In the western stretch of the Navajo Nation, life in Inscription House, Arizona, often requires careful planning. Distances are long, options are limited, and everyday necessities are not always close at hand. 

For Priscilla B., these challenges are part of daily life. She works at the local Chapter House while also caring for her 85-year-old mother, balancing her responsibilities at work and at home. 

Like many families in Inscription House, Priscilla balances her time between caregiving, work, and making sure her household has what it needs. Getting basic supplies is not simple. While the community has a small trading post and convenience store, prices are often far beyond what families can afford.  

“Here we have a trading post, but the prices are ridiculous,” says Priscilla. 

For more affordable options, she travels long distances. The nearest on-reservation grocery store is about 45 minutes away in Kayenta, and at times, she drives more than an hour each way to Page. “What we want at low prices is miles away, so we have to spend on gas,” she says. 

For many in the community, especially Elders without transportation, making those trips is not always possible. “Out there, people think it’s just a simple run to get a toothbrush,” says Priscilla. “But it’s not like that here.” 

At the Inscription House Senior Center, our Program Partner, Carol B., and her small team work to support Elders across the area. Through a partnership with the Navajo Relief Fund (NRF) program of Partnership With Native Americans® (PWNA), the center distributed Emergency Food Boxes to 100 Elders, each filled with nonperishable foods, bottled water, paper towels, and toilet paper. 

When Priscilla saw the boxes, she immediately recognized their value.  

“With a glance in the box, those are all essentials,” says Priscilla . “It’s good that there are daily-use items like toiletries, food, and all those things.” 

For someone caring for an Elder, those items make a meaningful difference.  

“With my mom and the other Elders, we help them out with a lot of things,” says Priscilla. “Things as simple as toilet paper and paper towels that I saw in there, all of those things matter. Some people might not think it’s much, but it really does help.” 

In a place where a single bag of flour can cost far more than expected, everyday essentials carry a different weight. “A bag of flour is $20, and that’s one of the main sources of food our elderly use out here,” says Priscilla. 

The Emergency Food Boxes help ease that burden, even if only for a time. They reduce the number of trips families need to make and ensure that Elders have access to basic necessities without added cost. 

For caregivers like Priscilla, that support brings a measure of relief. At the same time, she continues to look toward the future, advocating for better infrastructure and improved access to utilities in Inscription House. Her work, both professionally and personally, reflects a deep commitment to her community and to the well-being of its Elders. 

The challenges in communities like Inscription House are not always visible from the outside. Long distances, high costs, and limited infrastructure shape daily life in ways that require resilience. 

Carol shared a simple message to the donors who support NRF on behalf of the Elders across her community: “The Elders really value everything that you give to them.” 

By supporting NRF, you help ensure that Elders in communities like Ts’ah bii Kin have access to the essentials they need, delivered with care and respect.