Pretty Bird Woman House is a women's shelter serving the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Without help, the shelter will close due to lack of funds. This diary is about a project to provide the shelter with emergency funding to remain open, and to provide long term support to help the shelter become self-sustaining. Please give what you can, if you can.
South Dakota Public Radio is planning a one hour radio call in talk show in response to efforts to save the shelter (and the larger issues raised by the Amnesty report) today. They've invited Georgia Little Shield (PBWH's director) and other Lakota leaders, as well as an expert from Amnesty International, to talk about this issue. The May 3rd show starts at 11:00 a.m. Mountain, (Noon Central, 1:00 p.m Eastern)and it will be streamed on line at www.sdpb.org.
More info on where our efforts now stand after the jump.
Online fundraising efforts currently stand at $13,122.01. This is an exceptional amount of money to be raised in one week -- but the week is not over. We still have today to push that amount even higher, so lets finish off the first week of efforts as well as we started it.
Reaching $25,000 is essential if the shelter is to remain open. Yet our real goal is not just a one-time cash infusion, no matter how large. Let's keep doing the hard work to help the shelter become sustainable.
There are so many ways you can help. Please continue to spread the word about Pretty Bird Woman House and these specific needs that you and your readers, friends, family and co-workers can help with.
:Donate:
Essential in the short term. Donations can be made on-line http://www.prettybirdwomanhouse.org
or sent via mail to:
Pretty Bird Woman House
P.O. Box 596
McLaughlin, SD 57642
:Volunteer:
We need individuals to contribute time and expertise to help the shelter achieve sustainability. We could particularly use committed individuals with skills in: grant writing, writing, fundraising, publicity, and marketing. Not sure you have any special skills, but still want to help? Get in touch, we'll find a way for you to contribute. (Minneapolis area? Please let us know.)
:Shop:
Beyond raw cash, the shelter is in need of the following items:
-Bunk Beds.
-Bunk Bed Mattresses.
-New Bed Linens
-Curtains.
-Shower Curtains (and shower curtain rods).
-New sweat suits, all sizes.
-Non perishable food stuffs.
A more comprehensive list is being compiled and put into an Amazon Wish List, but any of the items above can be sent to the shelter's address now.
:Lobby
If there are any South Dakota constituents out there interested in helping, we'd really like someone to contact the staffs of the SD congressional delegation to see if they can help on this issue. This community has been very supportive of Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth and Senator Johnson in the past, so we hope they might respond to this issue. Contact me for more details.
:Housing:
The shelter is currently housed in a donated apartment that is very small and not in the best of repair. Land is available, but they obviously don't have the cash to put up their own building. If anyone is willing to solicit pre-fab housing and/or trailer manufactures for a donation (maybe you're in the industry? Or maybe you're just not shy about calling up folks for donations?), please contact me. This is a big goal, but very important.
:Publicity:
Please keep spreading the word. Tell your friends and family. Talk to your co-workers. Contact your local press. And keep blogging on this issue.