Tribal Nations are home to striking landscapes, rich cultures, and individuals committed to fostering thriving communities. However, health disparities, inaccessibility of everyday goods, and high poverty make daily life challenging, especially for those living on limited incomes. Reservation-based programs like senior centers, health clinics, and others work tirelessly to meet the needs of Elders, children, and families.

Partnership With Native Americans® (PWNA) delivers resources to Tribal communities like the Nazlini Chapter of the Navajo Nation, which experiences a poverty rate of nearly 45%. Our Program Partner, Fannie, manages the senior center, which Elders regularly visit for meals, activities, and connections. Through Southwest Reservation Aid® (SWRA), a program of PWNA, Fannie utilized our Winter Emergency Box service to provide emergency supplies for 65 Elders across the Chapter, ensuring they have what they need in times of crisis this winter.

One such recipient is 74-year-old Jerry, a lifelong resident of the Nazlini Chapter and a proud Marine veteran, having served from 1971 to 1977. As a regular visitor to the senior center, Jerry always looks forward to seeing the familiar faces he grew up with.

Jerry is proud of his military service and his service to the community. He worked for the school district for 17 years before retiring. However, his retirement was short-lived, as he quickly joined the workforce again, picking up a security job at the nearby hospital.

Even though Jerry is enjoying his second retirement, he wants to use his free time to keep growing. Jerry has an associate’s degree in criminal justice from the University of New Mexico. Still, he dreams of pursuing his bachelor’s degree to continue protecting his community.

Despite Jerry’s outgoing personality and sharp sense of humor, he acknowledges that Nazlini is a place of need. When he received his Winter Emergency Box, Jerry told us, “It’s good to have PWNA here. We hardly ever see anybody come out here to deliver this. Most people just drop off supplies, but nobody comes around to spend time with the recipients. The Elders really appreciate that.”

With no local store, many Nazlini residents make a 40-mile roundtrip to Chinle for grocery shopping. However, due to high prices and lack of variety, many often make the longer 140-mile roundtrip to Gallup in New Mexico. Jerry is thankful to have these new supplies he can rely on in case of an emergency, which saves him money and takes some items off of his shopping list.

To the donors who made it possible for us to provide these supplies to the Elders in Nazlini, Jerry said, “Thank you very much for all of the donations you are able to provide for the Elders. A lot of them need whatever additional help they can get, especially food. We have a bad shortage of food and firewood, especially during the wintertime. That’s why you see more people here compared to other senior centers. They need to eat.” Donate to SWRA to provide crucial resources to Native American Elders.