Participation in missions is a practical way that kids can put their love for Jesus in action. Operation Cool Aid is the name given to a mission project that will give our children the opportunity to help provide winter coats to Native American children who live on or near reservations in North and South Dakota. By collecting donations of money, the kids will contribute to funds needed to purchase new coats so that Native American children can stay warm during the harsh Dakota winter.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. What is the North Dakota/South Dakota crisis? There are twelve Indian Reservations in North and South Dakota with more than 168,000 enrolled tribe members. Not all tribe members live on the reservation, however, as nearly 60 percent of tribe members live in urban areas. Poverty is a way of life on the reservations, though, and unemployment rates are close to 85 percent. Native families on welfare obtain the same assistance from the government as do non-Natives. This means that many Native families live on food provided by the government, such as white rice, canned vegetables, white flour, cheese, and other unhealthy items. Dakota winters are harsh, with temperatures as low as 10–15 degrees below zero. Many children do not own coats and have only sweat shirts to shield them from the frigid temperatures. Deb Claymore, of Dakota Conference’s Native Ministries, firmly believes that Native children deserve to receive new coats and jackets as do their non-Native counterparts.
B. How much does it cost to buy one coat for a child? Between $19 to $30. The coats are purchased during the January sales at JC Penney.
C. What is a day in the life of a Native child like? Most often, an American Indian child must get up and get ready for school on their own. Older children often wake up their younger siblings and help them to get ready. They either walk to school or are picked up by a school bus. Breakfast and lunch are provided by the school since there may not be any food for the kids at home. Some kids are still very sleepy when they arrive at school since they may have stayed up late waiting for their parents to come home. Alcohol abuse is rampant on most reservations and this contributes greatly to the neglect of the Native children. Some children do not live with their parents, but with close relatives. After-school activities center mostly around basketball as this is a revered activity on reservations. Once the children go home, they may have to make their own suppers since their parents may not be home. Some Native children do have a stable home life where alcohol and drugs are not present, but many children are unaware of Jesus and His love. This is something that Native Ministries seeks to change—we want to meet their needs as Jesus would. We want the children to see Jesus in us, which will hopefully open the way for us to tell them about Him.
D. Can I do more to help support Native Americans in North and South Dakota? Yes, you can! Contact Deb Claymore-Cuny at dclaymore@comcast.net.
E. How do we turn in the donations collected for the Operation Cool Aid project?
You can turn in the donations in two easy steps:
1. Write one check for total donation amount. Checks can be made payable to:
North American Division/Children’s Ministries
Memo: Coats for Dakota project
2. Send check to:
North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists
Children’s Ministries Department/Coats
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 |
