For Denise S., winter can make life in rural Montana isolating. “Where I live out in the country, it gets pretty bad sometimes,” she said. “No one can get in or out.”

In Crow Agency, Denise received a Winter Emergency Box filled with food, cleaning supplies, and household essentials. The items made a difference for her and her family when travel wasn’t easy.

She usually shops in Billings, a 120-mile round trip. Denise said, “It saves me a lot,” to receive the Winter Emergency Box. “The cleaning stuff alone is a lifesaver because those things are expensive, and it does cost me money to travel. Whenever we go to Billings, which is not often, we come back with a lot of stuff to last us a few weeks.”

Not having to travel for supplies or spend money on gas gave her peace of mind. Denise lives with her husband and three other family members. She expected to go through the canned food quickly, but said the other items in the box would last about three months. Both she and her husband are retired. He was a park service ranger, and she worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. “We live on a tight budget,” she said.

Denise knows how much these supplies mean to others in her community. “I know a lot of it comes in handy, because they may be retired and don’t have a whole lot of income,” she said.

Winters in her area can be especially harsh. “Sometimes the power gets knocked out. The roads can get pretty muddy. Anytime there’s rain, you can forget [driving],” she said. When the roads wash out, her family stays closer to town. “We can’t get home. It may not seem like it’s far out of town, but the road gets pretty bad. It gets plowed once in a while.”

Denise, who is Apsáalooke (Crow), described her community as close-knit. “We’re a close-knit family. We rely on the clan system,” she said. “When we got my box, I started telling my family, and my husband started telling his family, and they spread the word that boxes were available to the elderly.”

Denise’s sense of community extends beyond her family. She often thinks about what would make life easier for others on the reservation. She hopes to see more residents versed in mechanics to help others when their cars break down, as repairs can be expensive. Her uncle used to haul firewood with his truck, but when it broke down, it became harder to keep their homes warm. “I hope our people can become more self-sufficient,” she said.

Denise often offers rides to those in need, and that spirit of helping others is part of what drives her pride in her heritage and the traditions she continues to pass on.

Family and heritage are central to Denise’s life. “It’s our family, being close to them, and being proud we can make stuff for them to participate [in cultural events],” she said. Denise sews and

does beadwork to create outfits for her grandchildren, including one grandson who competes in Indian relay, a traditional horseback riding sport.

Denise also runs a local craft group. “We get together and help each other with our projects and get ideas from each other.”

Her mother inspired her creativity and community involvement. “My mother was always doing that from home. She sold what she made and bought more supplies,” Denise said. Her sisters have also started craft groups in nearby communities, continuing the family tradition.

Language is another connection Denise works to preserve. “That was my first language,” she said of speaking Crow. “I think it’s very important to know the language because there are some meanings of actions that we can’t really translate into English. It’s maybe feelings that we have.” She has passed that knowledge on to her son.

To donors, Denise shared a simple, heartfelt message: “Thank you very much for your generosity. It’s very helpful. Thank you very much.”

Our program partner in Crow Agency, Edwina Little Light, was happy to distribute Winter Emergency Boxes, saying the supplies meet a critical need. She noted the high poverty rate in the area, affecting 40% of the residents. “I feel good because they all appreciate the boxes. They’re useful,” she said.

The Winter Emergency Box service is available through the Sioux Nation Relief Fund (SNRF) program of Partnership With Native Americans® (PWNA). Donate to SNRF today to help Elders like Denise have extra care and support during the harsh winter.