PHOENIX (PRWEB)
February 01, 2021
The Veterans Medical Leadership Council (VMLC), Jack Travis Trucking, MD Helicopters and the Goldwater Foundation have officially joined together with the Southwestern Native American veterans’ leadership to form Native American Sustainability for Veterans and those in Uniform (NASVU).
The Phoenix based veteran’s helping veteran’s collaboration was created in March of 2020 to assist the Southwestern Native American communities’ COVID-19 response efforts by providing PPE, hygiene supplies and other medical supplies and necessities. NASVU has since partnered with many local organizations, nonprofits, and larger donors such as USAA to provide more aid to be delivered directly to the Navajo and Hopi Nations.
The current Board of Directors is led by Tom Eisiminger with Richard Vietor and Hope McDonald Lonetree. Tom stated, “When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, few communities were in a more dire need of assistance than the Navajo Nation. Our focus will be to support the veterans who have served our country.”
Approximately 30% of the Navajo Nation is not connected to a power or water system, an estimated 50% of the adult population has type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, and the nearest healthcare providers are more than 80 minutes away from most residents living in the remote areas. The Navajo Nation, which covers an area larger than Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont combined, only has 13 grocery stores, 13 health clinics and roughly only one doctor for every 1,781 people compared to the rest Arizona’s one doctor for every 400 people.
Director of Operations, Bob Dalpe stated; “We started by providing chainsaws to cut needed firewood, then PPE supplies on 2 dozen helicopter missions and delivered 380 water tanks by truck. It is a great start, but the Navajo Nation still needs approximately 20,000 water tanks and most of the other Southwestern Native American communities have similar needs. We will also be working on providing solar powered refrigerators for vital insulin storage.”
“In a way it’s like being in the middle of a battle,” said Pete Tsinnijinnie, a Navajo Nation resident, U.S. Army veteran and NASVU volunteer leader, “We were without weapons, but now we have something to arm ourselves with.” NASVU is currently in the process of obtaining a 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS; donations are accepted through VMLC with the designation of Navajo Relief Fund.
NASVU launched its new official website today, Feb. 1st at http://www.NASVU.org where more information and ways to help can be found. A new video describing the plight of the Navajo Nation and NASVU organization’s impact is also being unveiled at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtfjXZABWJEuknhwBx9SEPA/videos
NASVU is in process of organizing the project as a 501(c)(3). Donations are accepted through the VMLC, donate at https://www.arizonavmlc.org please designate Navajo Relief Fund during the transition time.
Boilerplate:
Native American Sustainability for Veterans and those in Uniform (NASVU) is a veteran-led collaborative nonprofit with a mission to assist and coordinate with Southwestern Native American communities to develop sustainable living conditions with a focus on water, power, and housing. NASVU was founded in 2020 when the Covid pandemic began and today its mission supports over 5000 veterans, elders and first responders in need. For more information, visit http://www.NASVU.org.
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