Food Headed West, From Malvern To Pottstown To Pine Ridge, SD

MALVERN, PA — A Pottstown man and his van have been the bearers of food, toys, and heaters to South Dakota and the next load, in a rented truck to fit more, departs on Sunday.

For years Ron Williams of Pottstown has been loading up food and goods donated by Main Line folks, churches and individuals, and transporting the goods to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

Williams has made several trips this year, and his last trek of 2020 in a rental truck begins Sunday. What's different in 2020 is the need at his destination. The Oglala Sioux Tribe at Pine Ridge were hit very hard with the coronavirus. The tribe has called for several lockdowns, one again last month that lasted until Oct. 30.

Williams explained that the pandemic has been hard on those living on Pine Ridge Reservation, in part because during the school year, many families relocate their school-age children with friends and family who live nearer to schools. The schools are hard to get to, and that means homes may have double occupancy.

It also means there is an ongoing need for bedding. He looks for roll-up foam mattresses to bring along.

Many Native American communities have suffered severely since the pandemic began. Poverty is more acute and health outcomes poor, and these have worsened as the coronavirus came to South Dakota's Oglala Sioux Nation, of which Pine Ridge is one community.

Williams, of blended Native American descent, said his first visit to South Dakota was in 2015 when tribes were gathering against the installation of the Dakota Access Pipeline across their territories and nearby water supplies.

"That's how it started. I got into the Dakotas and I was blown away with how much of nothing there is out there," he explained. It was in Wanblee, SD that he said he was "blow away by the amount of poverty that was just visual."

"Wanblee has about 700 homes that are not really comfortable, as you'd want them to be, especially in the dead of winter," Williams said. "I'd never been out there in my life but after that I began to collect items like bedding and heaters."

He said he went home and filled his van up, and headed back out. He was asked to meet people on the Pine Ridge Reservation's eastern edge because there were reports of official and unofficial blockades, during the DAPL resistance going on into the winter of 2016.

Williams said, as he spoke to Patch from a storage unit while getting ready for his Sunday departure, "I went home and thought about it, and I decided then and there I'd try to do something."

"I left feeling grateful to have the resources I have. They have one convenience store — that's their grocery store — and items are not cheap, it's twice the cost for milk."

He added, "My wife and I are fixed income folks. I'm sure we're not making a major impact but we're doing what we can do." They've made the trips every few months ever since.

He is concentrating on bringing food this year because it's greatly needed, but he's also transporting stuffed animals that will become gifts to children in a hospital off the reservation.

"We're not a church or anything like that, our hearts just go out." he said.

"Ron and his wife Mary make it a personal mission," said Keith Pension of Malvern.

Keith Pension, of Malvern, is a friend of Williams who's been helping gather the donations for a long time. She has a shed set up on her property at 697 Sugartown Road where food and clothing are dropped off by friends and neighbors who want to help.

As news of the need and a local person transporting the good got around, donations have continued to come in. Pension said, "My old college friend Chris Beck and husband Leif of Newtown Square, just gave me a check for $250 for Ronnie to spend as he chooses on the trip."

Sarah Stirzel Cuzzolina of Havertown let her two young sons help out as she brought a truckload of food donations. Cuzzolina said she helps because this project makes her happy during this challenging time. "It feels so good to be able to do something for someone less fortunate, especially now."

Jane Berna of Havertown, along with her sisters, collected loads of healthy nonperishable food items for the people of Pine Ridge. Berna also sent along warm crocheted hats. She said her sister saw a video made by the girls at the reservation school and was so impressed she decided to give to Pine Ridge this Christmas as a family.

The Collette family of Drexel Hill heard the Pine Ridge people had requested stuffed animals for kids' Christmas gifts, so they sent along a help of fuzzy toys.

The informally organized plan just works. Pension said that for people who wish do give, but want it to be through a registered 501c3, a group called Running Strong for American Indian Youth partners with Williams and passes along donations, though they are a separate entity.

Monetary donations can be made through PayPal.

Williams said people who want more information about helping may email him directly at wronaldw@comcast.net. He always takes donations up to the last minute, but as his departure draws very close, he said it's best to give to the Pine Ridge community online, through the PayPal page.

"Our current plan is to leave with whatever food and gift donations we have been able to acquire through the generosity of our friends, neighbors, churches and organizations, to include The Hill School in Pottstown, PA, Reformation Evangelical Lutheran Church in Reading, PA, Reverend Suzanne Duchesne and The Committee On Native American Ministries, Fritz and Pat Bower and The Native American Ministry at Reformation Lutheran Church in Reading, PA and The Exton United Methodist Church to name a few. We plan to leave Pottstown around Nov. 15," Williams posted on social media.