skaroreh

SO.... who here are we going to be able to count on to help out???

We're about 3 weeks away from the kickoff of the Great Salt Water powwow so I want to REMIND EVERYONE to please, please, please...

GO THROUGH YOUR CLOSETS & PANTRIES and see what you can bring to contribute to the two special help drives that will be taking place at the powwow.

" What help drives?" you might ask.

Well... I'll tell you.

PINE RIDGE WARMTH DRIVE
Please gather up any new and/or clean, gently used coats, sweaters, blankets, gloves, scarves and even portable gas/kerosene heaters... NEW warm socks would also be great!

Bring them to The Great Salt Water Powwow and the Coastal Carolina Indian Center will ship them out the second week in November to Porcupine, South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Reservation where they will be put to good use keeping folks warm through the winter. (For more information, click here.)

GREAT SALT WATER FOOD DRIVE
The Coastal Carolina Indian Center, in conjunction with the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina will be collecting non-perishable food items at this year's First Annual Great Salt Water Powwow.

We would like to encourage everyone attending and/or participating in this event to please go into your pantry (or to your local grocery store) and find something to bring to help feed hungry bellies this holiday season.
There will be boxes available for you to drop food off in as you come through the entrance.

MOST NEEDED FOOD ITEMS:
Peanut Butter
Canned Meats
Cereal
Canned foods with pop top lids
Ensure
Pasta (Spaghetti, Macaroni & Cheese)
Tuna Soups
Meals in a can
Canned fruit (in natural juices)
100% Fruit Juices with Vitamin C (single serving boxes or plastic bottles)
Powdered Milk

PLEASE AVOID DONATING ITEMS PACKAGED IN GLASS!


BTW... If any of you would like to offer your assistance during the powwow with either of these drives as far as keeping a check on the boxes, loading things up at the end of each day/end of the powwow for the food bank or the stuff to send to Pine Ridge, please send me a PM or e-mail
sarita@coastalcarolinaindians.com

skaroreh

This powwow is less than two weeks away, people.

Just a reminder to do what you can to help out with these drives to help the other people out there!

Nya:weh ' nah!

Wojapi4Me

May I make a humble suggestion?

I read on your site where it will cost over $2,600 to ship this stuff out to SD, and that sounds about right. Instead of having to incur these shipping costs, why not start with the $2,600 and add to it with a collection at the pow wow and send that $$ amount out there to help the elders buy propane. That will keep them warmer than blankets which don't do much good in a SD winter.

Propane is the #1 needed commodity out there that time of year.

Not criticizing, just trying to help.

Thanks for your interest in the Pahin Sinte community!!

__________________
If pro is the opposite of con, then wouldn't progress be the opposite of...lol

skaroreh

Actually.... that is a good suggestion, too.

We have done a "warmth drive" a couple of years in the past and USED to coordinate with Ms. Winnie Red Shirt, who has since passed.

From the word we had gotten, people were really appreciative of the coats, blankets, gas heaters, etc.

We're trying to negotiate right now with UPS to see if they might donate the shipping to get the items out there. They did the last two times, but I think the person we worked with then is no longer with UPS, so it's like we've got to start from scratch to get them to do that for us.

If we ARE able to get the shipping donated, we'll be posting a big ol' "THANK YOU" on the website to whoever steps up to the plate.

I think the idea of donating money for heaters is a good idea... we might look into doing that next year for the warmth drive! We figured this year we'd stick with what worked in the past... and it's a good time of year to do it, too, because out on this coast, people are just starting to think about coats and jackets and the one they might have just worn one season last year, they might be ready to get rid of to buy a new coat this year.

Or if I'm misunderstanding you, do you mean we should try to do a $$ collection in ADDITION to what we're already doing.

You know... the thing is we just really want to take this gathering and use it to help people in as many different ways as we can. :)

Wojapi4Me

I applaud your efforts, and I was coming at this from a standpoint that people need propane in Porcupine and all the other districts on Pine Ridge. Propane not only heats, but it also is used for cooking.

I've just heard a lot of people from that community say they don't appreciate the stuff from back east b/c it doesn't help. I've been there many times when trucks of stuff were unloaded and people's reactions were, "What the heck are we going to do with all this stuff?"

Since you've heard good comments, your stuff must be new and in good condition. I've seen piles and piles of clothes laid out in various places in the community and it's all just crap that should have been thrown out. Like I said before, I wasn't criticizing your efforts, just relating that propane is needed out there more than blankets.

__________________
If pro is the opposite of con, then wouldn't progress be the opposite of...lol

skaroreh

I'm going to think about what we might could do in terms of this.

As far as the stuff we've sent out there in the past... yeah... we sort through the stuff before it's sent out.

We specifically ask for things that are either NEW or GENTLY USED. If people bring things that are years old and in poor conditioned, stained, torn or just really ugly and incredibly out of style, then they never get sent out there.

I'm glad you mentioned the propane thing. I'm going to contact some people and also put up a news bulletin on the website about that being the best thing people can do for the warmth drive. There is a guy coming to the powwow who is a vendor and will also be speaking at the educational fair who is from Pine Ridge. He's supposed to be helping us coordinate with this lady out there to get things where they need to be. I'm going to see what might could be done about getting some propane for people out there.

I really do appreciate your constructive criticism. Since we don't live there, we can only go by the comments we receive. Your oomments are helpful!

Mato Winyan

Agree with Singer Dad 100%! And in case you don't know...... he is from out there so he knows first hand what is needed and not. ;)

He is so right about the propane and kerosene needs. Propane burns alot cleaner and some elders can't handle the fumes..... but others do use it because it is even cheaper.

Not meaning this in a bad way.... This is the time of year that most donations come into the rez. People want to help out around the holidays so they can feel good for another year about themselves that they have helped out the needy. Others want the tax write off. Doesn't really make a difference to me WHY they donate....... just that something comes in at all. Because more people donate this time of year.... they get overwhelmed with old clothes and blankets. (And not to knock it but how many hat and mitten drives have you heard of? Kid can only use so many mittens.) Just my personal opinion but I think most people donating should also considering buying even one thing new. It helps the esteem of these kids that have only received others rejects.

Here are the results of a clothing drive for Cheyenne River and Standing Rock.



Also, there is one big problem with some areas receiving more donations than other and some are doing without because people don't check the needs ahead of time. As and example here is a web site on another oraganization that donates to Porcupine.. http://www.wambliho.com/WambliHo_News_Feb2004_pg3.html

And perhaps one of the most tragic things to plague these rez's are people fraudulently taking donations on their behalf and then not reaching the ones in need. This happens all too often. So please...... anyone... if you are planning on donating to anyone, no matter where or what the cause..... please take the time to educate yourself on the organization you are wanting to contribute to, find out exactly what their needs are and how the donations are dispursed.

__________________








"We see it as a desecration not only of a mountain but of our way of life. This is a genocidal issue to us. If they kill this mountain, they kill our way of life." ~Debra White Plume

Mato Winyan

Guess since you didn't comment it doesn't matter, your going to do what your going to do. Too bad. :(

__________________








"We see it as a desecration not only of a mountain but of our way of life. This is a genocidal issue to us. If they kill this mountain, they kill our way of life." ~Debra White Plume

skaroreh

I had planned to wait until Wednesday or Thursday to post a reminder about this, but since I saw the thread way up at the top, it's a good opportunity now to remind everyone...

Please, please, see if you can find anything to bring to contribute to the FOOD DRIVE or the WINTER WARMTH DRIVE.

For more information on these drives, visit the powwow website and look for the links for each drive.
A list of the top-needed non-perishable food items are mentioned on the website.

The Food Bank of Eastern North Carolina will be bringing bins for food to go into on Friday morning before the educational fair.

Hopefully everyone who comes to this powwow will find at least one item they can bring to help out!

That little bit might mean a whole lot to someone who is down on their luck and wanting a good meal!

For more information about the Food Bank of Eastern NC, click here http://www.foodbanknc.org/

Mato Winyan

That saddens me...........all this info and you still put a plug in for the same thing..... didn't you "hear" anything singerdad and I said???? :Thinking

__________________








"We see it as a desecration not only of a mountain but of our way of life. This is a genocidal issue to us. If they kill this mountain, they kill our way of life." ~Debra White Plume

Wojapi4Me

Must be a Bush supporter...only hears what they want to :) LOL

__________________
If pro is the opposite of con, then wouldn't progress be the opposite of...lol