Wanblee, South Dakota, has a population of around 600 people. The community has limited support on a typical day, and resources become even more scarce during inclement weather when roads are impassable and the power goes out. To help Native Elders during this vulnerable time, Partnership With Native Americans® (PWNA) offers a Winter Emergency Box service through our Sioux Nation Relief Fund® (SNRF) program. Our Partner, Shai D., runs a senior center in Wanblee and received 60 boxes full of essential supplies to help Elders weather upcoming storms.
If the Winter Emergency Boxes were unavailable, Shai explained, “I believe that it would be a strain” on the senior center and the Elders. “A lot of them depend on any extra resources due to the fact that they’re all on low income, disability, or social security.” She added that getting the Winter Boxes was “a good feeling because I know a lot of [Elders] can use extra resources, and they really appreciate what they do get.”
60-year-old Lavonne W. was grateful to receive a Winter Emergency Box, saying, “Woohoo!” and “All right!” as she looked through the supplies. She especially liked the sports drinks, Vienna sausages, mac and cheese, and her new book. She was also happy to find toilet paper and paper towels.
Lavonne is a U.S. Marine veteran, so she’s learned to make the most of the tools around her. She has learned some life lessons from her travels, like “how to survive with what you have in the winter and summer – just survival mode, how to defend myself, and knowing how to get resources.” To get through tough times and find her daily inspiration, Lavonne told us, “I listen to music; it gets me motivated, and I hit the ground running.”
Lavonne is from Wanblee and has been back in the community for 30 years after her travels. She lives with her brother and son and enjoys visits from her other son, nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Lavonne shared that no one in her three-person household has a job, and they rely on her VA benefits.
With no car at the moment, Lavonne hopes to have enough money to buy one before winter comes. In the meantime, she has a system to get where she needs to go. Every few months, she travels to Hot Springs for medical appointments—more than 100 miles away—by catching a bus and hitchhiking the last 60 miles. Now and then, she hires a ride to Rapid City, 100 miles away, for an affordable grocery trip.
Lavonne visits the senior center every weekday to pick up lunch for herself and her brother. Thankfully, she only lives “four New York blocks” away. For supplies, Lavonne hikes to the town’s only convenience store, which she said has little variety. “We just have one store, and their prices are extremely high,” she told us. During a recent grocery trip, Lavonne shared that she picked up only a few items, which cost $130.
Lavonne estimated savings of $200 thanks to the Winter Emergency Box. The items will come in handy when the weather turns for the worst. She told us, “Last winter was pretty brutal. Some [electric] poles came down in Wanblee, and the community lost power for six hours. I used quilts to stay warm.” Lavonne now uses propane, which costs $500 for the season.
Lavonne wants SNRF donors to know that their help “is relevant because we get things we need that we don’t have. The toilet paper and blankets – everything is essential to living.” She shared one more message to donors, saying, “Wopila Tankan Eċiċiyé,” which means “A good Thanksgiving to you” in Lakota.
Donate to SNRF today to help Elders like Lavonne keep warm and well-stocked during great times of need.
