Rosebud
Rosebud and Pine Ridge, Sioux reservations in southwestern South Dakota, are among the most impoverished areas in America. On the Rosebud reservation:
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- The median income is $30,284, 59% lower than the national median income of $74,755 in U.S.1
- Poverty sits at 54%, compared to 12.6% in the U.S. (1)
- Unemployment is 83%, whereas the U.S. national average 3.9% (2)
Despite the statistics, the 884,895-acre reservation is home to 20 communities of approximately 33,000 tribal members.
On the reservation, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Health Services (Health Services) helps the communities on the reservation in all things related to health. One key initiative is to provide food boxes with healthy options to patients who do not have access to healthier foods. This program is critical in the tribe’s fight to combat chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease which are rampant on the reservation.
Currently, Health Services buys foods from the local grocery store as donations are few and do not provide many meals to their patients and families. They buy about 88,000 pounds of food and supplies for nearly 2,000 families per month. They do not have cold storage to store foods. They have no truck(s) to make deliveries. They make small delivery trips using jeeps that hold four boxes at a time to the 20 communities on the reservation.
Warehouses4Good has partnered with Health Services to add a warehouse to their current office space to provide storage for their food and supplies. The 4,500 sq ft. addition will contain dry storage, coolers, and freezer space to allow longer-term storage of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. There will also be a kitchen for regularly preparing pre-made meals for the monthly distribution to the community.
Sources:
1 US Census Bureau, https://data.census.gov/profile/Rosebud_Indian_Reservation_and_Off-Reservation_Trust_Land,_SD?g=2500000US3235#income-and-poverty