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Like many, Nancy Bishop Ward has always helped out when she could.
She was always sure to buy extra groceries to give to the food pantry or make a contribution to help the homeless.
But last summer something happened that changed the Plymouth native’s entire outlook on helping others. And now she is looking for help to do it.
Ward, a Plymouth native who now lives in Sandwich with her husband, Jim, and their son, Ryan, was watching television last fall when she saw “Hidden America: Children of the Plains,” Diane Sawyer’s expose about the plight of the Lakota people.
“I was always interested in Native Americans and their living situation, but not sure how sad it was. I knew right then and there I had to do something,” Ward said.
She has been at it every day since, reading everything she can find about the Lakota Indians featured in Sawyer’s report.
She was shocked to learn how desperately poor the Lakota people are.
Many live without running water, enduring extreme winter temperatures without heat.
The life expectancy among Lakota men, she learned, is 48. For women, it is 52.
With the support of her husband and son, Ward organized a clothing drive for the Lakota people last month at her husband’s store, Plymouth Fireplace.
Through the generosity of friends and customers, Ward collected 140 pounds of clothing and supplies during the Dec. 5 event. She has since begun shipping the goods to agencies that work with the Lakota.
She is also in the process of setting up a not-for-profit group known as Wawokiya that will continue and expand the work.
Wawokiya is a Lakota word that means to help the people stand.
Ward said she hopes it can grow among charitable people who want to help others but might not otherwise know about the plight of the Lakota.
Ward and her son, Ryan, will be traveling in April to spend a week working on the reservation with Re-Member, a non-profit organization that works with the Oglala Lakota Nation on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
In the interim, she expects to conduct at least one more clothing drive after the winter passes and people have a better idea of what they can spare from their wardrobes.
Groups and individuals from churches, high schools and corporations join together for a week at a time to participate in various work projects.
Ward said she hopes to find like-minded volunteers in the Plymouth area who might be willing to help her collect goods for the Lakota.
Anyone interested in helping can contact her at njrward@aol.com or 774-521-7297.
“There’s no political or religious agenda. Just helping people is all I care about,” Ward said. “We’re all in this together. Maybe we can all make a difference.”
Like many, Nancy Bishop Ward has always helped out when she could.
She was always sure to buy extra groceries to give to the food pantry or make a contribution to help the homeless.
But last summer something happened that changed the Plymouth native’s entire outlook on helping others. And now she is looking for help to do it.
Ward, a Plymouth native who now lives in Sandwich with her husband, Jim, and their son, Ryan, was watching television last fall when she saw “Hidden America: Children of the Plains,” Diane Sawyer’s expose about the plight of the Lakota people.
“I was always interested in Native Americans and their living situation, but not sure how sad it was. I knew right then and there I had to do something,” Ward said.
She has been at it every day since, reading everything she can find about the Lakota Indians featured in Sawyer’s report.
She was shocked to learn how desperately poor the Lakota people are.
Many live without running water, enduring extreme winter temperatures without heat.
The life expectancy among Lakota men, she learned, is 48. For women, it is 52.
With the support of her husband and son, Ward organized a clothing drive for the Lakota people last month at her husband’s store, Plymouth Fireplace.
Through the generosity of friends and customers, Ward collected 140 pounds of clothing and supplies during the Dec. 5 event. She has since begun shipping the goods to agencies that work with the Lakota.
She is also in the process of setting up a not-for-profit group known as Wawokiya that will continue and expand the work.
Wawokiya is a Lakota word that means to help the people stand.
Ward said she hopes it can grow among charitable people who want to help others but might not otherwise know about the plight of the Lakota.
Ward and her son, Ryan, will be traveling in April to spend a week working on the reservation with Re-Member, a non-profit organization that works with the Oglala Lakota Nation on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
In the interim, she expects to conduct at least one more clothing drive after the winter passes and people have a better idea of what they can spare from their wardrobes.
Groups and individuals from churches, high schools and corporations join together for a week at a time to participate in various work projects.
Ward said she hopes to find like-minded volunteers in the Plymouth area who might be willing to help her collect goods for the Lakota.
Anyone interested in helping can contact her at njrward@aol.com or 774-521-7297.
“There’s no political or religious agenda. Just helping people is all I care about,” Ward said. “We’re all in this together. Maybe we can all make a difference.”
