The shelter is now a stable institution on Standing Rock. Last spring, the Tribal Council awarded it a large grant to hire two more staff, create a Sexual Assault Response Team at the Tribal Administration level, and conduct educational programs! Not too shabby!
DECEMBER 8 UPDATE:
I just wanted to let everyone know that Georgia Littleshield is stepping down as director of the shelter as of December 11th for health reasons.
I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize Georgia for her contribution to the women on the Standing Rock Reservation. The fact that she never gave up when it seemed that the shelter was in imminent danger of closing, whether from vandalism and fire or for financial reasons, inspired so many people to help that we were able to raise enough money to buy a building.
So, Georgia, I want to say to you that you can be satisfied with the work you've done. You were an excellent public advocate for the shelter and its long-term existence is thanks to you.
2009 DONATIONS
I have two different ChipIn Widgets posted.
1. The first one is for the staff, which now numbers 4 (one of the shelter workers has recently resigned). If you contribute to that, it isn't tax deductible. If you choose this, when you go to the ChipIn, you will see my email address, not the shelter director's, since the money will go into my PayPal account. What I do is go to my TD bank and buy the fee-free gift cards they sell there, and then send them priority mail. The staff has been very surprised every year, and it has been touching to hear talk of tears on seeing how much each card has been for, etc. Since the shelter doesn't have Christmas bonuses in its budget, this is how we give those hard-working women some recognition!
2. I recently asked Georgia if there were any big-ticket items that they still needed (after all, they have the house, a new furnace, a fence, and bunkbeds for kids thanks to YOU!). She had a van for the shelter on her wishlist. I haven't gotten any estimates from them yet, but that's what they're wishing for. If you donate to this fund, it IS tax-deductible, and will go into the sheleter's general operating fund. If they get enough money for a van, great. If not, it will be put to good use anyway.
3. Material Donations (updated 11/13)- when I went out to the shelter last winter I was overwhelmed by the amount of clothing that had been donated, mostly by YOU folks. It was amazing. I will double check on this information, but if you are inclined to send clothes or items you have crocheted or knitted (beautiful work ladies, btw), there is an ongoing shortage of baby and young children's clothes. Blankets and throws are always needed, and the shelter will always gratefully accept adult clothes, but there are shortages of babies' and children's clothes if you are trying to prioritize your giving.
The shelter had been receiving palates of items every month from a larger organization. Unfortunately, that organization is now under new management, which is requiring them to do their paperwork all over again. With the shipments stopping, there is has been a sudden shortage of certain items, including: sheets and towels, feminine hygiene items, and shampoo. The shelter in fact is in desperate need of DIAPERS. You can have these items sent cheaply from online stores that offer free shipping (Amazon is free over $25, etc.).
Also, consider doing your on-line shopping through www.iGive.com. You can not only get a discount for yourself in many stores, but it amounts to extra donations from the shelter through the participating merchants.
If you want to send new clothes for adults, sweatsuits are ideal.
Thanks again from the bottom of my heart. I am looking forward to being moved to tears again this year by your generosity.
Here is a Thanksgiving Message from President Obama:
Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, Americans across the country will sit down together, count our blessings, and give thanks for our families and our loved ones.
American families reflect the diversity of this great nation. No two are exactly alike, but there is a common thread they each share.
Our families are bound together through times of joy and times of grief. They shape us, support us, instill the values that guide us as individuals, and make possible all that we achieve.
So tomorrow, I'll be giving thanks for my family -- for all the wisdom, support, and love they have brought into my life.
But tomorrow is also a day to remember those who cannot sit down to break bread with those they love.
The soldier overseas holding down a lonely post and missing his kids. The sailor who left her home to serve a higher calling. The folks who must spend tomorrow apart from their families to work a second job, so they can keep food on the table or send a child to school.
We are grateful beyond words for the service and hard work of so many Americans who make our country great through their sacrifice. And this year, we know that far too many face a daily struggle that puts the comfort and security we all deserve painfully out of reach.
So when we gather tomorrow, let us also use the occasion to renew our commitment to building a more peaceful and prosperous future that every American family can enjoy.
It seems like a lifetime ago that a crowd met on a frigid February morning in Springfield, Illinois to set out on an improbable course to change our nation.
In the years since, Michelle and I have been blessed with the support and friendship of the millions of Americans who have come together to form this ongoing movement for change.
You have been there through victories and setbacks. You have given of yourselves beyond measure. You have enabled all that we have accomplished -- and you have had the courage to dream yet bigger dreams for what we can still achieve.
So in this season of thanks giving, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to you, and my anticipation of the brighter future we are creating together.
With warmest wishes for a happy holiday season from my family to yours,
President Barack Obama
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