Native Hope’s 2023 Impact

2023 offered many opportunities for us to impact our community and meet tangible needs on reservations. Because of your support, we were able to change lives and improve circumstances. Thank you for your ongoing support and care for Native communities! 

Join us as we look back on the impact we made together in 2023 with thankfulness and excitement for what's to come.

Community Outreach

Native Hope fulfilled 475 assistance requests in 2023. We distributed 775 food packs and 192 cleaning and hygiene packs. Supporters like you helped us reach out to the community further through generous gifts and purchases from our Amazon wishlist. 

Thanks to our partner organization, St. Joseph’s Indian School, and other non-monetary donations, Native Hope was able to fulfill larger requests for tribal communities, including 30 outreach runs. 

Education has the power to improve lives and open doors of opportunity. Because of your support, we were able to help fund the following: 

• 76 GED practice exams 
• 115 GED exams
• 89 gas vouchers 

Our partnership with the Lower Brule Community College in Lower Brule, South Dakota, is still going strong, helping Native youth on their first steps to higher education.

Your gifts also helped us advance our efforts to help MMIWG. 

Advocacy and Education 

Native Hope provided food, snacks, and supplies for many events this year. From holiday gatherings to supporting events for youth who lost loved ones to suicide, Native Hope was active in the community. We helped raise awareness and increase advocacy by partnering with community events and providing food and funds to efforts we believe in. 

We also supported our fellow Melissa Skeet as she attended events and raised awareness for domestic violence through her trail skating. Melissa was the opening speaker for the Multi-Disciplinary Sexual Violence Institute in April and spoke at the grand opening of the MMIW art exhibit event in Taos, New Mexico, on behalf of Native Hope.

Cultural Preservation and Fellowships

Native Hope’s fellows helped preserve and further cultural development and awareness throughout 2023. Beverly Running Bear continued to teach Lakota language at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD. Her belief that language holds the key to the Lakota way of life continues to fuel her search for elder-inspired ways to approach Lakota language preservation. 

Dennis Metcalf, Hunkpati Oyaté and student at the Institute of American Indian Arts, spent 2023 discovering healing through art. His work uncovers culture and identity, employing storytelling to share art with the world. Dennis is a positive voice for Indigenous values and a role model for those who need hope for a better tomorrow. 

He plans to assist with developing a Native American story that promotes Indigenous storytelling, working on the project with Native Hope and Giving With Joy Productions. The story itself will reinforce the Dakota belief in communication with Wakȟáŋ Tȟáŋka on a personal level and deepen one’s understanding of the world — past and present.

Partnerships and Mentorship Opportunities 

In 2023, Native Hope helped sponsor tuition and travel fees for a local student selected as an intern for the National Youth Leadership Forum: Medicine in Los Angeles, CA. We also helped fund a local student’s attendance at the High School National Finals Rodeo and sponsored food and snacks for the Sexual Violence Institute. Native Hope also sponsored the conference tuition fee and travel for the Lower Brule Drug Court program and helped fund the Chamberlain High School Powwow.

These partnerships help us keep ties with our communities and mentor Native youth in their interests and professional development.

Plans in 2024 and Beyond

In 2024, Native Hope plans to continue supporting our communities and further cultural preservation and teaching efforts. We’re excited to continue counting on your support and advocacy as we impact the lives of our Native communities.

Thank You For Supporting Native Hope! 

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support. We could not do the work we do without your generous gifts and the work you do to advocate for Native voices in your community.  If you’d like to follow our work throughout the year, check out our Hope Reports. 

You can also connect with us to learn more about our work and subscribe to the blog for insights on Native life and history delivered to your inbox.