Increasing Food Security with Olo for Good & Tides Foundation

Published July 18, 2023    By Joshua Arce

The need for access to healthy food and clean drinking water on remote reservations cannot be overstated. Thanks to a generous gift of $150,000 from Olo For Good (Olo) and Tides Foundation (Tides), PWNA will increase food security in marginalized reservation communities across the U.S.

The defining characteristic of food insecurity is reduced food intake and disruption of normal eating patterns due to lack of money and other resources. This happens periodically to 23% of Native American families. With water insecurity, the overriding issue is the absence of adequate government funding to make good on treaty obligations. This leaves about 10% of Native Americans without access to safe tap water, hauling water to their homes and rationing it for daily use.

About Olo and Tides

Olo is part of the Pledge 1% movement, committing one percent of their time, product and equity to sustainable social impact. Olo first teamed up with PWNA in 2022 to distribute fresh produce and ancestral foods on the reservations. These traditional foods like bison, mutton, squash, corn and beans are healthy and preserve a cultural connection. Tides Foundation partners to help nonprofits accelerate the pace of social change and social justice. All of us at PWNA are ever grateful for their care and support to improve quality of life in Indian Country.

Act Now:  Help PWNA deliver more food and water to the reservations and build skills for self-reliance.

Using the Gift

PWNA will use their gift for immediate relief and skill-building. After we distribute ancestral foods to residents, Native chefs will host demonstrations using similar foods. This will leave behind the knowledge and skills to prepare healthy traditional meals and embrace food as medicine. Funding some food-related Community Investment Projects (CIPs) will also create a sustainable impact in Tribal communities. Projects such as food preservation training and gardening increase access to healthy foods and help address health disparities like diabetes.

Native Americans are in a constant battle against food insecurity, so we are carefully selecting the communities to be served.