Dear Friends and Supporters of Dacotah Tipis-Habitat for Humanity,

It is a pleasure to greet you during this holiday time! Most of us are now busy making plans
to spend time with friends and family members in our cozy homes and enjoy the
holidays. What we take for granted is not the case for many of our Native American
brothers and sisters and their children. If you are receiving this letter, know that we
consider you part of our community of support for those whom it is our mission to assist.
You may have volunteered on the reservation, provided funding, sent in kind donations, or
offered some support in the past. We thought you would like an update and to hear about
the work we have planned for 2019.

2018 was a productive year for Dacotah Tipis! In the beginning of the year, the Sazue
family and their children were able to move into the home that so many volunteers worked
so hard to complete. It was a wonderful closure to the project, knowing that another family
now has a secure and permanent home, adequate for the needs of their growing family! In
addition, we were able to accomplish the following:

· Repairs on two roofs

· Two complete bathroom plumbing repairs

· Repairs to weak flooring in three homes

· Structural repairs to two buildings

· Installation of handicap access

· Door repairs

· Removal of dead trees and overgrown vegetation

· Structural improvements to our warehouse

In order to serve more families going forward, we made the decision to meet pressing
needs, by prioritizing repairs to existing homes, rather than concentrate on building new
ones at present. It makes such a difference to a family to have a secure roof to hold off the
crippling winter cold! We can serve so many more Crow Creek community members, and
our volunteers have enjoyed meeting so many more of them in this way. We plan to
continue this program through 2019.

In 2018, our volunteers on site included groups from the University of St. Thomas, MN, the
Congregational Church of Brookfield, MA., Dartmouth College, NH, members of the Brauer
family of NY, Kylie (third visit!) her son, Eric, and Josh Brook, also from New York.
We were fortunate to receive several generous grants and donations from the Lavender
Trust Co. of New York, the HRK Foundation in MN, and from an anonymous donor in MN.
Habitat signs were donated by Don Landan. Pam Thomas, in New York, runs an Etsy shop
online, called White Buffalo Gallery, from which all proceeds are donated to Dacotah Tipis.
And of course, Sister Charles Palm continues to raise funds with her weekly Bingo sessions,
and from her very loved Indian Tacos! Many thanks also to those of you who contributed to
our Giving Tuesday Drive on Facebook, and have continued to provide in kind donations for
the community members, such as books and warm clothing for the children. Every
contribution is appreciated.

2018 has seen some changes in our staff and board. The board has hired Rick Voice to
supervise the volunteer’s construction work. Rick brings excellent construction
experience. His cheerful demeanor and easygoing ways have made him a favorite with our
volunteers. He has been a most welcome addition to our team!

We cannot thank the outgoing board members enough for their service. Special thanks to
Red Olson, who has retired, but can still be seen occasionally as he pops in to help with
some of our projects. Thanks to Hank Henderson, for his long time of support for Dacotah
Tipis. He will be missed and we wish him all the best. At the same time, we welcome
newest board member, Gwen Williams, who brings her knowledge and enthusiasm for
making a difference. Dacotah Tipis-Habitat for Humanity has been fortunate and remains
so to have such a dedicated Board of Directors, committed and well informed of issues on
the reservation.

Even though our work is challenging, we are very hopeful for 2019, and for completing our
plans for the coming year. We will continue, with your help, to provide services that ensure
that more families and children in our community will be safe and warm, have viable
plumbing and clean water, and an improved standard of living.

Volunteers are beginning to line up to work in the coming season, but we need funding to
buy the materials that are not donated. The number of houses we can repair will be directly
impacted by the funds we have available for this purpose. Our administrative costs are
minimal, but we do offer Mr. Voice a modest salary. During Spring Break, 2019, two groups
from the University of St. Thomas and the University of Missouri, are scheduled to work.
We have an offer to host ten AmeriCorps volunteers in May and June. This is exciting
because of the skills they can bring to the work. We need to fund the materials they will
require during their seven-week volunteer stay. As we wait for news of a grant approval
from the South Dakota Community Foundation, we know that it will not be enough to cover
our needs.

We are able to continue this important work because of your partnership with us and your
continued support. We never want to have to say no to a family with young children when
they ask for help in repairing their heating system, or their leaking or sagging roof during
the brutal Dakota winters. In this second poorest county in the U.S., the needs are dire.
The suffering is real. Every donation counts. The people of Crow Creek and our Board
members are deeply thankful for your care and concern. We hope that you will give
generously this holiday season, and continue to support our efforts in the future.
Mitauke Oasin. We are all one.

Warmest regards,

Bob Werner

Director

_________________________________________________________________________
Please print and use this donation form. Make checks payable to Dacotah Tipis Habitat
for Humanity and send to:

Dacotah Tipis Annual Appeal
PO Box 487
Fort Thompson, SD 57339

$25_____ $50_____ $100_____ $500_____ $1000_____ Other_____________
To donate stocks, please email Bob Werner at hfhtipis@midstatesd.net
Please include forms if your employer offers matching donations.

Name___________________________________________________
Address_________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Phone____________________________ Email________________
______ I would like to receive information about volunteer opportunities
Learn More about how you can help!
Dacotah Tipis-Habitiat for Humanity | 605-220-2869 | hfhtipis@midstatesd.net |
www.dacotahtipis.org

Dacotah Tipis Board
Deacon Terry Quilt, Chairman
Sister Charles Palm, Treasurer
Deacon Steve M cLaughlin, Secretary
Denise Campbell, Bob Werner, Philip Friedland
Donita Loudner, Gwen Williams, Dorothy Farmer