Here we go again: Blizzard hits Dakotas

Cross-posted at Daily Kos

So the big news is that a blizzard has hit the Dakotas and a huge 100 car pile up occurred near Fargo.

What doesn’t get reported, as usual are the Lakotas who live in dismal conditions to begin with and struggle every day to survive. It is especially hard during the winter. Now there is a white out and our kossack lpggirl, Sherry Cornelius cannot deliver propane until the blizzard lets up.

I just spoke with Sherry on the phone and she said her business St. Francis Energy is open until 6PM Mountain to take calls for donations but that we could also call her cell phone.

She said there are at least 5 families she knows of that need propane desperately but that the need is always present as time goes on. There is always someone who needs help since gov. funding runs out too soon.

Please, if you can, take the time to call and donate money towards a tank of propane for a Lakota family.  Sherry will deliver the donated propane just as soon as road conditions are safe.

Details below:

Help buy propane for Lakota families in South Dakota:

Telephone:

Sherry Cornelius of St. Francis Energy Co.

at  6 0 5 – 7 4 7 – 2 5 4 2

11 AM – 6 PM MST

Ask for Sherry or her mom Patsy. Normally a minimum order is $150, but they have an account to accumulate small donations to a minimum order. Credit Cards welcome and they are the only Native owned fuel company on Rosebud.  Rosebud is next to Pine Ridge Reservation and in the same economically depressed condition.

If you’d like to mail a check:

Attn: Sherry Cornelius

St. Francis Energy Co. / Valandra’s II

P.O. Box 140

St. Francis, South Dakota 57572

[make check payable to: St. Francis Energy Co.]

http://sfec.yolasite.com/

 

You can also call Sherry’s cell phone: 605.208.8888

Sherry said she will start delivery just as soon as conditions allow her to drive around.

Telephone:

The Lakota Plains Propane Company

at  6 0 5 – 8 6 7 – 5 1 9 9

Monday- Friday 8-5pm MST

Ask for Crystal to contribute to someone from Autumn’s list. $120 minimum delivery that lasts about one week. This company serves Pine Ridge Reservation.

Another way you can help:  The LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Home Assistance) Tribal programs ran out of winter funding in early December. You will need to write a check because of no online presence for any tribe.

There is a very long national list of LIHEAP Tribal Grantees here.  You might consider a tribe in your own state. Here is South Dakota and North Dakota.

I’m focusing on the three below because we have Kossacks and their relatives there.

Ms. Eileen Shot

LIHEAP Coordinator

Rosebud Sioux Tribe

P.O. Box 430

Rosebud, South Dakota  57570

Denise Red Owl

Director

Oglala Sioux Tribe (Pine Ridge)

P.O. Box 1051

Pine Ridge, South Dakota  57770

Ms. Irma Walking Elk

LIHEAP Coordinator

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

P.O. Box D

Fort Yates, North Dakota  58538

Update: [4:36 PM Pacific]

Comment below from cacamp who has lived on Rosebud:

[emphasis mine]

it’s pretty rough out here

the state has closed the interstates because the wind is so bad that even when it quits snowing a ground blizzard will continue. The temperature has dropped from yesterdays balmy 30* down to the present 0* and it’s still going down. Tomorrows high will be about 5* and the low will be -11 or worse.

I’m very worried about some of the people who have inadequate housing. That includes probably a third of the population on Rosebud. This next week is going to be hell for some families.

Just last week a friend of mine died from exposure. He drank a lot and probably caused his own death but he was homeless and didn’t deserve to die in the cold outdoors. And many of our homeless are not drinkers they’re just families who can’t find or afford housing.

I thank all of you kind kossacks who are helping out right now. I can promise you all that every dime will go towards some very needy folks. Sherry, who is providing the propane on Rosebud is an honest hardworking young lady who does much for our community. She is in direct contact with those in need and can find and help the most dire cases.

by cacamp on Fri Dec 31, 2010 at 04:21:10 PM PST