Hopi Emergency Relief Fund transfers relief efforts to Hopi Relief
Hopi Relief will continue COVID-19 relief efforts including PPE kits and isolation kits

Hopi Relief distributes hygiene and food boxes for families in isolation or families in dire need.  (Photo/Hopi Relief)

Hopi Relief distributes hygiene and food boxes for families in isolation or families in dire need. (Photo/Hopi Relief)

KYKOTSMOVI, Ariz. — Hopi Foundation’s Hopi Emergence Relief Fund has ended direct-service operations and will transfer many of those services to Hopi Relief as of Dec. 31, 2021.

Hopi Relief will be continuing COVID-19 emergency relief efforts with a number of the services the HERF crews provided. Therefore, there will not be a void with the HERF relief site after closing its doors at the Peace Academic Center.

Hopi Relief is also focused on providing and building long-term services and solutions to address needs within the Hopi community in addition to providing COVID isolation kits, PPE kits and air purifiers for Hopi programs and businesses. The Hopi Emergency Relief Fund (HRF) had been providing those services out of the Peace Academic Center gym in Kykotsmovi since early in 2020.

The Hopi Foundation is confident that Hopi Relief, under the leadership of Wendi Lewis, executive director, will continue to provide services to help keep the community safe and healthy.

In the beginning months of the pandemic, the foundation already had the Hopi Emergency Assistance Fund established a means to receive funding to entities providing emergency-related services to community members.

In July 2020, operations under the fund transitioned to a full operation site, with HF staff stepping in to co-lead the emergency relief efforts and recruiting community members to support these efforts.

After nearly two years of work, HF is ready to transition HERF back to a strictly funding source and shift more of its focus to other projects, including the Hopi Substance Abuse Prevention Center, Hopi Opportunity Youth Initiative, Natwani Coalition, Hopi Leadership Program and KUYI- Hopi Radio.

This transition will still allow funds to be raised under HERF and funneled to various groups that are focused on providing emergency relief services. The transition and preparations also include providing various supplies and equipment and funding to transfer services to Hopi Relief.

This transfer of services relies on partnership, which resembles much of the work that helped the Hopi community during the pandemic.

Besides volunteers, HERF’s partnerships also included Ancestral Lands - Hopi (AL- Hopi) and Navajo & Hopi Families Covid-19 Relief Fund (NHFCRF), the Peace Academic Center, Hopi Wellness Center, Hopi Health Care Center Nutritionist, Hopi Community Health Representatives, IHS Public Health Nurses, The Hopi Tribe & HERT (the Hopi Emergency Relief Team), Red Feather Development Group, Hopi Tutskwa Permaculture Institute, St. Mary’s Food Bank, and each of the villages. HERF also worked with several of the grassroots organizations that emerged at the onset of the pandemic including Hopi Relief.

The people and organizations that came together to help the community and those in need showcased Hopi values such as Nami’nangwa and Hita’nangwa in action.

While the Hopi community was hit hard by illness and death, it would likely have been much worse without these brave and initiative efforts. Continuance of efforts like these will also be important in fighting through and moving on from COVID.

More information is available from The Hopi Foundation at info@hopifoundation.org or Hopi Relief at wendi@hopirelief.org.

Information provided by the Hopi Foundation

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