Native women on rural reservations earn 53 cents per dollar earned by White men in similar jobs. The economy is especially rough on Elders caring for their grandchildren, like 64-year-old Linda of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Linda has raised four grandchildren ranging in age from 7 years old to 20 years old, and she was thankful to receive an Emergency Food Box through Partnership With Native Americans’ (PWNA) Native American Aid (NAA) program.

Emergency Food Boxes are delivered to Program Partners like Diana at the Eagle Butte Elderly Nutrition Center (ENC) in South Dakota, who distributes them to local Elders. The boxes are meant to help families fill gaps in food and personal care supplies, especially during the winter when it can be harder to travel.

Linda shared, “I would like to thank donors for letting us receive these gifts because it’ll help me out a lot. I can use the wipes for everything like door handles at home, and the kids love mac and cheese.” Linda also appreciated the bottled water and canned goods included in the food box. She told us, “I try to have nutritious food at home like fruits, vegetables, and chicken.”

Linda said it’s a financial strain to feed everyone, adding, “I have what we need most of the time. I cover the basics, but it’s expensive to shop here with the prices so high.” Over the years, she’s seen plenty of buildings become abandoned, and she wishes her community would turn one of them into another grocery store – one with more affordable pricing.

Linda receives social security but needs to supplement her income as the ENC’s part-time receptionist. Thankfully, the tribe assists Linda with her electric bill. She noted, “That helped me out a lot. I can handle the rest.”

Another beneficiary, 84-year-old Sandera, was surprised at the quality of items in her Emergency Food Box. She told us, “This is all good to have – no pop or junk food. It’s good for the elderly who can’t get these things. I can move around, but some of them are handicapped.”

In addition to the food, 74-year-old Mary was grateful to take home toilet paper, paper towels, dental hygiene products, and personal care items like lotion and shampoo. She noted, “A lot of people don’t have cars, so whatever is here is what you get.” She added that receiving the Emergency Food Box meant a lot to her, saying, “What I can save on not buying those items, I can use to buy meat or supplement something else.”

We know that none of our work would be possible without Program Partners like Diana and the generosity of donors who believe in NAA’s mission. Donate to NAA today to help more Elders like Linda and Sandera.