American Indian Youth Running Strong aka Running Strong for American Indian Youth

Our mission is to help American Indian people meet their immediate survival needs - food, water and shelter - while implementing and support

Mission

Our mission is to help American Indian people meet their immediate survival needs - food, water and shelter - while implementing and supporting programs designed to create opportunities for self-sufficiency and self-esteem, particularly for tribal youth. Our goal is to build the capacity of communities, grassroots Indian organizations, and individuals to leverage their strengths to solve problems. Through long-term development programs such as organic gardening, housing, water resource development and healthcare, we strive to foster self-sufficiency on Indian reservations throughout the United States. BILLY MILLS, Olympic Gold Medalist and an Oglala Lakota from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, serves as Running Strong's national spokesperson. He travels throughout the nation speaking to American Indian children and their families spreading his message of inspiration and opportunity for many Indian youth based on dignity, character and pride.

Programs

Running Strong for American Indian Youth (American Indian Youth Running Strong) works with local programs to strengthen American Indian reservation communities across the United States. Our National Spokesperson, Olympic Champion Billy Mills (Lakota) travels the country speaking to American Indian children and their families, encouraging them to live their lives with courage, dignity and pride. All of our programs grow out of community identified needs, matching our experience with local resources. Running Strong long-term development programs range from organic gardening and nutrition, water well development, emergency heat assistance and home repairs to ramps for the disabled and healthcare. We also support language and culture programs and do not shy away from capital projects. Many reservation communities need infrastructure and we've worked to provide it by building homes, food pantries, dialysis clinics and youth centers. Our ultimate goal is to build healthy communities to nurture today's and future generations of American Indian youth.