You may have missed it. With all of the fervor surrounding Haiti, many of us may have not realized that a debilitating winter storm severely struck the Midwest. A few weeks ago the Dakotas were struck by terrible ice storms that gripped the area and brought down over 2,000-3,000 utility poles down on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota alone. For over a week electricity was out these areas. Crews worked feverishly to repair the problem, but in many locations the problem may not be corrected for months. With no electricity, no heat, no running water, and a wind chill below zero-the situation has become dire.
The Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation is one of the most impoverished
communities in the United States. http://www.sioux.org. Covering an area about the size of Connecticut, there are only a handful of generators on the
Reservation, the water pump station had been down, resulting in no running water, the gas stations were unable to supply gas, and the Tribal grocery
store lost all its perishables.
Having been hard hit by two previous blizzards in December, the Tribe had already depleted its emergency budget. Through the combined efforts of the CBF Disaster Response and Together for Hope, monies were sent to assist with the immediate financial needs. In addition to receiving much needed financial assistance, the Reservation could use in-kinds gifts as well. During this time that much of our focus is justly shifted to the devastated nation of Haiti, may we not fail to hear the needs of our neighbors in the West.
If your congregation would like to be a part of the ongoing Cheyenne River Project, please review the list below and send any donations to;
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman’s Office
Attn: Ice Storm Emergency Supplies
PO Box 590
2001 Main Street (Tribal Offices)
Eagle Butte, SD 57625
In Kind Donations:
* Non-perishable food
* Cots
* Heat sources (heaters & fuel)
* Camp stoves & fuel
* Light sources:
* Lithium 1, 2 and 3 batteries for law enforcement
* Lamps/Batteries/Lamp Oil
* Toiletries
* Toilet paper
* Paper products for the shelters
* Pampers/formula
* Hand/baby wipes/Hand sanitizer