Bringing new life to an emergency response plan

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month. | [Feeding America.]( [DONATE]( --------------------------------------------------------------- As Feeding America's Director of Native/Tribal Partnerships, I count myself incredibly fortunate to get to see firsthand how members of Native and Tribal communities are creatively working to honor their cultures and address hunger. My goal is to make sure they have the tools and support needed to serve their communities in the ways they know work for them. Take Cheyenne Majenty, for example. She is a member of the Tribal Council for the Hualapai Tribe, located at the Southwestern top of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Cheyenne was born and raised on the Hualapai Reservation and is responsible for the tribe's emergency services. They're 45 minutes from the nearest town, so the tribe is often on their own when it comes to handling emergencies. One challenge they are facing is that the tribe's emergency management plan hasn't been updated since 1989. So Cheyenne is partnering with St. Mary's Food Bank, as part of the Natives Prepared Project supported by Feeding America, to craft a new emergency response plan. "Having a good emergency operations plan lays out the roles and duties of the different entities that are going to be assisting or responding, especially at a tribal level," Cheyenne said. "So, our tribal departments will understand their roles when it comes to an incident." [Cheyenne Majenty holding a box of food.]( Cheyenne said it best when she told us, "I've seen a lot of difficulties on our reservation. But I've also seen that our people are able to endure and that we're resilient through any situation that we're given. I'm proud that my people are able to come together during difficult times, that we are stronger together." Cheyenne's work will enable her tribe to respond themselves when disaster strikes. And Cheyenne's tribe is just one of many whose stories inspire me. I have seen the good that Feeding America can do when food banks partner with communities they serve, and I'm thrilled to continue my work elevating the voices, experiences, and expertise of Native Americans. [I hope you'll take a moment this Native American Heritage Month to read more about food insecurity in Native Communities.]( Ashagoteh (A heartfelt thank you), [Mark Ford signature.] [Mark Ford.] Mark Ford Director, Native/Tribal Partnerships Feeding America [facebook link]( [twitter link]( [instagram link]( [FeedingAmerica.org]( | [Donate Now]( | [Contact Us]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( 161 North Clark Street, Suite 700 | Chicago, IL 60601 | 1-800-910-5524 © 2023 Feeding America