The people of the Cheyenne River Sioux/Lakota Tribe are among the very poorest people in our country. The poverty rate is extraordinary – more than 50% of their people live in poverty. ECC member Janet Wieliczka read about Rochelle Ripley, a CT resident who established the non-profit hawkwing mission to assist these people. She and member Peg Doffek contacted Rochelle to donate extra items which were not sold at the church Farmhouse Fair about 15 years ago.
Since then, Ellington Congregational Church has participated in many ways to help through the hawkwing mission with money, clothing donations, toy donations, and visits to the reservation to assist with repairs and more.
The year-round Coat Collection ministry is overseen by Women’s Fellowship. They collect clean, gently-used, washable coats and washable new items for the Lakota people. The items are distributed through the efforts of hawkwing.
The box is located in the Narthex for depositing clean, washable (please, no dry cleaning items) coats & wearables in good condition. Vickie Oravits faithfully collects and stores them each week. (Thank you, Vickie!)
Our congregation has been extremely generous in their donations and every donation makes a difference, so thank you! For additional information about this mission, the website is www.hawkwing.org.