December 13, 2022

Lakota Pine Ridge Native Heritage Month/Thanksgiving Giving Project: THANK YOU!!

This was previously on my Giving page but I’m making it a post and updating that page for ongoing efforts. The updates from the start to the end of this fall’s project are below in chronological order.

We will continue to help the Lakota people even after the conclusion of this big fundraiser. We send gently used and new things as they become available or are requested year round. You are always welcome to contribute.

This post is to say a very big thank you to everyone who helped and contributed.

The Lakota people face serious challenges in Pine Ridge: poverty, food insecurity, lack of adequate heating and housing.

This all hits close to home for me. My mom grew up in poverty and I remember her stories of fishing for protein for their meals. Of making porridge that was more water than rice to stretch their single monthly 50-lb bag of rice per month to feed six, then seven, then eight children. Of earning money and making her own clothes at ten years of age. That wasn’t the life she wanted for me and I was lucky enough to make my way out of poverty because she came to America. In her memory, I feel a deep responsibility to pay forward the help needed for people to survive and thrive, and in particular to the Indigenous people who were here first.

The high in Allen, SD this week (last week of October) is 34 degrees, and the low is 3 degrees, and it’s only fall! Folks of all ages and sizes need warm clothes, socks, gloves, hats, coats, blankets. Food is a big need too, but I’ve got to grab hold somewhere to start helping, and keeping people warm is a good place to start with the sales that are on now.

With a South Dakota winter coming, all of these become much more urgent. One Spirit is a great organization that supports the Oglala Lakota but they have limited resource, they need us to help fill the gaps.

Our community has come together the past five years to assist families with urgent needs on the Okini and this fall I expanded our efforts to provide direct aid in bulk: hunt down the best deals and send great big loads to share with our neighbors in South Dakota. I’d love to supply the whole reservation this way but we’ll start with one area first and work our way out.

On October 26, 2022, we launched a fundraiser for a big Native Heritage Month + Thanksgiving giving drive. With your help, we’re sending much needed supplies to roughly 100 families, or 600+ people, on the Pine Ridge reservation in the Allen area. Mutual aid FTW! I’ve shared updates on the blog here and here, and on Twitter. I’m also documenting our work here for transparency and posterity.

How you can help

Every penny matters: $15 buys a pair of gloves or a pack of socks, $37 buys a case of diapers.

Venmo: @RK-Tillman
PayPal: ruthtillman@gmail.com
Cashapp: $ruthkt

November 8, 2022

Fourteen days into the public fundraising! Added to the earlier private donations in the first part of October, we’ve raised enough to send the following goods on sale:

Health

COVID is a big problem on the reservation, and it’s a terrible cold/flu/RSV season to boot.

6 Ibuprofen (NSAID) Pain Reliever & Fever Reducer Sofgels- 300ct
2 Acetaminophen Extra Strength Pain Reliever & Fever Reducer Caplets – 500ct
12 Children’s Pain and Fever Oral Suspension, Acetaminophen Cherry, 4 oz
10 Children’s Dye-Free Ibuprofen 100 Oral Suspension Berry, 2 pack, 4 oz
12 Walgreens Infants’ Pain & Fever, Acetaminophen 160 mg per 5 mL, Dye-Free Grape, 2.0 oz

For kids
15 black Targus backpacks
10 girls size 7 snow boots
16 packs of Girls Underwear, Assorted 20 Packs in sizes (4 each) 6, 8, 10, and 14
6 packs of Boys’ Boxer Briefs, Assorted 5 Pack, Size XL
5 Kids’ 2-pack Blanket Sleeper, Dark Pink, 12 months
5 Kids’ 2-pack Blanket Sleeper, Pink, 2T
5 Kids’ 2-pack Blanket Sleeper, Blue, 3T
5 Kids’ 2-pack Blanket Sleeper, Blue, 2T
20 total: Eddie Bauer Kids’ 3-in-1 Jacket, Blue or Red, 5 in each size: XS, S, M, L

For adults
4 Fleece Crew Sweatshirt, 2XL, Blue
4 Fleece Pullover Hoodie Sweatshirt, 2XL, Black
4 Fleece Pullover Hoodie Sweatshirt, XL, Grey Heather
4 Fleece Elastic Bottom Sweatpants, 2XL, Black Heather
4 Fleece Elastic Bottom Sweatpants, XL, Black
5 32 Degrees Ladies’ Power Tech Jacket, Blue, Medium
5 32 Degrees Ladies’ Power Tech Jacket, Copper, Medium

Household
28 Bath Towels

November 9, 2022

Kids
10 toddler coats: 2T, 4T, 5

November 12, 2022

$460 of cash and gift card contributions came in this week! YAY! Some thoughtful folks confirm which stores made the most sense and sent over gift cards for the efforts and this is so appreciated. I hope we’ll have enough time to gather enough funds to hit the intense holiday sales hard, but the Twitter sharing is getting more difficult.

I asked our coordinator what their top priorities from the list below are and she said: There is a volunteer cook who comes in 6 days a week to “create “ a meal with ingredients that they have on hand so they’re always in need of food and snacks for kids. They also need diapers and baby (gently used is great) clothes.

I ship them all the gently used hand me downs we get from our community and have a plan to ship more when I gather all the giveaway clothes from the lost and found at the end of the school year. I’m kicking myself for not trusting we’d raise enough funds to afford buying the diapers while they were on sale in October but I think they’ll be on sale again in December/January. Should I wait and buy then? Or should I send what we can afford now? DEBATING.

Today, I’m pivoting to buying a load of food and snacks. I will keep hunting for deals on diapers and baby clothes in hopes that our dollars will go further on those items in a week or so.

Update 2! This was a cart split between healthy ingredients and reasonably healthy snacks for kids, as requested, coming in just shy of $400. Tomorrow, per a friend’s recommendation, I’ll get diapers from Target.

(3) Kirkland Signature Chicken Breast, 12.5 oz, 6-count
(2) Kirkland Signature Organic Diced Tomatoes, 14.5 oz, 8-count
(2) Del Monte Cut Green Beans, 14.5 oz, 12-count
(2) Kirkland Signature Organic Chicken Stock, 32 fl oz, 6-count
(2) Krusteaz Complete Buttermilk Pancake Mix, 10 lbs
(2) Premium Saltine Crackers, Original, 4 oz, 12-count
(1) Ardent Mills Harvest Hotel & Restaurant All-Purpose Flour, 25 lbs
(1) Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening, 6 lbs
(1) Kirkland Signature Organic Sugar, 10 lbs

(3) Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, 7.25 oz, 18-count
(1) Skippy Peanut Butter, Creamy, 48 oz, 2-count
(2) Quaker Rice Crisps, Variety Pack, 36-count
(2) Del Monte Diced Peaches, 4 oz cup, 20-count
(2) Dole Mandarin Oranges Cup, 4 oz, 16-count
(1) Nutri-Grain Bars, 1.3 oz, 64-count

November 14, 2022

For $146.75, I’ve shipped three boxes of clothes, toys, treats, art supplies, $100 worth of kids’ masks, $900 worth of COVID tests.

November 20, 2022

We had a few more contributions come in this week, this might be the last we can expect what with Twitter going down and all.

Tami and I are working on a series of diaper orders, one has shipped and two more are being placed soon.We’re budgeting about $300 for diapers now, we’ll get more later if funding comes in. This week I fielded specific requests from the coordinator and director of One Spirit (they run the Okini list). I ordered adult sized coats (they asked me to focus on L, XL, and XXL sizes) for the older kids and adults near Allen. The sales finally dropped prices enough so that I could buy 18 adult sized coats for $473.21.

The Youth Center also has a big group of kids with very little seating, just one used sofa, so they asked for bean bag chairs for the kids. I found one very large one on sale, and am now on the lookout for more individual sized bags.

First of three diaper orders to maximize discounts:
Fragrance Free Baby Wipes Unscented 216ct – up & up™
(1) Diapers Giant Pack Size 2 – 184ct – up & up
(2) Diapers Economy Plus Pack – Size 3 – 228ct – up & up

(5) Unisex Big Hooded Zip Jacket, 2XL, Color: Camel
(2) Men’s Dockers® Arctic Cloth Heavyweight Performance Hooded Parka, XL, Green
(1) Men’s Dockers® Arctic Cloth Heavyweight Performance Hooded Parka, XL, Grey
(2) Men’s Dockers® Arctic Cloth Heavyweight Performance Hooded Parka, L, Grey
(2) Women’s ZeroXposur Brooke Packable Puffer Jacket, Infinity Blue, L
(2) Women’s ZeroXposur Brooke Packable Puffer Jacket, Rose Clay, L
(1) Juniors’ Plus Size SO® Sherpa Full Zip Jacket, 1X, Blue Cream Dye
(2) Juniors’ Plus Size SO® Sherpa Full Zip Jacket, 2X, Larue Lavender
(1) Juniors’ Plus Size SO® Sherpa Full Zip Jacket, 2X, Maroon Black Buffalo

November 26, 2022

We’ve sent the second and third of three diaper orders:

(2) Diapers Economy Plus Pack – Size 4 – 204ct – up & up
(1) Diapers Giant Pack Size 2 – 184ct – up & up
(1) Fragrance Free Baby Wipes Unscented 216ct – up & up
(2) Diapers Economy Plus Pack – Size 5 – 186ct – up & up

I’ve also ordered individual sized bean bag chairs, women’s gloves, blankets and comforter sets, kids/men’s/women’s beanies, kid and adult socks, and adult underwear packs.

(2) Big Joe Classic Beanbag Chair, Sapphire
(2) Big Joe Milano Kid’s Beanbag Chair Pink Passion Smartmax
(5) Women’s Ultra Lightweight EZ Touch Screen Quilted Gloves – MEDIUM
(5) Women’s Ultra Lightweight EZ Touch Screen Quilted Gloves – LARGE
(4) Classic Velvety Plush Full/Queen Blanket, Hippie Tie Dye Wizard (pinks)
(6) Eddie Bauer Mountain Village Ultra Soft Plush Fleece Reversible Full/Queen Blanket, Chambray Blue
(2) Sunham Holiday Gingham 3-Pc Comforter Sets
(3) Kids’ Colorblock Beanie – Cat & Jack™ Pink
(3) Kids’ Solid Cuffed Beanie – Cat & Jack™ Gray
(8) Men’s Circular Knit Beanie – Goodfellow & Co™ Indigo
(4) Women’s Knit Beanie – Universal Thread™ Dark Gray
(4) Women’s Knit Beanie – Universal Thread™ Red
(3) Kids’ Solid Cuffed Beanie – Cat & Jack™ Yellow
(4) Men’s Circular Knit Beanie – Goodfellow & Co™ Cream
(4) Baby Boys’ 6pk Crew Socks – Cat & Jack™ 12-24M
(4) Toddler 10pk Solid Low-Cut Socks – Cat & Jack™ White 2T-3T
(4) Toddler 10pk Solid Low-Cut Socks – Cat & Jack™ White 4T-5T
(2) Hanes Boys’ 12pk Cushioned Ankle Athletic Socks – White L
(4) Hanes Girls’ 20pk Super No Show Athletic Socks – M and L
(5) PUMA Men’s No Show Sock, 10-pair, size 10-13
(5) PUMA Men’s No Show Sock, 10-pair, size
(5) PUMA Ladies’ No Show Sock, 10-pair, Black
(4) PUMA Ladies’ No Show Sock, 10-pair, White

(1) Plus Size Jockey® Elance 3-pk. Briefs Panty Set, Size 8, Blue
(1) Plus Size Jockey® Elance 3-pk. Briefs Panty Set, Size 8, Black
(1) Plus Size Jockey® Elance 3-pk. Briefs Panty Set, Size 10, Black
(1) Plus Size Jockey® Elance 3-pk. Briefs Panty Set, Size 10, Pink
(2) Men’s Hanes Ultimate® 5-pack Exposed Waistband Boxer Brief, XL, Blue/Orange
(1) Men’s Hanes Ultimate® 5-pack Exposed Waistband Boxer Brief, XXL, Blue/Orange
(1) Men’s Hanes Ultimate® 6-pack ComfortSoft Tees, XL, Black/Grey
(1) Men’s Hanes Ultimate® 6-pack ComfortSoft Tees, XXL, Black/Grey

November 30, 2022

I’m watching and waiting as the orders start to ship and updating the coordinators. I’ll update the numbers here as soon as I can get some time! The Holiday Okini is out but I’ve got to take a break.

December 9, 2022

There are still things on the wish list that I didn’t get to or can use more of: diapers, men’s gloves, blankets, snow boots (for all sizes and ages), tampons, pads, shampoo, conditioner, soap.

But since we’ve used all our funds pre-Thanksgiving, and everything has FINALLY shipped, it was time to pull this update together.

Final summary

Together we raised $4396! Y’all are AMAZING! Thanks to Music for encouraging this wacky idea to hatch, Ruth for signing up to assist with the money, Maggie, Tami, Kristen, ZJ and Penny for helping and advising me behind the scenes.

Thanks to Shep and Chris and also you Chris, Hiro, Plutus folks, J Money, Steph, Anne, Sarah, Janna, Jaydot, Jim, Quiara, Jelena, and so many more for signal boosting so we could get one more coat, one more case of diapers, one more blanket, one more package of socks.

BIG thanks to everyone single one of you who helped in every way. This quite literally could not have happened without you.

My heart is full this season with your caring for people who have a need that we can help with, and I hope yours is as well.