Re-Member Volunteer Projects

Fresh produce is hard to find on the reservation. There is only one full-service grocery store on Pine Ridge – a reservation spread across nearly 3,500 square miles. Much of this land is not suitable for agriculture. Produce has to travel further to get here, which increases its price and shortens its shelf life. People on the reservation, where resources are limited, are forced to pay a premium for an inferior product - or go without.

The fruits and vegetables harvested from Re-Member’s gardens allow individuals and families in the community the opportunity to enjoy something that historically has been difficult to find here on Pine Ridge: fresh, local, nutritious, affordable produce. A healthy, non-processed option that can enrich diets and change lives.

We are committed to further developing our garden operations at Feather II and increasing our impact in the community in this meaningful way.

It can be difficult for our volunteers to see the conditions that many Oglala Lakota families of Pine Ridge call home.Too many people have never slept on a bed with a mattress of their own; many sleep on the floor, or in shared beds.

To help, Re-Member volunteers and staff construct hundreds of beds each year. Each step of the process — from constructing the wood frame to placing the pillow — is more than just part of “building a bed;” it is helping to rebuild a relationship and provide hope for the future of the Oglala Lakota people of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Each bunk bed costs approximately $200 for us to build, including all building materials, mattress, pillow and bedding. Your gift of that amount can guarantee a child or elder will have bed to sleep in.

The climate in Pine Ridge is extreme. Sub-zero temperatures and snow drifts upwards of 10 feet are common in winter. The summer months bring daily temperatures in the 100s.

To create a more tolerable environment for people living in trailer homes, our volunteers install a “skirting” underneath the trailer. This enclosure makes the home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Trailer skirting is also important to keep critters out from under the trailer, protecting it from further damage, and to keep water out from under the unit.

Installing a skirting system on a typical 16’ x 80’ trailer home costs approximately $1,500, including building materials and insulation. Larger homes or more complex installations can be more costly.

Most residences on Pine Ridge are mobile homes that sit high above ground level. Often, there is no safe way to enter the home, and when a stepping system exists, it is constructed of loosely placed cinder blocks or other materials.

To ensure families with young children and the elderly can safely enter their homes, our volunteers build small decking and step systems and securely anchor them to the ground or home.

It costs $300 to construct our standard 4' x 6' decking and step system, including all building materials.

Volunteers help construct wheelchair and accessibility ramps for residents living on Pine Ridge Reservation. The ramps vary in design and length, and are built on-site.

The cost to build new wheelchair ramp for a home starts at approximately $1,400, including all building materials.

Some regions of the Reservation lack the basic infrastructure to provide water and sewer for homes. In order to provide a more livable environment, we construct sturdy wooden outhouses, dig pits, and install the outhouses.

The cost to build a standard outhouse is approximately $250, including building materials and a limited quantity of hygiene products.

During the cold, windy prairie winters — when temperatures can drop below zero for days at a time — many families on the Pine Ridge Reservation struggle to keep their homes heated.

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.

Spring and fall volunteers will assist with splitting firewood, and making deliveries to families across the reservation.