Native American Heritage Month: Native-focused Harvest Pantry partners

November is Native American Heritage Month – a time to listen to, and learn from, Native voices and knowledges. We would like to take a moment to celebrate two of our Harvest Pantry partners who are providing crucial services to their communities. Our Harvest Pantry program is geared towards organizations who are providing food as part of their services but also provide other much needed supports to their community. Harvest Pantry partners pick up items from each of our three distribution centers across Washington.

The American Indian Community Center (AICC) was founded in 1967 (the same year as Northwest Harvest!) as a social gathering place for Indian and Native American people who live in the Spokane area. Since 1967, AICC has become a comprehensive social service agency serving American Indian/Alaskan Natives and other racial groups. AICC’s mission is to provide comprehensive social and economic development services for all racial groups in our community, encouraging individual and family self-sufficiency while protecting and preserving the cultures and traditions of Indian people. AICC provides food to their visitors, no questions asked! Want to support AICC in empowering their community? Check out their wishlist for needed donation items: https://www.aiccinc.org/wish-list/.

The Yakama Nation Housing Authority (YNHA) provides safe, affordable housing to the people of the Yakama Nation. YNHA operates the Foster Retirement Center in Toppenish for elders who prefer apartment living. Next door is the Wanity Housing Complex with another 74 units, and a community center where the Area Agency on Aging serves the elders lunch five days a week. NHA manages over 600 units of affordable housing, housing more than 2400 people. In addition to these housing services, YHNA also offers Home Buyer Assistance, and weatherization and maintenance services completed by an in-house crew. Through their food distribution, YNHA is able to provide food to 20 veterans and formerly unhoused individuals and families. For those with mobility limitations or disabilities, food is provided via door-to-door delivery. To learn more about the YNHA, visit their website: https://ynha.org/.