Emergency Services

When disaster strikes on the reservation, outside aid is slow to come. 

The physical environment on the reservations we support is often harsh, giving rise to a wide range of environmental disasters such as floods, forest fires, blizzards, ice storms, tornados, and hurricanes. As a first responder, PWNA provides immediate relief for Tribal members who are displaced due to environmental emergencies and contaminated water in 9 priority states. We often coordinate our emergency response in collaboration with the American Red Cross, Feeding America, and other nonprofits. PWNA evaluates requests from tribes outside its service area on a case-by-case basis.

PWNA also offers seasonal support in selected reservation communities. Due to the expense and logistics, we are unable to offer these services to every reservation in our service area. We also deliver supplies to shelters for the homeless, disabled, and more. 

Our Emergency Services benefit up to 15,000 people a year through:

• disaster relief when Tribal citizens are displaced
• firewood and winter fuel vouchers for Native American Elders
• winter and summer emergency kits containing blankets, batteries, candles, water, nonperishable food, and other items
• cleaning and hygiene supplies for shelters 

Taking a long-term view of disaster response, PWNA facilitates emergency preparedness planning and training in remote Tribal communities. We support these communities in needs assessment, asset mapping, and networking to ensure readiness to respond when disaster strikes. The assessments range from transportation to food security, healthcare for the homebound, and more. We also provide training on CPR/First Aid, the use of AEDs, and Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) to help tribes build a local pool of first responders.  

Related programs: Northern Plains Reservation Aid® (NPRA), Southwest Reservation Aid® (SWRA), Native American Aid (NAA), Navajo Relief Fund (NRF), Sioux Nation Relief Fund (SNRF), and Southwest Indian Relief Council® (SWIRC)