First Families Now

 

First Families Now (FFN) is a 501(c)(3) organization established to focus on the vital needs of children and families in geographically isolated, high need communities throughout Pine Ridge Reservation.  Its mission is to improve the quality of life for families and thereby improve the vibrancy of their communities.  

FFN works with school counselors and social workers at Oglala Lakota County Early Head Start Centers and tribal, grant and public schools to identify students and families who are in dire need and personally deliver donations to families and schools.

FFN will utilize comprehensive initiatives to support, educate, engage and empower families.  Such families can have dramatic and positive impact on their communities.

I will be posting individual donation drives on behalf of FFN for specific items from time to time.  However, if you would like to support the efforts of FFN with general donations at any time, here are many ways to help:

Donate Nonperishables for the FFN Emergency Food Pantry

Pine Ridge Reservation is a food desert and the nearest regular-sized grocery store is 80 miles away. Many families experience food emergencies and your donations of healthy nonperishable foods such as no sugar nut butters, canned fish, powdered eggs, canned fruits and vegetables, applesauce cups, fruit cups, 100% fruit juice, powdered milk, shelf-stable liquid milk, almond milk, soy milk, coffee, tea, beans and legumes, low sodium soups, tomato products, pasta and grains, non-sugary cereals, bulk oatmeal, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, bullion, spices, flour, yeast, baking soda, baking powder, cooking oil, etc. will help families in crisis.

Tampons and sanitary napkins (no reusables please) are always an urgent need for girls and women on the rez, not only are they expensive, there are no convenience stores right around the corner for them.  In fact, if you’ve got a school, church, scout or other group looking for a project, collecting these would be wonderful.

They also need toiletries of all types, especially antiperspirant, large packs of toilet paper and paper towels, facial tissue, plastic wrap/foil/zip lock bags, first aid supplies, disposable diapers for the elders, and cleaning products. Please consider Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program to send an automatic monthly donation of any such items. Also welcome are hotel toiletries so remember to bring those home with you when you travel!

If you’d like to make a monetary donation specifically for food, you can mail a tax-deductible check made out to First Families Now to the address below (or send a PayPal payment to firstfamiliesnow2018@gmail.com) and please include a note designating your donation is for the food pantry.  FFN’s food pantry works with Every Child Is Ours and Feeding South Dakota so they have the ability to purchase fresh food at a discount for families in need when they have the funds.   

Donate Clothing to the FFN Clothes Closet

So many families do not have the income to provide proper clothing for the children and adults/elders in their families so your donations of new and/or very gently used, clean clothing will be of tremendous help.  If you’re sending clothes from home, a few hangers in the box would be helpful.  [As of December 2022 they are fully stocked with clothing, please don’t send more, with the exception of winter coats. I’ll remove this note when the are in need of clothing again. Thanks!]

If you sew, please feel free to make children and adult clothing for the FFN families such as pajamas, shorts, pants, tops, dresses for children, robes, etc.  Any patterns and fabric colors are fine but please no prints with owls, for cultural reasons.  You can also order clothing online and have them shipped directly to the FFN Clothes Closet.  

The FFN families also need new shoes, snow boots, socks, underwear, thermal underwear, warm coats, hats, scarves, mittens and gloves.  This is a year round need but please send donations appropriate to the season (i.e. winter clothes in the winter). All sizes, infants through adult are needed.  If you knit or crochet, handmade items are welcome.

Also, if you run across an old fur coat or stole, please ship it to FFN to be used for cultural items.

Donate Books for the FFN Families

It’s so important for children and adults to have reading materials in the home—and few do— that engage them. If you’d like to donate books to First Families Now, click here to see their wish list.   Please do not send encyclopedias, used textbooks, or old magazines but you can send general books that you have at home for children and adults, fiction and non-fiction, if the books have been recently published and are in excellent condition.  

Donate Infant and Toddler Supplies for FNN Babies

There are many FFN families with babies and toddlers and you can make a big difference in their lives by donating infant and toddler diapers, formula, food, blankets and clothing (purchased or knitted/crocheted/sewn for newborn through preschool age), and all types of supplies (bottles, high chairs, cribs, bathtubs, toiletries, toys, etc.). Their most urgent needs are diapers in size 3 to 6 and formula.  Here’s a more detailed list of what they can use for infants and toddlers.

Donate Sewing, Quilting, Needlework, Beadwork Supplies for FFN Families

Many FFN women and elders would love the ability to sew for their families and many can use sewing machines, irons, fabric, batting, thread, buttons, zippers, all types of sewing and quilting notions, patterns, yarn, beads and jingle cones which will allow parents to construct quilts and clothing as well as dance regalia. They can use all types of fabric (cotton, denim, satin, fleece, juvenile prints, flannel, etc.) in 3-4 yard pieces, but smaller quilting pieces are acceptable.   Also needed are 1″ to 1 1/2″ satin ribbon and extra-wide double-fold bias tape in all colors.  Your old fur coats are also most welcome for sewing regalia.   

Donate Sports Equipment and School Supplies for Schools Across the Rez

The many rez schools that FFN works with can use sports equipment for the students, namely basketballs, basketball pumps, soccer balls, kick balls, volleyballs, baseballs, bats, gloves, bases, and volleyball nets. They also need school supplies, all the basics—backpacks, pencils, printer paper, loose leaf paper, binders, pens, crayons, markers, watercolors, construction paper, spiral notebooks, arts and craft supplies, etc.  Thanks for your support!

Donate Household Goods for FFN Families

If you have new and/or very gently used household goods that you’d like to donate to the FFN families, please ship them to the address below.  You can also order such items online and ship them directly to FFN.  They need dish ware, glassware, flatware, cookware, bakeware, microwaves, crockpots, (electric skillets are especially helpful for those families who have no stove).  Small appliances, space heaters, bed pillows, bed linens, bath towels, and other household items, are all appreciated donations.

Donate Funds to FFN for General Use, Food Items or Utilities/Propane/Firewood

If you would like to donate funds to FFN to further their work, please mail a tax-deductible check or mail order made out to “First Families Now” to the address below.  If you’d like to donate via PayPal, please log in to your PayPal account, click on “send and receive” and send funds to firstfamiliesnow2018@gmail.com  If you are donating for general purposes, no need for a note, but if you’d like your donation to go specifically for the Food Pantry, or to help families in need of help with utilities, please indicate.   FFN’s tax ID number is  82-1826838.

Please ship your donations to First Families Now at this address:

Via US Mail, UPS/FedEx:

Alice Phelps, Director
First Families Now
2900 BIA 27
Porcupine, SD   57772
605 407-0414

Please Note: Due to the volume of donations shipped to the reservation FoPRR cannot verify delivery of your boxes. If you are shipping from home and require confirmation of delivery, please purchase delivery confirmation from the post office or use your shipping service’s tracking system.