This past holiday season, 63-year-old Martha C., a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, watched her great-granddaughter Zylee open a Children’s Stocking provided by the Northern Plains Reservation Aid® (NPRA) program of Partnership With Native Americans® (PWNA). 

The Children’s Stockings — lovingly packed with winter gear, hygiene essentials, and toys — bring smiles to children ages 5 to 12 across the Northern Plains. For Martha and six-year-old Zylee, it meant more than just gifts; it meant hope. 

“I liked that little kit,” Martha said, referring to the toothbrush, toothpaste, and cup inside. She was also grateful for the hand sanitizer, tissues, warm hat, and gloves. 

There are limited shopping options in Martha’s small town of McLaughlin, South Dakota. To gather all the items included in the stocking, she would have to drive more than 80 miles one-way to Bismarck — a trip not always possible, especially for families already stretched thin. In McLaughlin, poverty affects roughly 20% of residents, almost double the U.S. average. 

As a full-time cook at the local Boys and Girls Club, Martha saw firsthand how much the stockings meant to the children. “The kids liked them,” she shared. “It helps if we can’t provide it. It’s good that [NPRA] can provide some of it. A lot of families — it helped.” 

At home, it’s just Martha and young Zylee, an energetic kindergartener learning the Lakota traditions from her great-grandmother. When they explored the stocking together, Zylee squealed with joy. She was especially excited about her new stuffed bison and flashlight. 

“It made me feel good because she got something,” Martha said warmly. She added that some children in the community probably didn’t get much over the holiday.   

To NPRA donors, Martha has just one message: “Thank them very much.” 

For families like Martha and Zylee, your support means more than a gift — it means being seen, valued, and cared for. Despite limited resources, PWNA and our Program Partners have helped change millions of lives over the past 30 years. 

This holiday season, you can bring joy, dignity, and hope to even more Native children across the Northern Plains by donating to NPRA today. Your generosity will light up a child’s world like you did for Zylee.