KYLE, S.D. – A credit union has stepped up to help Native-American residents who have been stranded by floods that have also affected its own operations. The flooding has overwhelmed portions of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, an area served by Lakota Federal Credit Union (LFCU).
According to the Credit Union Association of the Dakotas, with a large geographical range, the reservation is home to almost 20,000 people, half of whom live at or below the poverty level. “The devastation could put the tribe in recovery mode for months ahead, but right now, drinkable water is in short supply,” the CUAD said.
Shayna Ferguson, manager of LFCU, told the CUAD, “It has been pretty hectic here. A large portion of our reservation was without running water for six days. Rural Water was finally able to fix the water main break late Sunday evening, but now the reservation is on a boil notice, and many do not have clean drinking water. The flooding is pretty extreme with bridges being washed away. We have families stranded, and a water rescue team from Rapid City has been deployed here to evacuate them.”
More Snow Expected
Ferguson told the CUAD the credit union is safe and all services are operational, but a majority of their members have been affected by the water outage compounded by the flooding. “I see in the news that we are in for another round of snow on Friday, but hopefully Mother Nature is close to being done,” Ferguson was quoted as saying.
The CUAD reported Lakota FCU purchased the last available pallet of water from its closest Sam’s Club this week, and offered the supplies for free to those in the community who could stop by their office in Kyle, S.D. The credit union will be out serving their communities this week via the Rolling Rez bus.
“The flood images of the damage on Pine Ridge are truly heartbreaking,” said Jeff Olson, president/CEO of CUAD, in a statement. “Some residents have already spent nearly two weeks stranded in their homes.”
CUs Provide Bottled Water
Olson said Lakota FCU indicated what it needs most is more bottled water, which led him to contact credit unions in the Rapid City area, including Black Hills FCU and Northern Hills FCU, to ask for help. Those CUs have since arranged for additional bottles of water to be delivered to Lakota FCU. Black Hills FCU staff has provided an additional 60 cases – 1,440 bottles, while Northern Hills FCU staff has provided Lakota FCU with approximately 1,000 bottles of drinking water.
“We sincerely appreciate the efforts and support from our credit union family in the Rapid City area for stepping in and putting the cooperative principles into action so quickly at this time of need,” said Olson.