Update: Thank You from Cindy
I'mmmmm BACK!
3???! OMG! WHAT????? 3?
Picked up 3 packages from Broths, 1 from Weck... WHAT DID YOU JUS SAY??? 3! Still can't believe it....
But the school supplies have a head start and just as soon as we put in a/c (3?) we will get them sorted and put away till its time. UnBelievable! I love these people and they don't even know us! How is this possible????
We can't even get noticed by our own tribe..(even though they are kinda poor) we usually get left out of many things. Thank God for Georgia and the people she met or knew. I hope we do her proud. Must go blow my nose(from crying). Happy :D for the kids and their parents.
LUV & A BAZZILLION HUGS!
Cindy
ETA: With the funds raised, we were able to purchase 3 window a/c units for the pantry: 1 (one) 8,000 BTU a/c for the kitchen and 2 (two) 10,000 BTU a/c's for the main room. Because the main room is so large, it is more efficient to use 2 smaller a/c units. The pantry should be fully air-conditioned by early next week!
We are all sweatin'! 95 degrees or higher and no air conditioner at the pantry. We have a fan.
Today the
Okiciyap (we help) group is focusing on the urgent need for
window air conditioning units for the
Okiciyap Food Pantry on the
Cheyenne River Reservation in the Isabel, South Dakota area.
Okiciyap (we help) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to provide a Food Pantry, Youth Center, K-12 educational support, GED & Lakota as a 2nd language class support, and other lifelong learning opportunities for youth and adults. More information is available at the Okiciyap website as well as in the Okiciyap diaries published thus far by navajo, betson08, Aji, Dr Erich Bloodaxe RN, Spirit Dancer, and nomandates.
$700.00 (est.) for Window Air Conditioning Units for Food Pantry--FUNDED!
Main room: 24' x 35' = 840 sq. ft. needs 15,000 BTU
Est. price: $419.00 plus tax and delivery costs
Kitchen: 24' x 11'6" = 276 sq. ft. needs 8,000 BTU
Est. price: $219.00 plus tax and delivery costs
Already set up for both 220 & 110 volts for a window. Size doesn't matter (Cindy's brother will make it fit).
Cindy: The question posted by Broths about heating...Yes it is by a really old baseboard system that still works. Costs an arm and a leg to turn on, but it does work. We are supposed to be getting a break on our heating from the energy company by installing a special meter for this.
Before this diary was posted today, 25 generous contributors had donated $1552.02 for the Food Pantry since Spirit Dancer posted an urgent call for help on June 22nd.
Unless a donor indicates otherwise, the next $700.00 will be used to purchase 2 Window A/C Units for the Food Pantry. Any unused funds will be redirected toward the Food Pantry.
Meanwhile, Okiciyap does have other needs. Once they have a/c, they can begin their summer feeding program for area youth. They will need some equipment for their kitchen though. Please browse through the other categories as well to see whether you could help elsewhere. Cindy has applied for numerous grants, but it may take as long as a year to get any funds.
Thank you!
Food Pantry Kitchen Needs a New Refrigerator, etc.
Cindy: We haven't started our summer feedin' program cause our refridge is just not reliable (35 yrs old), plus too hot to cook [no a/c]. We also have to find some baking pans and pots, and we need more folding tables and folding chairs. These can be put away when not in use for more room.
They want to provide morning & noon meals to children and elderly and teach cooking classes. There's a need to teach cooking from scratch.
Refrigerator (Space available is 36" wide x 32" deep x 70" tall. No water hookup nearby.):
Pots & Pans (etc):
Lg Cooking Pots
Lg cooking sheets
muffin tins
12" or Larger frying pan
6 bread pans
Pasta pots w/strainers
Spatulas & spoons: heavy duty metal or industrial
has block but no knives
plastic cutting board
measuring cups, esp. 1 cup size for flour, sugar...
dish soap
large green scrubbers
2 - 4 gal size storage containers for flour, sugar, rice etc.
First Aid Kits
Kitchenaid standing mixer. Great for making big batches of bread dough quickly. The mixer is expensive with a whisk, paddle, and dough hook, but someone might find or have a good used one. The average price of a new one is around $270. Used are sometimes hard to find as they are still in use in Kitchens and last for years.
Folding Tables and Chairs for 35 kids to start. 2 x 8 size. Maybe a couple of extra sets of folding tables and chairs for the elderly. She's fine w/the smaller tables and wants regular size chairs.
Now have: 2 24-cup mini muffin pans, 1 set of 3 cookie sheets, 1 9x13 cake pan
Youth Library
Cindy: The library question, when our school closed the city felt we didn't need one and closed it. After the school in Timber Lake took what they wanted (mind you, I hate to even say it cause they didn't ask us), they took 7 pick-up loads to the dump to burn. I remember the day we found out. We didn't have a building to store them in. We had to let them go. We would love to start a youth library with an adult one to follow later when we have more space.
Requests: Quilt books from Quilt In A day series, Native beading books, craft books, young people k-8? activity books, Real novels, mystery, also books by Native authors.
List from Cindy: These are the authors of many books native:
1. Cynthia Leitich Smith (mostly childrens books) Jingle dancer etc.
2. Joseph Ele Joubert (translation) The first Council Fire
3. Carol Dana (poetry) When No One Was Looking
4. Alice Azure, Along Came A Spider
5. Joseph Bruchac (most any of his books)
6. Zitkala-Sa(sioux) Interpreted By Charles Eastman and Luther Standing Bear
7. Morning Dove (Colville) Coyote Stories
8. Pamela Greenhill Kaizen (dakota) Lakota and Dakota Animal Wisdom Stories
Hope this gets a start for our library.
Cindy: I talked with my brother and he said it might be cheaper to just buy already made to put up bookshelves in cartons or boxes. When he isn't around and we can't find any body to build, at least I and maybe a couple other women can put them together and set them up. Great idea. I'm pretty good with a hammer and screwdriver! I love assembley required!! Did my own quilting table...14' long (pride!) The instructions said 'allow 6 hours assembly time', HA! Took me three days between kids and school and everything in between to do it. Did it, proud of it, still works, still as solid as the days I took to put it together...
Summer Activities
Cindy: We also wanted movie nites for them. The closest show hall is 65 miles away off the rez. We had a popcorn machine on one of our proposals we sent. We forgot to add a projecter to make the movies bigger on the wall. I know they have them for dvd players, jus haven't had time to price one. Don't know if they are cheaper than a big screen TV or not.
DVDs' Any that teaches different dancing of our people ie; fancy shawl, traditional mens and womens' jingle dress dancing, mens grass dance, mens fancy.
Other dvds' vhs' more towards educational. Also any kind of kids learning software from k-8
Cindy: Well you asked so I asked the kids today:
Volleyball net
volleyballs
portable basketball goal (I thought 'jus ask for a Play Ground! Jes kiddin')
Wii game console with sports, super mario, toy story3...??
DVD VHS player as some have vhs movies yet!
They said if they had computers Jump Start is good for the younger ones.
Now have:
2 scrabble games, 1 clue game, video cam
Arts & Crafts
Cindy: We were wanting a kiln and all the ceramic essentials, plus we were goin to teach a native beading class and also sewing plus leather working. We who went to school in the 70's took all these classes but our schools don't offer them. We also wanted to bring back our language classes that we had years ago.
Cindy: Some of the kids wanted to know if modeling clay, acrylic paints, watercolors, popsicle stix, easels (whatever they are to hold up artwork as you work on them). Kids! Want what they want, hard to deny these little ones! That was one of their requests when the building was moved here. One watching over my shoulder just reminded me!
Now have: 3 decorative edging scissors, a punch, glitter and spangles, bag of ribbons and lace, alphabet stencils, sidewalk chalk, small lace doileys: rounds and hearts, origami papers with some instructions, 2 wooden "critter" craft kits to assemble, 2 sets of 8-color watercolors, 200 sheets mixed color construction paper
Now have thousands of small glass beads (ea. size/color pkg separately):
1.5 mm round Clear, Black, White, Brown, Green
1.75 mm round Clear, Black, White, Brown, Green
Need: beading needles and fine nylon thread
Sewing
Cindy: Sewing Machines are always wanted and I can repair most. I own a Industrial Straight Stitch for my quilting and such but it is not portable, it weighs 600lbs. Threads, cone threads, needles, needle threaders, cloth cutting 8" scissors, 24"x6" quilting rulers, cutting mats 24"x18" or larger, buttons, zippers (all lengths), velcro?(hope its spelled rite),and I can teach the use of serger machines if you come across any as they(kids) can make their own clothes like a professional with a little practice.
Now have: Baby loc 'quilters dream' model sewing machine, mat, rotary cutter, pkg of rotary blades"
Clothing
Cindy: My amy reminded me how hard it was to buy JEANS! We have used second hand for ever and most moms do. Gently used jeans. Gotta luv 'em.
Girls from size 6x to adult junior size 14 and Gloves, they seem to love hoody jackets to wear under coats, Sox, underwear, bras, sports bras, Tee shirts.
Boys jeans size 4 to 36x34, sox, underwear, teeshirts size youth sm to lg and adult lg to 3x?, Hoodys, gloves.
Both: snow pants
snow boots (any size from child to adults)
Because of space considerations, I am not going to update with lists of clothing sent. Instead, we will ask Cindy to let us know when they no longer need specific clothing items.
Winter Needs
At the moment, the group will be focusing on dealing with immediate needs to get through this summer. When winter arrives, though, new and gently used winter clothing and blankets will definitely be needed, so I'm adding this now for folks to keep an eye out for bargains.
In particular, Cindy has requested new and gently used snow boots and snow pants: "One of the moms at the meeting last nite asked if I would put snow boots and snow pants on the list? That was a really good sugestion. Our kids wait outside of the old school for the buses, some in cars some not, and I remember the ones with no snow boots or snowpants and wind chills upward of -10 to -20."
2 Laptops, Ink Cartridges, Office Supplies
Laptop Computers: we need them to be business ready with a decent amount of memory
Ink Cartridges: broths has generously donated an All-in-One printer/scanner/copier/fax, which uses the following ink cartridges:
Canon PG-210XL black
Canon CL-211XL color
For now, they will have a much greater need for black ink.
Office Supplies: staplers, staples, scotch tape, chalk, tacks, push pins, bulletin boards, pens, pencils, highlighters, pencil sharpeners, band-aids, a few first-aid kits, forever stamps...
Now have: 50 small binder clips, 20 mechanical pencils, 10 original sharpies
Back-to-School Supplies and GED Materials
weck has volunteered to host a couple of diaries that will focus on backpacks, school supplies, and GED materials. School starts on August 20.
Cindy: Our parents are allowed to pick what they need as some can buy some but not all, and what is left over will be used at the after school program or if the child runs out and needs it. New and used backpacks are also needed. Please put the word out for our group.
Approx. 50 middle school/high school students:
1. 50 5-subject notebooks
2. 150 pencils (now have 50)
3. 50 or more pens (red, blue, black inks)
now have 24 red, 64 black
4. 25 scientific calculators
5. 50 velco or zipper binders to carry everything between classes
6. 150 2-pocket folders (now have 70)
7. 50 backpacks (adult-sized)
Cindy: I talked with some kids to see if they had their backpacks from last year and surprise some have them from grade school! They need new ones...
2 graphic calculators w 6x9 screen
Approx. 90 k-6 students:
1. 90 (24) (8 lg) (16) mixed crayons pks (now have 2 boxes 8 Lg crayons)
2. 90 scissors small and reg size mixed (now have 11 sm)
3. 90 rulers (now have 20)
4. 90 protractors (now have 10)
5. 90 washable markers (now have 1 pkg of 16)
6. 300 single subject notebooks (wide ruled)
7. 300 pencils again (now have 82)
8. 90 pencil top erasers (now have 87) or the big erasers (now have 12)
9. 90 up to 30 12" pencil boxes
10. 90 Glue stixs (now have 48) and regular glue (now have 4)
11. 300 2-pocket folders for all k-12, lots of them!
12. 90 Backpacks (smaller for grade school)
13. 90 Kleenex
Food Pantry
Spirit Dancer: I thought perhaps you'd like to know how much it costs for them to make 1 trip to Pierre, SD to get food at The Feeding. It cost $200 in gas for 2 pickups and 1 horse trailer to drive 4 hours round trip. It cost $900 for the food for a total of $1100, this doesn't include expenses like water and electricity the for Okiciyap food pantry. So they need at least $1200 to $1300 for this to help them help others. Of course we aren't their only source of help but as we all know, money is hard to come by unless you are the 1%.
So, please give what you can.
ETA Cost of food breakdown:
$0.18 for 1 pound of food
$1.80 for 10 pounds of food
$18.00 for 100 pounds of food
Small donations are valuable!
Okiciyap is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so your contribution is tax deductible.
Address for mailing checks or packages:
Cindy A Taylor
Okiciyap
P O Box 172
Isabel, SD 57633-0172
5:28 PM PT: We're up to 30 contributors for a total of $1732.02. Since this diary went up, Okiciyap has received a combined total of $180 from 5 contributors.
Those 5 donations will in turn trigger $15 each, for another $75. Another 5 donations--for any amount--will trigger an additional $75.
Thank you all for your tips, and rec's, and donations!
6:25 PM PT: allensl's donation just put us over the top--we have already raised enough money to buy two window a/c units for the Food Pantry.
Thank you to all of our donors for your generosity to the Okiciyap Food Pantry. We still have a way to go to fully fund the pantry and related projects, but we're delighted that Spirit Dancer will be able to email Cindy tonight and let her know that a/c is on the way this week!
Just so everyone knows, Spirit Dancer emails the link to each diary so that Cindy, who is on a dial-up connection, can keep up with what we're doing. Cindy has been truly grateful for all of our efforts.
9:49 PM PT: Message sent from Cindy to Spirit Dancer: HUGS & LUVS for all you and the group are doing! Creator bless you lots!
Tue Jul 10, 2012 at 11:10 AM PT: betson08 has registered Okiciyap with iGive, which means that your online purchases from participating retailers could automatically generate a donation. Here's the link for more details: http://www.iGive.com/...