Standing Rock Reservation, January 2009
If you've been shivering through this winter and crumbling under the weight of mounting heating bills, particularly propane, imagine how bad it is for the elders on the Indian reservations in the Dakotas, like Cheyenne River, Standing Rock or Pine Ridge, where the usually brutal winter has been even colder this year.
Imagine drafty, substandard housing in combination with these two things.....this means no heat for many people.
This winter has only just begun, and already there have been two major blizzards, the latest of which was only this past Sunday. So here we go again
Residents of North Dakota and South Dakota dealt with dangerous cold, high winds and blowing snow on Sunday that caused whiteout conditions and treacherous travel throughout much of the two states.
The storm, the most recent in a wave of heavy storms to hammer the Dakotas, packed powerful wind gusts that reached up to 60 mph over much of North Dakota and the northern portion of South Dakota on Sunday...snip...the wind chill was expected to plunge as low as 60 degrees below zero Sunday night over parts of the Dakotas, creating life-threatening conditions.
A series of Alberta clippers have swept down from Canada into the Northern Plains in the past couple of weeks, bringing light snow, strong winds and cold temperatures.
"This is definitely the most widespread event we've had this year," Jones said.
Yes, it's only January. And now to add injury to insult, the propane shortage has doubled prices in the Dakotas and elsewhere.
For the elders on the reservations, this winter has been dangerously cold, as some have run out of both propane and money. With cuts in LIHEAP the tribes themselves have had trouble assisting them. This is where Okiciyap (we help) comes in....
FYI - our new donations site is called YouCaring. You can go directly to that site here.
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Okiciyap is a 501(c)(3)
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Okiciyap
PO Box 172
Isabel, SD 57633
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Okiciyap serves Isabel, ND and surrounding towns on the Cheyenne River Reservation.
Because of the bitter cold this year, some elders ran out of propane weeks ago and began heating their homes with their electric stoves. This caused those bills to skyrocket to a level they could not pay. The electric company was close to turning off the electricity for some of them. Others were on the verge of running out of propane.
One elderly couple was in particular trouble because the wife had just fallen and broken her leg and was recovering at home....a freezing home.
Out of heating assistance funds, last week the Tribe appealed to Okiciyap for help.
Because of your previous donations, the pantry was able to help 23 of the elders. The director, Emily Penick, intervened with the electric company to keep the lights in the homes with huge electric bills. She then had propane deliveries sent to those and other homes. Doing those things cost $3000.
Okiciyap now needs to replenish this fund so it can continue to assist the elders with heating costs for the rest of the winter.
So, if you have been concerned that people are freezing to death because of the winter and propane costs, and have been looking for a place to help, this is it. The pantry will provide direct help to 30 elders so they don't freeze to death this winter.
OKICIYAP BACKGROUND
Okiciyap (we help) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donation should be tax deductible. Okiciyap, located on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota, is working to provide a food pantry, youth center, K-12 educational support, GED & Lakota as a 2nd language class support for youth and adults. The word Okiciyap is Lakota for "we help."
Okiciyap lost its founder, Georgia Little Shield in April 2012. Georgia was instrumental in the development of the 501(3)(c) status. In early 2012, she found a building, had it moved and set up to house the food pantry and youth center. Now, the Okiciyap Board is stepping forward to insure Georgia's plans for the Isabel community move forward.
Okiciyap is registered with iGive, which means that your online purchases from participating retailers could automatically generate a donation.
The Daily Kos Fundraising for Okiciyap group was formed to support the pantry. More information is available at the Okiciyap diaries published here at Daily Kos.
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PO Box 172
Isabel, SD 57633
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