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PROJECT SHARE: A Food Co-op Program

There is a cure for hunger: It is called food.

For the past 5 days Michelle has been out of food for her family. Her two children are able to get breakfast and lunch at school during the week but the only food at home has been rice and potatoes.

Bernice, a grandmother caring for 7 grandchildren, called yesterday. She had just received an order of food through Project SHARE. I could hear the excitement in her voice as she told me that they were so happy to get the food because they had been eating pasta for several days.

Another mother wrote "thank you for sending us the food. My children love fruit, something they never get, so they gobbled it up in no time."

Help wipe out hunger. Provide fresh meat, fruits, and vegetables to homes on the reservation by participating in our food co-op program. A few dollars can make a difference.

The goal of the ONE Spirit food program is to help ensure that families on the Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River Reservations have food. Project SHARE (Self Help And Resource Exchange) is a food co-op program through which ONE Spirit buys food for families. The cost is about half the supermarket price and is delivered directly to the homes. The food consists of specific items that most families might buy at the grocery store, including fresh fruits, vegetables, and frozen meat. At holiday times, special foods appropriate to the occasion are included in the SHARE orders. ONE Spirit and our Sponsors and supporters can help families with food for as little as $21.00 per month.

More specifically, the goal of SHARE is to help families save about 50% on their groceries, while encouraging the building of relationships with their neighbors in the community. There are no qualifications - if you eat, you qualify.

How does SHARE achieve this?

SHARE selects about twenty items that people are most likely to buy at the grocery store, including fresh fruits, vegetables, and frozen meats. Then through a national affiliate network, they purchase massive quantities of these items at very low prices. At no time is donated food accepted for distribution. Project SHARE delivers the food to a network of warehouses and distribution centers known as "host sites".

One Spirit maintains host sites on Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River Reservations. Food is delivered to those sites and we pay residents on the reservation to unload the food truck, sort the food into orders, and deliver the food to families who have no transportation to pick up the food for themselves.

The Food Needs On Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River Reservations

Given the high unemployment (80%) and an average family income of $6000.00 per year, families time and again find food in short supply. Children attend after- school programs to take advantage of snacks as it is often the only food they will have for dinner. Government food programs are not designed for sharing societies. The Lakota people believe in and practice sharing. Families share what they have with extended family, relatives, and neighbors. Those that are eligible for food stamps (EBT) and commodity programs also share with others. This means that food runs out or is in short supply long before the next government allotment. There are no food banks or food resources available to regularly meet basic food needs not covered by the government programs.

There is also an extremely high incidence of diabetes and other health problems that are likely related at least in part to diet. Government programs provide a high starch diet with little fruits and vegetables.

How do I participate?

If you would like to know how you can provide a SHARE of food for American Indian families, Contact us at:
ONE Spirit SHARE Food Program
Carol Binnington, program manager
506 W. Vermont Ave.
Urbana, Il 61801
217-344-7474
cbinning@uiuc.edu