SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As Native
American communities continue to grapple with the on-going COVID-19
pandemic, preparing for both winter and another potential spike in
cases, grassroots organization Protect Native Elders has been busy
delivering PPE with the help of partners like Fiat Chrysler
Automobiles (FCA).
FCA has been supporting Protect Native Elders efforts for
several months. As part of the program, FCA has donated over
300,000 face masks and 30,000 face shields, that have been
distributed to over 50 indigenous communities across the
country. FCA also provided use of four Jeep® and Ram trucks to
support the distribution of critical supplies and relief
efforts.
See video: PNE puts FCA resources to
work in support of tribal communities.
"Native communities have been some of the hardest hit in the
U.S. and have been dealing with the crisis with some of the fewest
resources," said Dmitri Novomeiski, co-founder of Protect Native
Elders. "Most of the relief and support has come from grassroots
organizations like ours that have risen to meet the demands of the
moment. Having organizations like FCA come to help these tribal
communities that have been marginalized and under-resourced for so
long is a great example of good corporate citizenship."
"We are grateful to be able to support Native American
communities, whom we consider an integral part of our extended FCA
family," said Mark Stewart, Chief
Operations Officer, Fiat Chrysler North America. "Working closely
with the Protect Native Elders team allows us to route supplies
quickly where they are needed most."
FCA actively supports its First Nations Business Resource Group
(BRG) for employees of Native American heritage, one of 10
employee-directed organizations representing a range of affinity
communities that support multicultural understanding in the company
and the career development needs of employees. The company also was
named to the American Indian Science and Engineering Society
(AISES) Top 50 Workplaces for Indigenous STEM Professionals in the
Spring 2020 issue of Winds of Change magazine.
Reports from the Center for Disease Control have found that
COVID-19 has disproportionately affected Native communities; in
some cases, Native communities have tested positive for COVID-19 at
3.5 times the rate of neighboring white communities. The coming
winter season brings additional annual challenges for remote and
rural tribal communities that don't always have access to running
water or fresh food. Volunteer and grassroots support from
organizations like Protect Native Elders and others filled vital
gaps in PPE supply chains and will continue to do so as the
pandemic drags on and federal aid is limited.
About Protect Native Elders
Protect Native Elders is
a national Native-led inter-tribal organization providing rapid
support to Native American communities in their response to
COVID-19. The all-volunteer team is focused on PPE and critical
supply relief, advocacy programs, and initiatives, such as food and
water, to support indigenous sovereignty. Since its founding in
late March 2020, Protect Native
Elders has distributed more than $750,000 in supplies to more than 70 tribal
communities across the continent. Learn more at
protectnativeelders.org.
About FCA
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is a global automaker that
designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles in a portfolio
of exciting brands, including Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge,
Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep®, Lancia, Ram and Maserati.
It also sells parts and services under the Mopar name and operates
in the components and production systems sectors under the Comau
and Teksid brands. FCA employs nearly 200,000 people around
the globe. For more details regarding FCA (NYSE: FCAU/ MTA: FCA),
please visit www.fcagroup.com.
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SOURCE Protect Native Elders