For almost 30 years now, the Southwest Indian Foundation have made Christmas a priority. As the rampant commercialism associated with this special season has grown by leaps and bounds. They have moved in the opposite direction--to get back to basics. Instead of putting the emphasis on filling up shopping carts full of stuff that no one really needs. They have tried to put love back into Christmas by turning to our brothers and sisters who truly are in need. To turn our attention to those who are struggling just to put the next meal on the table.

So every year at Christmas they reach out to some of these lonely families on the neighboring reservations and bring a little bit of Christmas to their door. Each year, they deliver thousands of Christmas Food Baskets and Christmas Stockings to truly needy families. They give priority to the elderly, the infirm, and to the families with small children. Because of the vast area involved, they depend largely on the social workers and religious missionaries in each community to identify those families and individuals who are truly in need. They want to get it right, and make sure that no one is overlooked.

54% of Navajo homes burn wood for heating. But not necessarily in wood stoves. You see, some of the people cannot afford real stoves, and instead use sawed-off water barrels or other metal container to try to contain the fire. Many folks had dangerous, inefficient wood stoves before the foundation was able to help them out with new Combination Wood/Coal Stoves.

Every year at this time, they concentrate on tow critical areas--Food and Heat. At Christmas, they deliver over 1,350 Food Baskets to the neediest families on the reservations. And their Navajo work crew installs a many Wood Stoves as possible during these fall and winter months.

The Southwest Indian Foundation
P.O. Box 86
Gallup, New Mexico 87302-0001