CAN-DO NEWSLETTER – May 13, 2009
We want to thank everyone for participating CAN-DO’s $5 Dollar “Challenge for Change”
We started this challenge on March 3rd as a “social experiment”. We were not prepared for such an amazing response- In just 8 weeks your $5’s turned in to $2,745. CAN-DO’s $5 Dollar “Challenge for Change” proves just how easy it can be to execute a project from concept-to-completion without the “red tape”- AND have it completed in a reasonable time frame.
Currently, we are just $6,000 short of our $18,000 budget to build a 60 x 30ft community greenhouse for the Crow Creek Indian Reservation and we need your help to get there. We can build it in just 8 days utilizing community volunteers and the entire process will be broadcast live via VirtualVolunteer.tv. Be there with us to experience the impact of your donations!
Run as a community co-operative, the greenhouse will be the sole source of fresh produce on the reservation for hundreds of families year round. In addition to providing much needed nutrition, the greenhouse will ALSO function as a community revitalization project, bringing young and old together with a solid, positive, common goal. This will be more than just a source of food, it will be a source of pride and an opportunity to promote self reliance.
Some history on Crow Creek:
The Crow Creek Indian Reservation is located in Ft. Thompson South Dakota. This is the nation’s poorest county where the average annual income is around $5000 with a staggering 80% rate of unemployment. The majority of the residents are under the age of 18. The living conditions are what most would consider deplorable. During the harshest winter months many residents are unable to pay their electric bills, leaving them without any electricity. Imagine trying to feed your family without even the basics, without a refrigerator or a freezer. They are forced to survive on processed, high fat foods. This type of eating causes abnormally high rates of diabetes, asthma, and childhood obesity.
This greenhouse will give the residents a healthier choice of diet year round and impact the residents of Crow Creek for a lifetime.
We are so close to reaching our goal! If you haven’t yet taken the challenge, please do! SEE how far $5 can go. Invite friends, family, co-workers -Â Imagine if you could get just a few people to follow you and take this challenge? Are you up for it?
With your help, together we can revitalize a community and help restore a culture right here at home!
Take & Pass On CAN-DO’s $5 Challenge for Change at www.can-do.org.
Thank you!
The CAN-DO Team
CURRENT PROJECT: CROW CREEK INDIAN RESERVATION, SOUTH DAKOTA
With our proven approach to providing lasting solutions with full accountability, efficiency and results, CAN-DO will approach the operation at the Crow Creek Reservation on a local level. Dedicated to listening to the voice of the people, the plan starts by raising the nation’s awareness of the urgent human right abuses taking place on the South Dakota region. It is crucial that while funds are being raised the immediate survival needs of the community are effectively being met. The project is a call to action – we need everyone’s help to make it happen.
PROJECT CROW CREEK – REVITALIZATION PLAN – 2009 (pdf)