For more than twenty years, a stop at Bette’s Kitchen in Manderson was part of the regular Re-Member weekly program. Betty made her journey to the Spirit World on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.
Read MoreAnother season has begun at Re-Member, and we are so happy to welcome back volunteer groups from all over the country as well as individuals from around the world.
Read MoreTruck 1 was a good truck. When you find a good truck, you learn to appreciate it. You build a relationship, mile after mile. It’s good to have something you can depend on when the days are long, and the work is hard.
Read MoreThe first month of the new year was bitterly cold here on the reservation. Temperatures dropped as low as -35° and “felt like” -52°. During one exceptionally frigid stretch the temperature did not rise above 0° for nearly 124 hours.
Read MoreI want to take this opportunity early in the new year to introduce myself and to thank you for your continued support of Re-Member and the people of the Pine Ridge Reservation. My name is Will Paese, and it is with incredible gratitude and excitement that I step into my new role as the Executive Director of Re-Member.
Read MoreTwenty-five years ago, a visionary group of staff and passionate volunteers took the first steps in a simple yet worthy endeavor: to acknowledge the past, to promote understanding across cultures, and to stand with the Oglala Lakota people.
Read MoreI am grateful for the opportunity to have served alongside so many of you. To have learned with you. To endure a pandemic with you. To steward your generously donated dollars. And to share our vision of a better today, and tomorrow here on Pine Ridge with you.
Read MoreJust a few weeks ago, we were still building steps and ramps, and harvesting produce from the Feather II gardens. All of that ended abruptly as temperatures plummeted, and snow began to fly. We have quickly transitioned into our winter heating season, providing much-needed firewood to families across the reservation. In just the first week of the program, we have more than 70 requests that have been called in.
Read MoreWe are honored to introduce our refreshed logo. It is inspired by a design that has represented Re-Member’s commitment to Pine Ridge since our founding in 1998.
Read MoreDuring a typical winter, we cut, split, and deliver more than 500 truckloads of firewood to homes across the reservation and provide emergency electric assistance and propane assistance, paid directly to utility companies.
Read MoreIncreasingly, states and municipalities are adopting Indigenous Peoples’ Day in addition to, or in place of Columbus Day. By Presidential Proclamation, the United States is observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Columbus Day on Monday.
Read MoreWith just one month to go in our 2023 volunteer season, the arrival of September brings a moment to reflect as we transition from hosting volunteers to preparing for the winter months ahead.
Read MoreIt is hard to believe that August is upon us, and more than 20 weeks of our volunteer season have come and gone. We have accomplished much in the Feather II gardens and at dozens of worksites across the reservation this year with the support of hundreds of volunteers.
Read MoreOur 25th anniversary season continues, and we invite you to be part of the excitement. Drop by our website today to make your trip request for August or September – there is still space available for individuals and groups. We also invite you to join us in Minnesota this fall as we celebrate the past and look to the future.
Read MoreOn June 2, our Operations Manager and incoming Executive Director, Will Paese, plans to run 30+ miles in support of Re-Member to raise funds for our construction materials budget. His goal is to raise $100 per mile, for a total of $3,000. As Will travels from Rushville to Gordon and back to Rushville in the beautiful panhandle of Nebraska, he will have plenty of time to think about the productive start to our season.
Read MoreIt was a storm that those in West Michigan still talk about 25 years later. In the aftermath of the storm, Re-Member co-founder Keith Titus found himself thinking about the people of South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation, a community that he had been introduced to just weeks earlier alongside his wife, Ginny, and co-founder Mike Alles.
Read MoreAfter a long winter, there is something so tangible about the hope of the warm sun pouring down as the first sprouts of the season emerge from the soil. Those sprouts, so determined to grow, remind us to be hopeful too. The growing season, now underway, is a time of renewal and anticipation, and a time to discover the good things that can happen when sunshine and generosity are combined.
Read MoreNow we again turn our attention to fulfilling requests from residents who live in all corners of the reservation, and who are asking for our help to improve their quality of life. Our volunteers are here, and anxiously await their assignments each morning as we head out to help build a better today across Pine Ridge.
Read MoreWe look forward to sharing memories of the past, and aspirations of Re-Member’s future in the year ahead. We look forward to celebrating your first Pine Ridge experience – whether it was years ago, or will happen later this summer. Join us this year – our 25th – to Re-Member the past as we build a better tomorrow with the Oglala Lakota Nation.
Read MoreAfter five fun, challenging, and at times unimaginable years as Executive Director, I will be stepping down at the end of this year in order to pursue other personal and professional opportunities. When I do, I am thrilled to announce that William Paese, my colleague and friend, has been chosen as Re-Member’s next Executive Director.
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