Okiciyap is a 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization
Donate by Check:
Okiciyap
PO Box 172
Isabel, SD 57633
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It's time to ramp up the fundraising for our reservations as we go into the harsh winter season. This diary is to kick-off this effort featuring
Okiciyap, (Lakota for "we help) a food pantry organized and run by American Indians on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. The Daily Kos community has been supporting Okiciyap for several years now, thanks to
betson08 and
her reporting.
This past spring, the DK Quilt Guild started off this year's effort with a very successful auction of one of their beautiful quilts. I've taken design elements from that quilt and made them into the header and footer graphics for the Okiciyap fundraising diaries going forward. This past August, betson08 and I had the wonderful privilege of flying to the Okiciyap Wacipi (Powwow) in Isabel, South Dakota to present the DK Quilt Guild's quilt to them along with a plaque of all the Daily Kos donor names. We presented another plaque which stated that the Daily Kos Fundraisers for Okiciyap group had raised over $11,000 for the pantry from the quilt auction.
The Daily Kos community rallied again this year with a Back-to-School supplies drive for the pantry to distribute. Photos of that effort can be seen here, which is also the link just above. Thanks to all who wrote diaries and donated supplies!
An early fierce blizzard hit the northern reservations last month. Tribal officials declared states of emergency as three feet of snow were dumped and made harsher with record winds. Thousands of cattle died. These blizzards are common up north and this recent one is an important reminder that we need to get the food pantry stocked with food. So please, once again, will you help us with our Daily Kos community effort? You can help by donating money, sharing this diary link by email with your network, posting this diary link on your wall at facebook while asking your friends to share and tweeting using the Twitter icon just under the headline above.
Okiciyap is one of a very few 501(c)(3)s I regularly contribute large donations to each year so I'd like to celebrate this kick-off diary with a $500 donation to start this Winter Season's Fundraising. (Please note I paid the processing fee so Okiciyap would get the entire $500 and I'm sure they'll remove the school supplies designation soon, don't worry, it all goes to the same place.)
Please join me in whatever amount you can donate. PLEASE REMEMBER, SMALL AMOUNTS ADD UP and are easier to give. So please encourage your networks to donate any amount, especially amounts like 10 or 20 dollars. That's not much to ask of all your friends. And if you can only recommend and share the diary that's valuable, too!
Please watch for future diaries in this season's series and help us promote them. Your recommends of each diary truly help. We plan to do one every one or two weeks. Be sure to follow the Daily Kos Fundraisers for Okiciyap group. Please tell us in the comments how you're helping. Taking the time to recommend and share is something good to report.
BACKGROUND
Okiciyap (we help) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donation should be tax deductible. Okiciyap, located on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota, is working to provide a food pantry, youth center, K-12 educational support, GED & Lakota as a 2nd language class support for youth and adults. The word Okiciyap is Lakota for "we help."
Okiciyap lost its founder, Georgia Little Shield in April 2012. Georgia was instrumental in the development of the 501(3)(c) status. In early 2012, she found a building, had it moved and set up to house the food pantry and youth center. Now, the Okiciyap Board is stepping forward to insure Georgia's plans for the Isabel community move forward.
Okiciyap is registered with iGive, which means that your online purchases from participating retailers could automatically generate a donation.
The Daily Kos Fundraising for Okiciyap group was formed to support the pantry. More information is available at the Okiciyap diaries published here at Daily Kos.
Donate Directly to Okiciyap by Check:
Okiciyap
PO Box 172
Isabel, SD 57633
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Donate Stuff Directly to Okiciyap:
Okiciyap
506 N Madison Ave
Isabel SD 57633
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Inspiration for the header and footer banner graphics was taken from
the Daily Kos Quilt Guild's auction quilt for Okiciyap