July 2012 Newsletter

I am sure everyone has been feeling the summer heat waves and some places around the United States were even feeling it back in April. The weather around the country has been a little on the strange side especially when the Reservations in South Dakota that we serve had temperatures of 109 degrees yesterday. Usually this kind of heat, which is a little extreme, doesn’t make its appearance until August or so. We ended up acquiring bottles of water, Gatorade and Snapple within the past two weeks which was perfect timing with the heat creeping up on them like this. We also got in a truckload of watermelons and assorted food. But this is not nearly enough food to feed everyone on the Reservations. I wish it was but it’s not. We know there are families with infants and children or elderly folks that are going day after day barely eating or not eating at all because they simply just don’t have any food unless they get some when we make deliveries to the CAP offices or community centers. It breaks my heart to know this is going on but it’s the truth and they need our help.

We all know how it feels to be hungry and most of us are fortunate enough to just grab something out of the fridge or make something to eat. Two out of every ten Indian households are starving. So I am asking you to help us change these statistics and help feed those that are hungry living on the Reservations. If you send $15 we can use that contribution and get 500 pounds of food, $30 will get 1,000 pounds of food and if you can do more than that, we can get even more food to distribute to them. NAHA is pleading for your help. Native American families with children are pleading for your help. And remember any amount you contribute is tax-deductible.

Also we just received our 4-star rating for our 8th year from Charity Navigator. We must be doing something right but remember none of this would be possible without our generous and kind hearted donors like yourself. Please send your contribution as soon as possible so not another day goes by where a Native American has to go hungry!!!