As I write this, the Okiciyap (we help) Food Pantry on the Cheyenne Reservation in Isabel, South Dakota is $373.13 away from their ChipIn goal (which ends in just eight days). Food pantries all over America are struggling and Okiciyap is no exception; that $373.13 is nearly one fourth of what they will need to fill the shelves of the pantry for the end of the month.
UPDATE: We want to thank everyone who visited the diary!! It was a great success for the Okiciyap Food Pantry, The ChipIn goal was achieved and exceeded!! We had dozens of folks contribute to the pantry and many more who are planning to send items needed by the residents of Isabel, notably a sewing machine and sewing supplies as well as clothing for the upcoming winter. It is difficult to express the excitement the pantry volunteers feel when the DKos community pulls together for them. Cindy sends her thanks and best wishes to every one who helped. Blessings on you. weck
Okiciyap, like many other pantries, relies on both cash donations and real food donations. During our nation's recovery, food donations from individuals and organizations has dwindled; as evidenced in Aji's recent diary. A large donation of hot dogs and buns actually made the 6:00 news in Rochester NY. Okiciyap's volunteers are worried because the food available from the big food banks is not only limited, but also that the actual foods available are now frequently just junkfood and candy. They have discussed purchasing more nutritious foods from retail stores, but we all know that will cost them a lot more per pound that what they have been paying to the food bank.
Okiciyap volunteers drive to Pierre, SD and fill two trucks and a horse trailer with foodstuffs to fill the pantry shelves, knowing that what they purchase will be almost gone after pantry day. In October, they are $373.13 dollars short of funds for making their run.
Spirit Dancer: I thought perhaps you'd like to know how much it costs for them to make 1 trip to Pierre, SD to get food at The Feeding. It cost $200 in gas for 2 pickups and 1 horse trailer to drive 4 hours round trip. It cost $900 for the food for a total of $1100, this doesn't include expenses like water and electricity the for Okiciyap food pantry. So they need at least $1200 to $1300 for this to help them help others. Of course we aren't their only source of help but as we all know, money is hard to come by unless you are the 1%.
So, please give what you can.
They need us to make a donation to their ChipIn, and soon, so they can know with confidence that when they go to the main food bank in Pierre, they can fill the shelves. If the ChipIn goes over 100%, the volunteers can think about some extras for the holidays, like turkeys for the families and a holiday community dinner.
If you prefer to send a check or money order, the address is:
Okiciyap
Box 172
Isabel, South Dakota 57633
.
.
The volunteer team at the Pantry has told us that the would like to offer turkeys this Thanksgiving and would also like to have a Community Christmas Dinner, where they would supply some extras for the families they serve in Isabel.
.
.
There are also concerns about the coming winter, when many in their community may need warm blankets and winter clothes, gloves and snow boots.
.
.
As you start your holiday preparations, there is something you can do to that will help the Isabel community a little bit every day.
.
IGive is an online fundraiser that sends cash to organizations. If you have IGive on your computer, whenever you shop with a participating on-line retailer, the retailer will send a percentage of the sale to Igive for Okiciyap.
I have had IGive on my system now for several months and this is my experience; IGive is nearly invisible, even while I am shopping on-line. A small icon appears at the bottom corner of the retailer, and after I have made a purchase, I get a confirmation of donation e-mail from "Betty at IGive". I also get two other kinds of messages; summaries of activity for Okiciyap, and "Betty" also sends announcements of new retailers or special promotions with retailers. That's it. I value my on-line privacy, we all do, and this donation opportunity has not resulted in any obnoxious e-mail for me at all. Believe it, there was a leap of faith for me to sign up, but now I can happily report to you, IGive works for me and for Okiciyap.
.
.
To summarize, Please donate to the ChipIn widget for the Okiciyap Food Pantry and Community Center.
Consider adding the IGive button to your computer for ongoing support for Okiciyap.
Think about how we will soon need to be helping the Isabel community get through this winter with extra warmth and holiday cheer.
Thank you for reading. Blessings.
]