As a sponsor, you can offer protection from cold and hunger. You can offer hope in the form of friendly, caring words. You can offer a child a toy, a coat, or a book. You can offer an elder warm clothing, craft materials, or much needed shoes. You can offer help to struggling young men and women in college.

You can learn about the Lakota culture and develop a mutual understanding of common needs and values.

Each month, Sponsors purchase food through Food Share America. One Spirit arranges for the food to be trucked to the reservation where Lakota people unload the truck, sort the food into orders, and deliver it to homes around the reservation. The workers are paid with food. Gas for the deliveries is provided.

Currently, more than 1000 people are fed each month. Still, every day we get urgent requests for food for elders, families and children.

There is a cure for hunger: It is called food.

Typical requests:

• An elderly mother who is caring for her adult daughter with cerebral palsy. “We often run out of food.”
• A grandmother, mother and 3 children who have left an abusive living situation and have temporary shelter but no food.
• An elder veteran and his wife who live in Wounded Knee do not have food. “We have often been hungry this winter.”

$50 will buy enough food for the elders for two weeks through Food Share America and will feed the family for a week.

You can have contact with the family or elder who receives food because of your generosity.

The Food Share America food co-op, managed and operated by ONE Spirit and the Lakota people, is providing fresh fruit, vegetables and meat to over 100 families and elders representing over 1000 people. Every month, increasing numbers of people ask to be part of the food program. This is the only food program on the reservation that delivers food that is both high quality and has high nutritional value.

Given the high unemployment (90%) and an average family income of $6000.00 per year, families time and again find food in short supply. Children attend after- school programs to take advantage of snacks as it is often the only food they will have for dinner. Government food programs are not designed for sharing societies. The Lakota people believe in and practice sharing.

Families share what they have with extended family, relatives, and neighbors. Those that are eligible for food stamps (EBT) and commodity programs also share with others. This means that food runs out or is in short supply long before the next government allotment. There are no food banks or food resources available to regularly meet basic food needs not covered by the government programs.

There is also an extremely high incidence of diabetes and other health problems that are likely related at least in part to diet. Government programs provide a high starch diet with little fruits and vegetables.

How does Food Share America help?

SHARE helps in two ways. First of course it brings fresh fruits, vegetables and meats to the families at a time each month when it is most needed. Second it provides employment and promotes self-sufficiency. The Lakota people unload the food trucks, sort the food, and deliver it to the homes. The workers obtain food for themselves and their family and they help their people.

How do I participate?

Donate a SHARE of food. You can make a one time or a once a month donation. Click on the donate button at the top of this page.

Make a donation toward food delivery costs.

For more information about the program and how you can participate, contact Diane Capalario.

ONE Spirit SHARE Food Program
Diane Capalario
dcapalario@nativeprogress.org

Learn more about SHARE at their Web site: www.sharecolorado.com

Okini strongly supports and encourages individuals looking for ways to increase their income. Resources for purchasing items for beadwork, quilting, or other types of art projects are virtually nonexistent on the reservation. If we can provide the necessary supplies to these craftsmen we are not only helping to cultivate creativity but also providing an opportunity for additional family income. As an example, we were asked for cookware from a mother of three that has been baking and decorating beautiful three layer cakes by using a single cast iron skillet. Often items we can pick up at a local store can make a difference to someone that simply doesn’t have access to them.

One of the major concerns on the reservation is housing. Many homes are badly in need of repair. A goal of Okini is to be able to provide assistance either through skilled labor and/or the purchase of materials to assist with needed repairs. While the cost of shipping is prohibitive in sending the actual supplies a gift card through Lowe’s would allow them to be purchased in nearby Rapid City. We know of at least six elders that have wood stoves too unsafe to last another winter. The Okini program is a wonderful way to become involved with the One Spirit family. As you can see, there are many ways to help and we are always looking for creative new ideas to expand our program. Please visit often as our list of needs is always changing. If you have any questions or suggestions please contact Okini project manager Kari Ose Evensen

"If each of us looks deep inside ourselves we will find that which makes a difference.”

Horse Woman Spirit Runs Free

Support Lakota ecomonic initiatives for self sufficiency including a Fair Market for jewelry, arts, and Women’s Sewing co-ops.

We support initiatives developed by the Lakota people by working together with them to identify needed resources and means of funding. Some initiatives are the Women’s Sewing co-ops and Fair Market Price for Arts and Crafts.

You can help the Lakota people renew their economy and their communities. This project promotes development that brings jobs and educational opportunities to both the youth and the adult members of the tribe.

fair markets for arts and crafts

Many of the artists on the reservation produce high quality, original, creative work. They are much in need of outlets for their products that will pay them a fair price for their work. Some of our sponsors and friends work with individual artists to locate and utilize likely markets. If you can help and would like to be involved in this project, please contact James Horns by e-mailor 708-903-4150

women’s sewing co-ops

Women in different areas of the reservation have formed sewing circles to both make clothes for their own families and to make quilts and other items to sell both on and off the reservation.

If you would like more information about how you can help either by sending sewing supplies or providing markets for the finished products, please contact Jeri Baker by e-mail or 570-595-5015.

Support Lakota ecomonic initiatives for self sufficiency including a Fair Market for jewelry, arts, and Women’s Sewing co-ops.

We support initiatives developed by the Lakota people by working together with them to identify needed resources and means of funding. Some initiatives are the Women’s Sewing co-ops and Fair Market Price for Arts and Crafts.

You can help the Lakota people renew their economy and their communities. This project promotes development that brings jobs and educational opportunities to both the youth and the adult members of the tribe.

fair markets for arts and crafts

Many of the artists on the reservation produce high quality, original, creative work. They are much in need of outlets for their products that will pay them a fair price for their work. Some of our sponsors and friends work with individual artists to locate and utilize likely markets. If you can help and would like to be involved in this project, please contact James Horns by e-mailor 708-903-4150

women’s sewing co-ops

Women in different areas of the reservation have formed sewing circles to both make clothes for their own families and to make quilts and other items to sell both on and off the reservation.

If you would like more information about how you can help either by sending sewing supplies or providing markets for the finished products, please contact Jeri Baker by e-mail or 570-595-5015.

If you know of a good outlet for Lakota arts, please let us know. You can also check the art currently for sale on Ebay by James Horns by looking for items under seller 894james; to be involved in this project, please contact James Horns by jhorns@nativeprogress.org or 708-903-4150.

• • E-Bay Link

Every winter, on Pine Ridge Reservations, families and elders go without heat in their homes or warm themselves in front of an oven. In South Dakota where the reservations are located, the temperatures dip to 40 degrees below zero. The partial assistance traditionally given provides help only when the worst of the winter weather arrives and often not even then. ONE Spirit and the Lakota people are working on projects that will allow the 60,000 Lakota people on the reservations to plan for the winter weather and to enjoy a winter free of worry. We have begun with wood projects.

FUEL ASSISTANCE PLUS - A PROGRAM THAT:

• Stocks up wood for elders and families for the coming winter.
• Ensures that on the reservations where temperatures can dip to 40 degrees below zero, people will have heat.
• Repairs and winterizes homes to conserve heat and make the homes more livable.
• Provides employment to Native American men and women who must support families even though unemployment is at 90%.
• Allows the Lakota people to take care of themselves and their people.

For more information, contact Jeri Baker at jbaker@nativeprogress.org

Sitting Bull

donate now ...