Salvation Army provides aid to Pine Ridge residents

Red Shirts, S.D. — In order to provide aid to the residents of Pine Ridge during the COVID-19 outbreak, the Salvation Army made 50 boxes for distribution within the community.

The boxes were filled with non-perishables, cleaning supplies, and turkeys. With there only being one store in Pine Ridge, and it’s distance from Rapid City, the hope was to ease the effects residents would feel during this time.

“We’ve done emergency services in the past, particularly with the flooding last spring,” said Javier Moreno, the Black Hills Coordinator for the Salvation Army. “And so, us being able to reach out to them and provide the assistance that they need is a regular ongoing service that we provide.”

With constant changes and uncertainty around the country, the Salvation Army is prepared to provide aid in the future to the reservation, elderly and homebound. Pine Ridge emergency management workers, also noted that younger residents are taking responsibility for keeping elders in the community safe by shopping for them as well as regularly checking on them.

Jesse Big Crow of the Oglala Sioux Tribe Emergency Management spoke of the positive impacts on the local community, such as cleaning supplies running out and being an indicator of people taking safety and sanitary precautions.

“Being 100 miles away from Rapid City and Walmart, it is a little bit tougher, just for families around here,” Big Crow said. “But as big of a reservation as we have, it’s really hopeful for me to see the community and the reservation coming together and to be more proactive in this.”

In order to keep everyone safe during this time, the Salvation Army does have the ability to provide aid to those in need. Case workers are available to determine based on certain circumstances, whether or not a person is eligible for aid.