My Summer at Re-Member

This summer, I spent six weeks on the Pine Ridge reservation in Pine Ridge South Dakota. While there I worked with Re-Member, a non-profit organization that partners with the Oglala Lakota Nation as a Program Supervisor. Re-Member provides essential housing repairs (skirting trailers, building steps, decks, and ramps, delivering and installing beds and outhouses and also distributing fresh vegetables grown at Feather 2 Gardens). Beyond the physical service that I listed above, the organization offers ongoing community support and fosters meaningful relationships between volunteers full time staff  and local residents on the Pine Ridge Reservation one of the ways we do this is through weekly community dinner and artisan night held every Wednesday night where volunteers and staff are given the opportunity to share a meal and conversation  with community members, and community members are given the opportunity to come and sell their crafts to volunteers and staff members. In my role, I coordinated daily volunteer projects, managed site logistics, and helped facilitate and delegate volunteers with understanding the meaning behind their service with the Lakota nation. But what impacted me the most weren’t just the projects—it was the people. Sharing meals, hearing stories, laughing and connecting with the community gave me a new perspective on what it truly means to live by Mitákuye Oyásiŋ which translates to  “we are all related” in Lakota. This experience challenged me, inspired me, and reminded me how important it is to use my privilege and my voice to stand with others. I left with more than I ever imagined—lifelong friends and memories, deep personal growth, a heart full of purpose and a second family. To summarize, my time at Re-Member was nothing short of life-changing. I walked away with more than I could ever give. I can't wait to go back next summer and continue to serve the Lakota Nation in ways that go far beyond physical.  If you’re looking for an opportunity that allows you to give back while growing personally and spiritually, I wholeheartedly recommend volunteering with Re-Member. It is something you will never regret .