Faith T. of the Oglala Sioux Tribe was one of 176 local Elders in Porcupine, South Dakota, to receive an Emergency Food Box. These boxes contain useful food items, like self-heating meals, macaroni, and soup, and they’re meant to be emergency food during colder months when Elders may not be able to leave the house. Faith shared, “Our winters are really, really hard. You just have to be prepared, and I think the box really does help with that. The food cost around here is just so high.” 

Part of the Solution 

“Most people don’t really know how it is until they’re here,” commented Oglala Sioux Elder Faith T., from Porcupine, South Dakota. Faith was one of 176 local Elders to receive an Emergency Food Box from the Native American Aid (NAA) program of Partnership With Native Americans® (PWNA). We provide Emergency Food Boxes to trusted Program Partners like Julie T., who operates a nutrition center for seniors. Julie told us, “Your contributions literally help people survive. The coordination gets to the populations that need them.” 

Emergency Food Boxes contain useful food items, like self-heating meals, macaroni, and soup. These boxes are distributed to Program Partners during the harsh winter months so that Elders will have food when they may not be able to leave the house. 

The average total snowfall in Porcupine is about 34 inches per year. Faith shared, “Our winters are really, really hard. You just have to be prepared, and I think the box really does help with that. The food cost around here is just so high.”  

Faith estimated the cost of items in the box: “Gosh, I would say $100 or more. I liked everything; it was all really helpful. It was stuff that we would have probably bought, but not right away. We would have to travel off the reservation.” Faith visits Rapid City, about 170 miles roundtrip, twice a month to reach an affordable shopping center. 

Faith lives in a multi-generational home with her partner, their children, and two grandchildren, ages 5 and 10. All of the children in Faith’s life bring her joy, and she misses her great-grandchild, who lives in Alaska. 

Faith grew up in Porcupine until age 15, when she left for boarding school. Throughout her adult life, she’s worked various administrative jobs. After retirement, she’s trying to re-enter the workforce at age 67 to afford a car. She currently has no transportation and relies on her partner for travel. Faith told us, “They need more jobs here. People would be happier in life.” Both she and her partner receive social security and food stamps.  

The generosity of PWNA donors is not lost on Faith, and she expressed gratitude, saying, “I think they’re just angels for thinking of us out here; they do some wonderful things.” To PWNA staff, she said, “Thank you for being here.”  

Culturally relevant solutions exist for the disparities facing tribes today, but funding has not kept pace to support them. Less than one-half a percent of all U.S. charitable giving supports Native causes. Vulnerable Elders like Faith receive necessary help through PWNA’s NAA program. You can be part of the solution by donating to NAA today.