NWAL’s COVID Working Group organizes successful donation drive for Alaskan Villages

In December, members of the Native Waters on Arid Lands (NWAL) COVID-19 Working Group organized a donation drive for several Alaskan Native communities that have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, supplying them with essential non-food items such as cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, and winter clothing for children.

The need for these supplies was brought to the attention of the COVID-19 Working Group by Clarence Daniel, who joined one of NWAL’s weekly Zoom calls in December. Daniel described the situation faced by several villages in his region, which are located off-road in very remote areas outside of Bethel in southwestern Alaska. These villages were experiencing COVID-19 positivity rates of over 50% with villages in lockdown and schools and jobs closed. Emergency food supplies were being provided by the Food Bank of Alaska, but families from the villages were in need of a number of non-food items, and members of the COVID-19 Working Group immediately activated their personal and professional networks to help.

We would like to thank everyone who donated, including:
• Desert Research Institute scientists (Reno and Las Vegas)
• Rotary Clubs from Tahoe, Park City, Utah, North Dakota, Maine, and others from around the country
• Corcoran Global Living real estate agents
• League of Women Voters of Harvard, MA
• Friends and family members of Maureen McCarthy

Newsletter from Tuluksak Head Start

Donations sent to Alaskan villages during NWAL’s December donation drive.

Donations sent to Alaskan villages during NWAL’s December donation drive.

Donations sent to Alaskan villages during NWAL’s December donation drive.

Donations sent to Alaskan villages during NWAL’s December donation drive.