Through specialized AIRC programs, Elders on rural and remote reservations receive the extra care they need.

How can compassionate Americans help these neighbors, without making them even more dependent and less able to help themselves?

 

The American Indian Relief Council (AIRC) has one proven, successful answer: help Native Americans improve the quality of their own lives by providing opportunities for them to bring about positive changes in their own communities. AIRC offers a helping hand, not a handout.

From Literacy to Elder Nutrition
AIRC sponsors programs that address a wide variety of needs, from literacy to Elder nutrition, among Native Americans on the Northern Plains. We work with gift-in-kind organizations and donors who provide items like food, clothing, blankets, baby goods, personal hygiene products, and cleaning supplies. These donations allow AIRC to distribute new, quality goods in the most cost-effective manner.

 

AIRC's vast warehouse in Rapid City, South Dakota, is the hub through which these supplies flow to Native Americans in need. AIRC's fleet of trucks and drivers deliver goods throughout the year to reservations in the Northern Plains. 

Community Involvement is Key
AIRC differs from many other social service programs by insisting that substantial community volunteerism be a part of the processing or distribution of these goods. All of AIRC’s programs are guided by nine principles, known as the AIRC Way. Volunteerism—the key to AIRC’s vision of strong, self-sufficient Native American communities—is achieved by working with Program Partners and local residents. AIRC Program Partners are knowledgeable members of the community that will benefit from an AIRC program.

Partners volunteer their time to identify needs, arrange volunteer support, and obtain facilities for events.  Working with Program Partners, AIRC ensures that we are addressing the genuine needs of each community.

AIRC transports millions of dollars worth of goods each year from gift-in-kind partners to Native Americans throughout the Northern Plains.

A Helping Hand, not a Handout

Local volunteers carry out much of the preparation and distribution work associated with AIRC programs. They help with projects such as delivering food to homebound Elders or sorting bulk deliveries of diapers into family-size packages for Baby Baskets.

Incentive items such as baby food, clothing, and personal care items are often distributed to participants to thank them for putting forth the extra effort to improve their lives or their community.  This unique relationship with the communities we serve makes AIRC's programs more of a partnership and less like a charity.

 

 

Staff at AIRC's busy warehouse are dedicated to serving Native Americans in need. AIRC trucks travel tens of thousands of miles each year to reach the reservation communities across the Northern Plains.