Rebuilding trust.
Listening with purpose.
Acting with humility.
Pine Ridge is a place where so much is possible.
Too often the narrative about Pine Ridge is exclusively a story of poverty, problems, and pity. While it is true that there are many pervasive issues on the reservation, there is also so much of value here. So much worthy of attention, appreciation, and investment.
We offer our 2026 impact report to the Pine Ridge community, and our community of volunteers and supporters across the United States, and around the world.
Many people here are working incredibly hard to create a brighter future that redefines what is possible on Pine Ridge. At Re-Member we aim to support these pursuits and contribute to this trajectory.
We recognize and are grateful for the opportunity to serve this community. To build relationships and pursue possibilities in an organic and sustainable way.
Will Paese
Executive Director
“Places like Re-Member matter. Our work changes lives. We bring people together.”
A Dedicated Group with Deep Ties to Re-Member and Pine Ridge
2026 Leadership Staff
Our team is a wonderful mix of folks who come together every day to make good things happen across the reservation. We believe that amazing things can and are happening here on Pine Ridge.
Kaitlyn Abbatoy
Gift & Records Administrator
William Bass
Senior Construction Supervisor
Kimberly Black Elk*
Office Manager & Donation Coordinator
Jace Brave*
Garden Assistant
Walt Cournoyer III*
Construction Assistant
Liz Charging Crow*
Garden Assistant
Abigail Guillemette
Seasonal Program Manager
Lane Miller*
Construction Supervisor
Devorah Mlotkowski
Garden Coordinator
William Paese
Executive Director
Alison Reavis*
Program Assistant
Nyla Red Cloud Frazier*
Kitchen Manager
Paula Sibal
Trip Coordinator
Jennifer Sklener
Director of Finance & Administration
David Strobbe
Program Director (trainee)
Cory True
Senior Advisor / CEO
Jory Weston*
Construction Assistant
Trevor Weston*
Operations Manager
*Indicates enrolled tribal member
“There is a rich and vibrant culture that is full of strength and only growing stronger. There is collaborative, supportive and connected community. Traditions are respected and carried forward.”
A Diverse Group of Community Members with Meaningful Insights and Powerful Stories
Cultural Speakers & Presenters
Dakota High Hawk
Inila Wakan
Will Peters
Larry Swalley
Kelly & Susie Looking Horse
“Responding to immediate needs, we provide resources that improve the quality of life for members of the Oglala Lakota Nation, and create meaningful opportunities to build understanding for our volunteers.”
We Re-Member The Past As We Build A Better Tomorrow With The Oglala Lakota Nation
Our Volunteers
Each year, from March through October, Re-Member brings hundreds of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds from across the United States and around the globe to Pine Ridge for week-long service-learning trips with a strong emphasis on cultural immersion.
We believe that in addition to providing direct, tangible support, the strongest way to promote positive exchange is to build relationships. Through relationship building, our volunteers become advocates to stand in solidarity with the Oglala Lakota people.
During our 31-week 2026 volunteer season (March – September), we hosted almost 700 volunteers from across the United States and around the world.
“In a place like Pine Ridge, where so often situations can seem hopeless and insurmountable, it is important that we inspire and recognize opportunities to grow.”
Material Donations, Financial Contributions, and Support of Community-Hosted Events
Community Events & Support
Over the course of our volunteer season we supported eight community powwows. Thank you to the community for welcoming us to attend and participate!
We sponsored numerous special events across the reservation — with an emphasis on youth and community engagement events — providing more than $5,000 in direct support.
Hundreds of bins full of clothing and personal care items were received, sorted, and distributed at no cost to the community throughout the year.
We purchased more than $5,000 of original artwork from 20 creators, and hosted more than a dozen community dinners for vendors to offer their work for sale.
Our Healthcare week participants provide resources and expertise. They distributed thousands of health and hygiene items to the community in July.
Before the start of the school year, we were able to give away nearly 200 backpacks, filled with brand new school supplies.
“Our work is carried out mindfully to functionally improve quality of life, while educating about and acknowledging a rich history of mistreatment and injustice that informs the challenging issues and lack of opportunity that exist on the reservation today.”
Building A Better Today, Every Day
2026 Projects Completed
Our work is carried out mindfully to functionally improve quality of life, while educating about and acknowledging a rich history of mistreatment and injustice that informs the challenging issues and lack of opportunity that exist on the reservation today.
Together, our staff and volunteers invested more than 9,000 hours of labor to complete hundreds of jobs, including:
150+ beds delivered
45 outhouses installed
38 sets of deck-and-step sets built
31 ramps constructed
26 skirt jobs completed
“In a world full of division, Re-Member connects people across cultures and despite differences. We do what we can without getting in the way - playing our role as asked and as we are able.”
Growing A Healthier Today, And Tomorrow
Feather II Gardens: Growing Every Year!
The 2026 growing season brought continued growth to our garden program.
Thirty apple, cherry, pear and plum trees are taking root in our fruit forest, with room to plant dozens of additional trees in the years ahead!
Learn more about supporting our Feather II Gardens
Jace Brave and Liz Charging Crow joined Devorah Mlotkowski on our Feather II staff as seasonal garden assistants. With their support — and the efforts of hundreds of volunteers — more than two tons of produce was harvested and distributed to the community!
On the Road with the Re-Member Veggie Wagon!
Designed to bring Feather II produce to the people of Pine Ridge in their own communities, the Re-Member Veggie Wagon features large commercial grade refrigerators, ample dry storage space, and a three-bay sink. It also contains a hot holding unit for when we take our Community Dinners on the road, providing new opportunities for community engagement and cultural exchange.
The Veggie Wagon visited several communities, distributing thousands of pounds of fresh produce and hundreds of locally sourced meals to several hundred guests. We also hosted an inaugural Harvest Festival in October, welcoming the community to our gardens, and celebrating the bounty of the season.
We extend our gratitude to the many donors who have long supported the vision of the Veggie Wagon. We look forward to hosting more events and distributing even produce around the reservation in 2027!
“We build economy with our support of local native-owned business. We build hope for a better tomorrow, by focusing on the promise and possibility of what can be.”
Winter Heating Assistance Program
2025-26 Winter Heating Season
Each winter, we cut, split, and deliver hundreds of truckloads of firewood to homes across the reservation and provide emergency electric assistance and propane assistance, paid directly to utility companies.
During the 2025-26 winter heating season, our trucks traveled more than 15,000 miles in the process of completing more than 600 firewood deliveries to all corners of the reservation
Learn more about supporting our Winter Heating Assistance Program
We also assisted almost 400 households with direct supplemental payments for utilities (propane, home heating oil, and electric service).
“Founded in 1998, Re-Member is among the longest serving non-profit organizations on Pine Ridge and is not affiliated with any religious, political, or policy group.”
Every Dollar Helps Us Accomplish Our Vital Work on Pine Ridge
2025 Audited Financials
We cannot do what we do without the support of our donors. Transparency is the key to our existence.
Additional details about our 2025 financial position can be found on our public documents page.
Support for Re-Member and for the Oglala Lakota people we serve comes in many forms — ranging from online donations to multi-year commitments, and from $5 to five-figures. All of the support, though, is deeply appreciated and serves to improve the quality of life on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
We humbly ask that you consider a donation in support of our work.
If you prefer to mail your gift, please visit our contact us page for address information.
Re-Member is an independent, non-profit organization working with the Oglala Lakota Nation on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. We improve the quality of life for those who live here, and provide meaningful opportunities to serve and learn for those who volunteer and support our work.
Founded in 1998, Re-Member is among the longest serving non-profit organizations on Pine Ridge and is not affiliated with any religious, political, or policy group.