We have a couple of very important announcements to share with you. First off, it is with heavy hearts we share that the founder of NAHA, Mr. David G. Myers, passed away in May of 2014. His daughter, Pam, has worked with him since the inception of the organization and has stepped up to take over her father’s mission to provide hope to the Sioux tribes living in poverty on the Reservations of South Dakota. We hope our donors, like you, will move forward with us, comforted by the knowledge that Pam Myers and the NAHA staff will continue to work hard to fulfill Mr. Myers’ dream of helping as many Native Americans as possible with basic life necessities and self-help programs. Please take a moment and share with us Wopila (many thanks) for the abundance of blessings Mr. Myers’ dedication provided over the years. His compassion and the good work he was able to do in the face of many odds will never be forgotten.
NAHA is proud to announce that we have received our 10th 4-star charity rating with Charity Navigator for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency and that of our budget goes towards our program services.
“Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that your organization adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way.”
Ken Berger, President & CEO- Charity Navigator
If you would like more information on our 10th 4-star rating you may visit www.charitynavigator.org.
Last but not least, we would like to give many thanks to all of our supporters who helped with the purchase of a new tractor trailer. It was an unfortunate incident that happened and we are just glad no one was hurt. Keep an eye on our website; we will be posting pictures of our new truck very soon!! And for those of you who did not hear what happened to our previous tractor trailer:
For the first time in NAHA’s history, one of our tractor trailers was involved in a collision when an uninsured driver pulled out in front of it – while it was going 60 mph!!! Thankfully no one was seriously injured, but we now need to replace an expensive piece of equipment that is vital to our organization. The insurance company has said the rig is totaled, but unfortunately the replacement cost has been grossly undervalued and the insurance money won’t cover its replacement.
So again, thank you for all the donations that helped with the purchase of our new tractor trailer. We are back on the road again delivering much needed products to the Reservations.
We deliver more than three million pounds of food every year and we’re able to do that only because some of the sources from whom we buy that food help us by undercharging. The key though, is funding. This is one of the reasons why I am sending you this newsletter. Last year was a tough year. Food prices went up, the cost of fuel for our trucks that deliver the food to the Reservations went up. Getting incoming food to our distribution center in Black Hawk went up. Every aspect of our costs went up. This year the costs not only went up but are through the roof. But we keep on rolling.
If you will just contribute $15, we can use that contribution to get 500 pounds of food at our miraculously low price. A $30 donation will get 1,000 pounds of food and of course any amount that you are able to donate is much appreciated. Please understand the urgency of this request. DONATE NOW so that we may deliver food to the Native Americans who are depending on NAHA.
We also accept gently-used clothing, shoes, toys, school supplies and anything else that can be used on a daily basis. You may ship these items to our warehouse at: NAHA, 12085 Quaal Rd., Black Hawk, SD 57718.