Another cold winter is arriving, with temperatures already below freezing on the Rez. Lakota Friends Circle needs to refill its coffers for 2024 to continue to support the programs where we feel that our help has made a difference. Our focus still remains on helping programs with basic needs but which also provide an educational component to those they serve so that it is not just “a hand out but a hand up”. Providing people with skills encourages self sufficiency. LFC and its partner groups are only able to accomplish this with our donors’ support both material and monetary. Without you, we could not do what we do.
Gather Our Children Home, (WGO) an emergency placement home for abused and neglected children, and supported by SFK implemented many new policies over the past months that were required by the state for licensing purposes and by Child Protective Services. They have new staff with needed skills. Those changes have brought positive changes to the home to ensure that kids 0-12 years, many of whom have been sexually abused and arrive malnourished or unkempt, or who are born to drug addicted moms are now in a safe environment. Kids are fed, clothed, kept clean, updated on their health issues and provided with toys, books and love. Many kids have trauma from their experiences and require help from experts in the area. Many kids act out initially as they build trust in their providers. The kids’ environment is kept as normal as possible – attending school, keeping to a daily schedule so they know how their day will progress. In the meantime, Child Protective Services works on finding a good foster home with relatives if possible. If no one is found, the child stays in the home in foster care until such a placement becomes available or a parent has proven that they can provide a safe living environment, basic needs and has a job or is going to school to better themselves. Many families are very poor and live with others in a crowded home environment that is not conducive to keeping kids safe. LFC and SFK volunteers have provided food, seasonal clothes, toys, toiletries, blankets, funding for consultant skills and paying for the phone/ internet for the time being and occasionally filling the propane tank to keep kids warm or cool. LFC has also purchased appliances in the past.
Marty Indian School – Sew For Kids Volunteers work with LFC on making sure kids have learning tools from day one and proper clothing to attend school. Kids at the beginning of this school year were given 2 new seasonal outfits, a pair of prized Pjs, and school supplies. Some of our volunteers, once again, became room parents from afar to provide teachers with items for special science/school projects, crafts, holiday celebrations, classroom learning tools, and special books. Others filled the Buffalo Shoppe ( formerly the Feather store), a store that SFKV has filled with basic needs for kids – clothes, toiletries, toys, books, linens and blankets. Kids are dressed warmly so they can go outside at recess or go on trips such as the recent visit to the pumpkin patch dressed for the weather. Kids earn buffalo bucks for following Dakota values each week to spend in the shop . Some use the money to buy something fun, others use it for a family need. The shoppe also provides a learning experience for grades 3-5 on how to run a business. LFC has a snack fund that provides daily healthy snacks for kids before they head home to ensure they have something in their bellies for the evening. Breakfast and lunch are provided at school. The snack funding comes entirely from monthly or one time donations. Supporters also purchase items made for dolls by crafty donors who make them for gifting a doll to a child at Christmas or other times and the profits are donated to the fund . The library we set up in past years is not being used as intended due to lack of staff. The books will be distributed by the reading specialist at the school, to the various classes so that they have more variety in their small class libraries. Kids are encouraged to choose a book to read. Reading scores and math scores have improved since we started helping, thanks to the efforts of teachers and the reading specialists to work on those two areas , as well as in other subjects like science, social studies etc. One of our donors gave a donation to Marty Indian school and the school bought a 3D machine . Kids are learning about design and what needs to be considered when designing such an item. Games and some outside equipment were purchased with another donation so that kids could play inside on days when the weather was not cooperative.
Rosebud Elementary School – Our partner group For the Children of Pine Ridge Reservation and Rosebud sends warm items to the 300+ children at the school at the beginning of the school year, for Christmas, and for special holidays. Kids come from very poor homes so having basic needs to attend school and learning tools and some fun items , makes their lives more tolerable and happier.
The 2 baby programs Bright Start on PRR and RST Maternal and Child Health on Rosebud reservation ,that are overseen by visiting nurses , provide basic needs like diapers, baby toiletries, blankets, clothing , learning tools and books for mom and baby. The nurses visit every 2 weeks in the Bright Start program on Pine Ridge Rez and monthly in RST Maternal and Child. They provide education to the moms on child rearing and catch issues early in the mom and child that need addressed. Moms are encouraged to continue their education. Funding for the basic needs like diapers ,sanitary items, and toiletries are provided through a one time donation to LFC or from a monthly donation, specific to our baby programs . While the baby program monthly donation was initially set up to provide only for these 2 programs, it has expanded to the foster home, to babies in our community programs, and to the shelter for those experiencing domestic violence. Both SFK and For the Children of PRR and Rosebud support the baby programs.
The White Buffalo Calf Woman’s Society situated on Rosebud Rez in SD – the only shelter available to women and men on the reservations in SD, also draws clients from ND, and Nebraska. This shelter is sorely needed. Missing and murdered women are not an uncommon occurrence on Indian reservations. The WBCWS provides education to clients in the shelter but also to those in the community, many who have been clients at one time. It also provides material needs. Our donors send material items like clothes, gifts, blankets etc to the home. LFC donations provide the diapers, toiletries, sanitary items for the shelter. Both SFK and For the Children of PRR and Rosebud support the shelter.
The scholarship program we feel has been a success, Thanks to our benevolent donors, LFC is deeply committed to education, we were able to set up a scholarship initiative for college or trade school-bound students, aiding in their purchase of essential books or tools. Originating with a single scholarship recipient, we now support five students, each pursuing varied but vital careers including law, academia, civil engineering, and carpentry. Our goal is to persist and expand our $1,000 per semester scholarships to these aspiring individuals, contingent upon their successful completion of the preceding semester. We definitely need your support for this program to continue.
LFC helps other areas as well with the help of our partner groups.
Wanblee Child Youth and Elder program LFC provides funds to keep the Kennedy Hall open for community events but also to receive donations from the biweekly NAHA trucks. We buy the bags that they need to package items for individual families. LFC pays the monthly electric bill. Our SFK donors send basic items to the area that includes not only Wanblee but the smaller and poorer surrounding communities off the beaten track. We are gearing up for the Christmas holidays, sending gifts for the kids and elders, and most likely some food for the party if asked. We do send them some diapers and toiletries for elders and babies throughout the year or for a request that comes in for a special need. Soon the Woodchucks who cut wood for the people of communities around and in Wanblee who have wood stoves will be out cutting wood to deliver to the leaky reservation homes. and may need some warm clothing.
The Veterans Home on PRR receives basic needs from our partner For the Children of Pine Ridge Reservation to the 15 people living there.
The White Clay Nursing Home also receives items from For the Children of PRR and Rosebud , like shawls and blankets for the clients and has been providing funds to LFC to buy food for the weekly talking/social circle. With the loss of our dear friend Ruby who was instrumental in setting this program up, because few residents have visitors, we hope it will continue. And until recently, this group has also provided needed items like clothes, food, toiletries to the homeless which the group hopes they can continue doing with a new head .
Pine Ridge Elders is another partner group of LFC that sends warm winter hats, mittens, blankets, shawls to our various areas as well as helps a teacher at Porcupine school with needs for the kids in her classroom.
Finally, all our partner groups have been assisting Reservation Outreach with some of their needs for their population in Red Shirt and Oglala. While our present project is providing gifts for the Christmas season, throughout the year, we have sent school supplies, mattresses, clothing, blankets, toiletries, smoke detectors, fire extinguisher, coffee maker, pantry shelves, and funds for filling their pantry.
We thank you for your past support and hope to count on your future support. Thanks to you, babies have diapers, people are fed and kept warm and clean. Thanks to you, scholarships to empower the youth of Pine Ridge were possible. Your tax deductible donations make a difference! Giving Tuesday and SD Gives Day are on November 28, 2023. Please consider making a monthly or one-time donation to Lakota Friends Circle. Donations can be made here https://www.lakotafriendscircle.org/donate/ on or before that day or at any time.. Check out our website or our facebook page . Material donations to the various organizations we help can be made by following the links on the Ravelry group For the Children of Pine RidgeReservation and Rosebud and Sew for Kids .
