help for pretty bird woman house

there's still a bit more money needed to meet the goal.* give anything you can!

Why the Pretty Bird Woman House Needs a House

The Pretty Bird Woman House is a women's shelter on South Dakota side of the Standing Rock Reservation. It opened in January of 2005.

As a new shelter, it has been struggling financially. It was in danger of closing in May, when the net roots got together and chipped in for operating funds to tide it over until it received a 3-year Federal grant in the fall.

Unfortunately, the building in which the shelter was housed was vandalized by thieves who smashed through exterior walls so often that it became unsafe for anyone to stay there. This is why the Pretty Bird Woman House lost its house. To add insult to injury, somebody torched the building the day after they moved out.

The shelter staff have been sending women to shelters off of the reservation, which strains the capacity of the other shelters and reduces the staff's ability to serve the women of Standing Rock, partly due to the distances and time involved in transporting the women.

The Tribal Council has provided them with free office space and storage for their furniture while they look for a safe permanent home, but this is often easier said than done on a reservation with chronic housing shortages.

As luck would have it, there is a house for sale across from a police station, which is the safest place to be in an area the size of Connecticut that is usually patrolled by only 2 police officers. The house costs about $60,000, but with closing costs, an electric fence and a security system, it would be closer to $70,000.

If we all ChipIn, even a little, we can help the shelter buy this house and achieve long-term viability.

Here's the amazing work that the 3 shelter staff have done only this year:

• Served a total of 614 individuals with education and services.
  
• Answered 397 crisis calls
• Provided emergency shelter to 188 women and 132 children.
  
• Helped 23 women obtain restraining orders, 10 get divorces, and 16 get medical assistance
• Provided court advocacy support for 28 women, and
• Conducted community education programs for 360 women.

They are also working on more general issues, such as improving the way the police respond to and report on sexual assaults.

The money you contribute here will go directly into the shelter's Paypal account, which you will see on your receipt.

Thank you for your support.

For more information, go to:
http://www.prettybirdwomanhouse.blogspot.com/

South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

MAZE OF INJUSTICE -- "United States of America: Maze of injustice: The failure to protect indigenous women from violence"

* when this was written, the tracker was at 90%. later that day, victory!