Elder Relief Program &
Navajo Solar Light Partnership
The Elder Relief Program supports local Diné Senior Centers, delivers food boxes to elderly families several times a year and partners with Navajo Solar Lights to install solar light kits for Diné seniors that have no electricity. It is an honor and privilege to serve our elderly families!
Elder Relief Program:
The COVID-19 pandemic hit the Navajo Nation especially hard and at one point the Navajo Reservation was a national hot spot with more cases per capita than New York City. Many Diné families live in multigenerational households and 30 to 40% of homes on the reservation lack running water and electricity. These factors, among others, made the initial outbreak especially challenging. Throughout the pandemic, there were shelter-in-place orders, mask mandates, weekend and nightly curfews for community members, because of strong leadership by the Navajo Nation President Jonathon Nez. Diné elderly were especially encouraged to stay home for their safety to reduce exposure. An article in the New York Times appeared early on: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/us/coronavirus-navajo-nation.html
After realizing the severity of Covid, Chinle Planting Hope changed our regular programming, as so many organizations did. We did an informal needs assessment and realized that our Senior Center needed the most immediate support. Our initial plan was to make 20 boxes for the Chinle Senior Center that would be delivered by Mildred Kee, the Senior Center's beloved director. We already had a positive relationship with Ms. Kee because of our Community Volunteer Team. We wanted to help her and her small staff care for and honor our precious shimas and cheiis (grandparents) who are the keepers of Diné language and wisdom. This effort grew and developed over the year as the Navajo Nation dealt with Covid everyday, with no rest.
CPH started a GoFundMe which amazed us with generous donations from all over the country. Because of this outpouring of support we raised over $70,000 and were able to shop for, pack and deliver many hundreds of essential food boxes and PPE bags to the elderly in our community. In January 2021, the IHS Public Health Department and Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health asked CPH to help them prepare food boxes for families in quarantine. CPH was honored to help these IHS community heroes who had been working tirelessly all year. In total, Chinle Planting Hope purchased, packed and delivered over 1200 food boxes and cleaning supply bags for seniors and families.
Chinle Planting Hope committed to continuing to support our local Senior Centers and deliver food boxes to precious elderly families even after the Covid crisis. We now have a permanent food bank with emergency supplies and and deliver special Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter boxes and presents to elderly every year. food boxes to both families and the elderly year round. (If you or your family, church or organization would like to donate turkeys at Thanksgiving or other necessary holiday supplies, please contact CPH and we'd love to work with you!)
Navajo Solar Light Partnership:
Elder Relief Program:
The COVID-19 pandemic hit the Navajo Nation especially hard and at one point the Navajo Reservation was a national hot spot with more cases per capita than New York City. Many Diné families live in multigenerational households and 30 to 40% of homes on the reservation lack running water and electricity. These factors, among others, made the initial outbreak especially challenging. Throughout the pandemic, there were shelter-in-place orders, mask mandates, weekend and nightly curfews for community members, because of strong leadership by the Navajo Nation President Jonathon Nez. Diné elderly were especially encouraged to stay home for their safety to reduce exposure. An article in the New York Times appeared early on: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/us/coronavirus-navajo-nation.html
After realizing the severity of Covid, Chinle Planting Hope changed our regular programming, as so many organizations did. We did an informal needs assessment and realized that our Senior Center needed the most immediate support. Our initial plan was to make 20 boxes for the Chinle Senior Center that would be delivered by Mildred Kee, the Senior Center's beloved director. We already had a positive relationship with Ms. Kee because of our Community Volunteer Team. We wanted to help her and her small staff care for and honor our precious shimas and cheiis (grandparents) who are the keepers of Diné language and wisdom. This effort grew and developed over the year as the Navajo Nation dealt with Covid everyday, with no rest.
CPH started a GoFundMe which amazed us with generous donations from all over the country. Because of this outpouring of support we raised over $70,000 and were able to shop for, pack and deliver many hundreds of essential food boxes and PPE bags to the elderly in our community. In January 2021, the IHS Public Health Department and Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health asked CPH to help them prepare food boxes for families in quarantine. CPH was honored to help these IHS community heroes who had been working tirelessly all year. In total, Chinle Planting Hope purchased, packed and delivered over 1200 food boxes and cleaning supply bags for seniors and families.
Chinle Planting Hope committed to continuing to support our local Senior Centers and deliver food boxes to precious elderly families even after the Covid crisis. We now have a permanent food bank with emergency supplies and and deliver special Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter boxes and presents to elderly every year. food boxes to both families and the elderly year round. (If you or your family, church or organization would like to donate turkeys at Thanksgiving or other necessary holiday supplies, please contact CPH and we'd love to work with you!)
Navajo Solar Light Partnership:
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Chinle Planting Hope is proud to partner with Navajo Solar Lights to install solar kits for Diné elderly that have no electricity in their home. We currently host 2 installs a year with Navajo Solar Lights for elderly living in Chinle and surrounding communities. We work closely with our local Senior Centers, Chinle Chapter House and the Chinle Veterans Agency to identify elderly families. If you know a Diné elderly family that doesn't have electricity and would need a solar kit installed please contact Janice at Chinle Planting Hope (928)-674-6960. Navajo Solar Lights Installed 330 + solar kits on the Navajo Nation Chinle Planting Hope Installed 50 + solar kits installed with NSL "To care for those that once cared for us is one of the highest honors." -Tia Walker |