A first responder for the reservations | Southwest tribes, call 602-340-8050 | Plains tribes, call 605-399-9905.

Disaster Relief and Emergency Preparedness

PWNA is responding daily to a high volume of COVID-19 requests from our reservation partners. Their tribal communities are facing shortages of food, water, sanitizer, toilet paper and other essentials to weather the coronavirus pandemic. They are also facing a shortage of stores and the highest rate of impoverishment in the U.S. PWNA drivers are working the maximum hours allowed by DOT (Dept. of Transportation) to ensure vital supplies get to those in need and quickly. But so many orders are going out that our warehouses are running low and we need your help to replenish! Please donate today: www.nativepartnership.org/wes4covid.

A First Responder for the Reservations
PWNA is a first responder for the reservations in its 9-priority-states service area, and evaluates requests from tribes beyond its service area on a case by case basis. Often, word of disaster needs in remote tribal areas is slow to reach the mainstream, which makes for a slow response to emergency needs, so our organization ensures the tribes know PWNA is a first responder for the reservations.

Partnering for Disaster Relief and Emergency Preparedness
PWNA is a member of National VOAD — National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) — a national forum “where organizations share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle” to support community readiness and navigation of disasters, ranging from disaster preparation to disaster relief/response, recovery and mitigation. The National VOAD coalition includes 50 of America’s most reputable organizations, 55 state/territory VOADS representing local and regional interests, and other members. PWNA is active in three state VOAD groups, including South Dakota, Montana and Arizona, and an honorary member of the Mountain West VOAD serving Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and New Mexico — states that are home to many of the reservations we serve.

Often, PWNA coordinates its emergency response in concert with the American Red Cross and other nonprofits. The North Central Division of American Red Cross is also partnering with PWNA to enhance emergency preparedness on the reservations. Their grant funding is enabling PWNA to support numerous emergency preparedness planning projects in remote tribal communities. Often, tribal communities experience slow response from outside sources during blizzards, floods, hurricanes and other conditions that only increase the need for disaster preparedness and disaster relief. American Red Cross realizes PWNA is often a first responder in these situations and is investing in tribal disaster readiness, enabled by our reservation partnerships.