundles of laths for an old mobile home. It doesn’t make sense for the family to buy propane for the heat until the windows are covered with something.
Total cost for the materials: $65
The last three requests represent 3 different families and the labor will be donated by family, neighbors, or a partner not-for-profit on the reservation.
Please send donations to help fund these projects to Project Lakota (check made out to St. Louis Friends Meeting with Project Lakota in the memo line), 7429 Brunswick Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119
We know that this has been a hard year with the economy. Even if you can only donate a small amount, it will help make a difference for these four Lakota families. Again, Candy and I don’t take any money to cover our expenses to run Project Lakota.
If you have any questions about these projects, please contact Candy Boyd, 314-623-7829 or candyboydwrite (at) yahoo.com.
Happy Holidays to everyone!
Greg Woods
Co-Coordinator
Project Lakota