Help Ease Food Insecurity with Food & Water for Tribal Communities

Published May 3, 2022    By Helen Oliff

One of the worst feelings is uncertainty about whether you can put food on the table for your family. Communities that are facing geographic isolation, limited availability of jobs, and now supply chain issues behind the soaring food prices are feeling more challenged than ever.

PWNA’s Food & Water services help improve food access, bringing immediate relief for Native American Elders, families and children. We assist dozens of tribal food program partners to help address nutritional needs for thousands of people year-round, and especially Native American Elders, by:

• Supplying food boxes to food pantries
• Providing staple foods to Elderly Nutrition Centers and soup kitchens preparing hot meals for Elders
• Providing breakfast foods for Native Elders, such as eggs, fruit, cereal, milk, oats and fruit
• Distributing emergency food boxes to Elders
• Delivering bottled water with most food deliveries
• Supplying community-wide meals during major holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas
• Supporting gardening through tilling and training (aka our Project Grow service)

We are sensitive to the fact that, even pre-pandemic, low food security was a factor for one in four Native American households. This means not enough food quality, variety, or desirability of dietary intake for a healthy lifestyle. Add to this out-of-control food prices, the sparse grocery stores on some reservations, and the limited availability of food on convenience store shelves and it is a lot to bear.

Coinciding with the lack of access to healthy food is the high rate of nutrition-related disease such as diabetes and obesity, even among youth. Contaminated drinking water is also an issue year-round in many of the communities that Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA) serves.

Despite the many food banks that operate within reservation areas, a study by America’s Second Harvest shows that most lack an adequate supply of food to meet demand.

PWNA is committed to improving food access and supporting food sovereignty for Native American communities whose food supply was disrupted by the westward expansion and reservation system. Please take a moment to donate today to support these vital food services, because no one should have to go hungry or worry about food.