Thank Yous from LOWO

July 29, 2010

Good morning, Chris;

This e-mail is sent on behalf of Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja Owicakiyapi (LOWO) to express our deepest, heartfelt appreciation for the recent donation drives sponsored by Friends of Pine Ridge for toiletry and hygiene supplies and the drive for Back to School supplies for our Lakota children and families that LOWO is working with.

Sometimes what may be seen as the smallest of items (a tube of toothpaste, laundry soap, or shampoo) may seem like a luxury to the families we work with as they subsist on such limited means. We have relative caregivers who step in and provide care to many of our children that need to be temporarily out of their homes while their parents work on issues that need to be addressed and the relatives struggle with providing for the children’s needs. The generous donations that LOWO has received both in recent and in past is so deeply appreciated by our organization and specifically as well by the families that are able to be helped.

The kindness and the generosity that the donors of Friends of Pine Ridge have shown has helped in more ways than can be truly expressed in words. We at LOWO want to say Wopila Tanka (a big thank you) for all the support we have received through the donors of Friends of Pine Ridge.

Sincerely,

Susan DuBray, Co-Executive Director
Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja Owicakiyapi (LOWO)

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April 23, 2010

Good morning, Chris;

I wanted to send an e-mail to thank the donors and yourself from Friends of Pine Ridge for the recent donations received by LOWO of new shoes for the children that we work with through our tribal child welfare agency. We received an incredible amount of shoes that were donated to provide to our families who have children that are in need. The quality and variety of shoes that we have received has been tremendous and seeing the reaction of some of the children who have received shoes has been a very touching experience.

We are extremely grateful for the continued support of Friends of Pine Ridge to our agency in our mission to help the Lakota children and families of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation. We want to express how appreciative we are to have the continued support of the donors who have given so much to help our Lakota children and families.

Susan DuBray, Co-Executive Director
Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja Owicakiyapi (LOWO)

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April 7, 2010

Hi Chris;

This e-mail is to confirm that the Easter goodies were distributed to the children LOWO works with. The Easter goodies were given to children who are remaining with their birth families and the families and children are receiving services and also were distributed to children that are in our tribal foster families.

There was an abundance of goodies that were received and the families and children were delighted to receive the gifts. We at LOWO are extremely grateful for the wonderful donations of the Easter baskets, candies, toys, and stuffed animals. Having the ability to provide gifts for holiday occasions has been a true blessing and the generosity that is demonstrated by the wonderful donors that Friends of Pine Ridge works with is deeply appreciated. We would like to thank every donor that contributed to the children that LOWO is working with.

Susan DuBray
Co-Executive Director
Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja Owicakiyapi (LOWO)

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March 25, 2010

Dear Chris;

On behalf of Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja Owicakiyapi (LOWO), we would like to express our sincerest Thank You to all of the tremendously generous donors of Friends of Pine Ridge. The recent baby shower donation drive provided LOWO an incredible amount of baby clothing, furniture, hygiene items, diapers, and toys. We were overwhelmed with the amount and variety of donations and items that are greatly needed that we can give to the children and families that we work with. It is incredibly rewarding to be able to help young families with small children who are trying their best to meet the needs of their children, or relatives who have taken in the care of a niece, nephew, or grandchild, or a foster parent who receives a child into their home in the middle of the night with nothing but the clothes on their back.

With the current national economic hardships it has been harder than ever for our families who have so many challenges in their daily lives. We thank all of the kind, generous, caring people that have contributed the incredible volume of donations that have come to LOWO through this donation drive.

Susan DuBray, Co-Executive Director
Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja Owicakiyapi (LOWO)
Charter Tribal Child Welfare Agency-Oglala Sioux Tribe

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February 22, 2010

Dear Chris and all the generous donors of Friends of Pine Ridge;

This letter is sent to express our humble and heartfelt thank you for the numerous donations of children’s pajamas, socks, and underwear to Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja Owicakiyapi (LOWO) for the children that we work with through the child welfare system on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The clothing items will be highly utilized to provide to the children that come into foster care or are placed with relatives who have come out of situations of child abuse or neglect on the reservation.

Many times when children are temporarily removed from their families for serious safety concerns this happens in crisis and the children come with little or no clothing. Being able to provide bare necessities and ease some of the trauma that our children experience has been enhanced through the generosity of the people across the United States who have given from their hearts to help our children. Mere words cannot fully express the depth of appreciation that our agency has for the regular and consistent giving that Friends of Pine Ridge have provided to our sacred Lakota Wakanyeja (children).

Sincerely,

Susan DuBray
Co-Executive Director
Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja Owicakiyapi (LOWO)

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January 6, 2010

Dear Chris & all the generous donors of Friends of Pine Ridge;

On behalf of the employees of Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja Owicakiyapi (LOWO), along with all the children and families we serve, we would like to express our heartfelt thank you for the 300+ Christmas presents donated for the the children in foster care, kinship care, and in family preservation services through LOWO.

Through your kind generosity every child in our services was able to receive a gift for Christmas. Thank you for bringing a smile to the faces of so many and for providing a highlight to the Holidays for our families.

LOWO has been the recipient for 4 years of the generosity of FOPRR at Christmas time and the lives of so many children and families have been touched by the donors genuine kindness and caring. We are truly grateful and appreciative of all that has been done to help our Oglala Lakota children of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Sincerely,

Susan DuBray
Co-Executive Director