Student Reflection: Core Group Member Will T. reflects on his trip to the Rosebud Native American Reservation

Each year Operation Others delivers food to 240 families living on Native American Reservations in Nebraska.  Food Insecurity is just one of many problems facing Native Americans today.  This summer Will traveled to the Rosebud Reservation.  In this post he reflects on his experience.  


Food insecurity is a grave issue that is present inside our community of Omaha and also outside in all corners of the United States. Sometimes people forget the severe extent to which food insecurity casts its hold on people. Food insecurity is not only found in urban, downtown areas but all over the country in places where people do not normally reach out and help. An area where food insecurity is at its most acute degree is on various Native American reservations found all over the United States, in most cases, states bordering Nebraska. This summer I participated in a service trip to Rosebud, a Native American Reservation in South Dakota. At Rosebud, I witnessed and realized the true meaning of food insecurity and how little help the people of Rosebud and other Native American reservations receive to address this problem. Expired, moldy, and sometimes worthless food is sent to these places where food is a questionable presence in everyday life. Between alcoholism and homelessness, the people of these reservations struggle daily to feed themselves and sometimes their families. On the reservation I witnessed the most overwhelming appreciation for even the most meager food and supplies.

Introduction

Welcome to the Operation Others Food Insecurity Blog.  In addition to our main goal of providing some food to over 1,600 Omaha-area materially poor families, O.O. will participate in other projects, talk to experts and visit social service agencies in order to more fully understand the issue of food insecurity in our community.