A Crisis Heading for Disaster

Let me know if this sounds familiar. “What an exhausting day! All I want to do is go home, eat dinner, and relax”. When I get home, I look through the fridge, move over the expired milk to reach the leftovers from a week ago, then open the lid, wince at the smell, and throw it out. I head over to look in the pantry: Cans of vegetables, rice, noodles, and pasta sauce fill every shelf. I take a step back and think to myself, “A house full of food and nothing to eat. What to do?”. The answer: Change out of my work clothes, say ‘hi’ to the cat I have not seen in forever (9 hours), and relax in front of the TV as I order takeout.

This may seem like an average night to most people, but the Lakota on Pine Ridge do not have the luxury of letting their milk expire or letting their leftovers go bad. They certainly cannot order takeout whenever they want. Pine Ridge is a food desert, and most of the population relies on benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and food pantries like the three One Spirit runs. These food pantries are a vital source of nutrition for everyone, and they help curb the food insecurities that are prevalent on Pine Ridge. Of particular concern are people with diabetes or on dialysis. They are at greater risk, and that is why we have a pantry near a dialysis treatment facility on the rez that offers food helpful to them. A crisis of food insecurity is heading for disaster as we in One Spirit struggle to keep the food pantries stocked. Our food pantries are nearly empty due to cuts to the US Department of Agriculture, and the government shutdown, if not resolved soon, will cause SNAP beneficiaries to lose access to food benefits starting in November. 

Why are the food pantries nearly empty? In an effort to “cut waste” in the federal government, the current administration made significant cuts to the USDA and stopped funding Household Food Security Reports, which provide data on who, where, and how many people need food assistance. Meanwhile, the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) had nearly $500 million of funding paused, and the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program, which was set to fund up to $500 million for food banks, was canceled. Both programs help fill food banks, like the one One Spirit relies on.

To compound an already dire food situation, the government shutdown will cause the people on Pine Ridge who rely on SNAP to go without this vital resource starting in November. The USDA oversees SNAP, but the state of South Dakota handles logistics by working with Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) vendors. If the government does not pass a federal budget or a continuing resolution soon, no funds for SNAP will be distributed to states, and nonprofits like One Spirit will have to pick up the slack. EBT cards will go unfilled, but we will fight to keep people’s needs met regardless. 

In addition to all this, the food pantries need supplies and upgrades to keep the facilities effective. In one case, the pantry is small enough that people must wait outside while food is being distributed. With winter fast approaching, an enclosed porch can keep people from freezing while they wait. Refrigerators are vitally needed, too, to keep food from spoiling, and we need flags to indicate when the food pantries are open.

We are doing everything we can to feed people for as long as possible on Pine Ridge, but we need your help. If you would like to help, please donate directly to One Spirit, or help us reach our goal of $15,000 on Chuffed. 

You can also email or call your House Representatives and Senators to pressure them to end the shutdown. The Lakota on Pine Ridge are resilient people, but these times are very tough for an already food-insecure community. Let us all come together to share

our voices and lend a hand. After all, there is nothing stronger than a people united.