Alert: Ice Storms Devastate Lakota Sioux Tribes
Seva asks for your urgent help in time of greatest need

Just two weeks ago, a powerful snow and ice storm ripped through the Plains region, felling power lines, and cutting off power and water to thousands of South Dakotans, many of them on the Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Indian Reservations.
With no electricity, no heat, no running water, and a wind chill below zero, a crisis is mounting.  The Chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has declared a state of emergency for his community and is calling for immediate assistance. The tribes are working hard to bring families in out of the cold into shelters.  The South Dakota National Guard, the State's Department of Public Safety as well as the Army Corps of Engineers have come to the reservation and supplied some emergency generators.  Help also is coming in from the Red Cross and other tribes.

But even with assistance these tribes, among the poorest communities in the United States, are not able to meet the overwhelming needs of their communities.  They have depleted emergency budgets with the two blizzards that already hit the reservations since December.  They need funds to help buy food and supplies for the community and volunteers, as well as basic medical supplies for diabetes and other patients on dialysis.

Seva Foundation, which has for nearly 30 years partnered to build community health in Indian Country, asks that you put your compassion in action in this hour of great need.  Though we are not equipped for on-the-ground emergency response, we ask that you give to our colleagues at Native Americans in Philanthropy.   Up to $25,000 in donations given to the fund at Native Americans in Philanthropy will be matched dollar for dollar by the Bush Foundation, meaning your contribution will double its impact.

Outside the frozen plains of the Dakotas, this domestic humanitarian crisis has received little attention.

Thank you for opening your heart and doing what you can.

You can support Seva's work in Native American communities with an online donation.