Our Programs
Annually, we:
• Distribute over 850,000 pounds of food.
• Serve 50,000 families.
• Provide over 1 million meals.
• Southwest Indian Children’s Fund (SWICF) provides nutritious food including truckloads of fresh fruits and vegetables, clothing, clean water barrels and warm blankets to needy Native American Indian children and their families on Reservations throughout the Southwest every year.
Thousands of precious little American Indian children and their families, including their grandmas and grandpas are in desperate need of our help. Sometimes the only food available to them is beans cooked in lard and other fried and fatty foods that lead to health problems like diabetes and obesity. The fresh fruits and vegetables we provide are much healthier choices of food – food that they would not have without our help.
BLANKETS
Our blanket program is vital to the welfare of many Original Americans. We provide warm blankets because many people live in dilapidated housing, made of scraps of wood, tin and mud. The wind whistles through the cracks in the house (cracks so large you can see the outdoors through them!). Many people sleep on the floor with only a blanket to separate them from the cold. Pneumonia, influenza, colds and other ailments can be prevented with the help of a warm blanket.
WATER BARRELS
Turning on a faucet to get water is something that most of us take for granted. But 51% of the homes on the Navajo Reservation lack complete plumbing. Some families travel as much as 100 miles to obtain water from a public watering hole, filling every container they can find with the precious commodity. This water is then used for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing dishes, and laundry. SWICF provides a clean, sanitary water barrel for the needy to prevent contact with parasites that can cause potentially fatal diseases.
BICYCLES AND TOYS FOR CHRISTMAS
When families can’t afford the necessities of life, a bicycle or toy is an unnecessary luxury. If a child does happen to have some money, it goes to help feed the family. At SWICF, we believe that every child should have a toy, and we’ve been honored to provide brand-new bicycles and toys for hundreds of needy boys and girls.
