After much anticipation, the Oyate Ta Kola Ku Food Pantry is now almost ready to open its doors on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Announced in November 2024 with the rallying cry “If we build it, they will come…”, the project has now become a reality, representing a critical response to food insecurity in the reservation.
The pantry is built inside a 40’ x 8’ modular container (320 sq. ft.) situated on the grounds of the Oyate Ta Kola Ku (OTKK) Community Center. It will take just a few more weeks to outfit it with electrical connections, flooring, NSF-certified shelving, a commercial freezer and cooler, and a customer service counter.
At first, the brand-new food pantry is expected to be open three days a week to serve Lakota residents from across the vast reservation. Other days will be dedicated to acquiring more food and restocking. In addition, the pantry would become the new site for our monthly food box distributions of 200 boxes.
In addition to nonperishable food items, including canned goods, rice, pasta, and more, families will also be able to pick up frozen meats and fresh produce from OTKK’s Medicine Root garden. This is particularly important on a reservation known as a “food desert,” where fresh vegetables are expensive and low-quality when they are actually available.
Once completed, the facility will become a year-round access point for food, a significant step up from monthly food box distributions.
In addition to ensuring that hundreds of children, parents, and elders have access to healthy foods, the new pantry will serve as Running Strong’s distribution site for basic needs such as feminine hygiene kits through our WičhičhaǧAStrong program, SmileStrong dental kits, and more.
“We are open to all of Pine Ridge.” — Sydney Farhang, Executive Director, Running Strong
The pantry aims to ensure that hundreds of families — children, elders, and parents — will no longer have to choose between paying utility bills and putting food on the table. With access to affordable and healthy food now closer than ever, this initiative strikes at the heart of the “food desert” issue long plaguing the region.
Initial estimates anticipate serving 200 families per month, with the expectation of growing demand as awareness spreads.
No family should face a food crisis. That’s why Running Strong for American Indian Youth® works tirelessly to combat food insecurity on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
