Chronic health conditions put Native Americans at higher risk for disease, infection, hospitalization, and death. When policies cannot fully meet the needs of Native Americans, community-based programs fill in the gaps to improve the health outcomes in Tribal communities. Partnership With Native Americans® (PWNA) collaborates with programs like Gila River Health Care’s Public Health Nursing team to aid underserved Native American Elders. Through PWNA’s Navajo Relief Fund (NRF), our Program Partner, Vanessa, requested our Summer Emergency Box service to provide crucial supplies for 25 Elders in District 3 of the Gila River Indian Reservation.

As a public health nurse, Vanessa has served the district for over two years. Describing the health challenges prevalent in the community, Vanessa told us, “A lot of the patients have diabetes. Almost all of my patients are on dialysis.” To improve access to quality health care for the Native American population, which experiences diabetes at three times the rate of non-Hispanic white individuals, Vanessa and her team regularly conduct home visits to check their vitals, send referrals for specialty services, deliver health education, and monitor blood sugar levels.

One patient served by NRF’s Summer Emergency Box service was 73-year-old Diane in Sacaton, Arizona. Originally from the nearby Goodyear Village, Diane relocated to Sacaton with her husband. Despite being only 15 miles away, she described the move as “really hard” due to the drastically different culture. Since her husband passed, Diane has lived alone and relied on her daughter and caregiver for support, choosing to remain active to maintain her health. Thanks to intervention from her public health nurse, Diane feels like her health is in a better place now than it was before. “They check my levels and make sure I’m okay and get my medication for me. It’s been a great help because I know I’m okay,” she said.

Living on a single monthly income, Diane stretches her budget as much as possible. She told us, “I used to have a grocery budget, but now it’s almost three times what I used to spend! The prices of groceries have gone so high, so I try to make what I have last a long time.”

It is difficult for Diane to get to the grocery store during the summer months or prepare for emergencies. The summer monsoons can lead to particularly dangerous conditions on the reservation. Diane recalled losing power one summer, telling us, “The monsoon tore a bunch of electric poles down. It was bad. The power was out for a week.”

With her Summer Emergency Box loaded with supplies, Diane is relieved and feels more prepared for the upcoming monsoons. To the donors who support NRF, Diane shared, “I’m so grateful for what they do. Without these supplies, I would be struggling. I would be broke at the end of the month because I only get one check each month.”

Donate to NRF today to deliver relief to Elders like Diane during the summer.