{"id":5496,"date":"2020-12-07T18:48:24","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T23:48:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=5496"},"modified":"2020-12-08T12:41:14","modified_gmt":"2020-12-08T17:41:14","slug":"cronkite-news-group-provides-firewood-for-elders-on-navajo-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/12\/07\/cronkite-news-group-provides-firewood-for-elders-on-navajo-nation\/","title":{"rendered":"Cronkite News: Group provides firewood for elders on Navajo Nation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<div class=\" content_cards_card content_cards_domain_youtu-be\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content_cards_image\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_image_link\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ekM6YiOOHWc\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/29\/maxresdefault-459.jpg\" alt=\"Navajo Firewood | Cronkite News\">\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_title\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_title_link\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ekM6YiOOHWc\">\n\t\t\tNavajo Firewood | Cronkite News\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_description\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_description_link\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ekM6YiOOHWc\">\n\t\t\t<p>Many elders on the Navajo Nation do not have electricity to power and heat their homes. Volunteers provide firewood to those who need it to keep them warm in&#8230;<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_site_name\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/s\/desktop\/385d253e\/img\/favicon.ico\" alt=\"YouTube\" class=\"content_cards_favicon\"\/>\t\tYouTube\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Cronkite News Video by Video by McKenzie Allen-Charmley: <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/ekM6YiOOHWc>Navajo Firewood<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">No cold elders: Volunteers provide firewood for Navajo families ahead of winter <\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Monday, December 7, 2020<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By Kiara Quaranta and McKenzie Allen-Charmley<\/div>\r\n<DIV class=source>Cronkite News<\/DIV>\r\n<DIV class=source-website><A \r\nhref=\"https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/\">cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A><\/DIV>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAs winter approaches, volunteers with \r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ChizhForCheii\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chizh for Cheii<\/a>\r\nare preparing to deliver firewood to elders on the Navajo Nation reservation, where nearly 90% of homes rely on wood for heat.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe nonprofit organization, whose name means \u201cfirewood for Grandpa\u201d in English, launched nine years ago. The volunteers work because they \u201cdon\u2019t want people to pass on because they were neglected,\u201d founder Loren Anthony said.<p><\/p>\r\nYoung people and families traditionally help their elders collect and stockpile firewood, but when economic opportunity draws them away from the reservation, someone else has to step up.<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"gfm-embed\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/chizh-for-cheii-2020\/widget\/large\/\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/static\/js\/embed.js\"><\/script>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of people who go away to school for college or just for better opportunities off of the reservation,\u201d said Goldie Tom, who has been a volunteer with Chizh for Cheii since the beginning. \u201cPeople move away from home, and a lot of our elders are forgotten.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nTom said it is important for the younger, able-bodied members of the tribe to support those who need it on the reservation, where 89% of homes rely on firewood or wood pellets for heat, according to a tribal report from 2011.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAnthony recognized a need in his community at a time when he was trying to overcome addiction and wanted \u201cto make amends to the people I hurt in the past.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cLittle did I know this would be my new addiction, and also help other people in recovery as well,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s kind of the backside of things that people don\u2019t know about Chizh for Cheii \u2014 it\u2019s strength building for individuals, as a team &#8230; and just became that kind of beacon in the darkness.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\" content_cards_card content_cards_domain_twitter-com\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content_cards_image\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_image_link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Loren_Anthony_\/status\/1335733013246865410\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/29\/image-59.png\" alt=\"X on X\">\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_title\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_title_link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Loren_Anthony_\/status\/1335733013246865410\">\n\t\t\tX on X\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_description\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_description_link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Loren_Anthony_\/status\/1335733013246865410\">\n\t\t\t<p>X on X<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_site_name\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/favicon.ico\" alt=\"X (formerly Twitter)\" class=\"content_cards_favicon\"\/>\t\tX (formerly Twitter)\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nVolunteer Teracita Keyanna said \u201cthere\u2019s no price on that feeling that you get\u201d after delivering firewood to the elders who need it.<p><\/p>\r\n\r\nChizh for Cheii is mostly funded through donations from \r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/chizh-for-cheii-2020\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GoFundMe<\/a>\r\nand PayPal, and meeting existing needs can be a challenge on the vast reservation, which is home to more than 173,000 people.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cThere\u2019s been seasons where we did everything we could \u2013 we didn\u2019t have enough help, we didn\u2019t have enough chain saws, we didn\u2019t have enough vehicles, things like that,\u201d Anthony said. \u201cThose were tough times. We did what we could to help out as many as we could, but we could do more.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n\r\nThe hurdles Chizh for Cheii face have only been amplified this year by the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteers are working to provide 900 loads of firewood to Navajo elders this year.<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\" content_cards_card content_cards_domain_www-facebook-com\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content_cards_image\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_image_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/205276883688120\/videos\/1213450399101423\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/29\/120939634_1213465455766584_8092710180138593688_n.jpg\" alt=\"3.5K views \u00b7 79 reactions | A small page in our Chizh For Cheii diary. So much has been put in but there still remains much more work to be done. Thank you all who support, send prayers and that good energy. | Chizh For Cheii\">\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_title\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_title_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/205276883688120\/videos\/1213450399101423\">\n\t\t\t3.5K views \u00b7 79 reactions | A small page in our Chizh For Cheii diary. So much has been put in but there still remains much more work to be done. Thank you all who support, send prayers and that good energy. | Chizh For Cheii\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_description\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_description_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/205276883688120\/videos\/1213450399101423\">\n\t\t\t<p>A small page in our Chizh For Cheii diary. So much has been put in but there still remains much more work to be done. Thank you all who support, send prayers and that good energy.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_site_name\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/rsrc.php\/y1\/r\/ay1hV6OlegS.ico\" alt=\"www.facebook.com\" class=\"content_cards_favicon\"\/>\t\twww.facebook.com\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cTo be able to provide as much firewood before the next storm is always a challenge,\u201d Anthony said. \u201cBut the thing is, this is native life \u2026 we know how to be resilient and how to be resourceful.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nEven without the money and resources, the people of Chizh for Cheii continue their work to ensure their goal of \u201cno cold elders.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWe just have a lot of heart and a lot of people who are willing to sacrifice their bodies, their vehicles, to make sure that Grandma and Grandpa are warm and that they survive through the winter,\u201d Keyanna said.<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><p><\/p>\r\nAnthony said being able to see the impact he and Chizh for Cheii have on the community is what motivates him to continue working, even when things get tough.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cI lost my grandparents a long time ago when I was a kid, and I really wish they were around to see what I\u2019m doing now,\u201d Anthony said. \u201cBut hearing from other elders, their thank-yous, their love, their support \u2013 it drives me to continue doing the work.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n<STRONG>For more stories from Cronkite News, visit <A href=\"https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/?utm_source=referral&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=client\">cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A>.<\/STRONG>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<HR><EM>Note: This story originally <a href=\"https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/2020\/12\/07\/volunteers-provide-firewood-for-navajo-families-ahead-of-winter\/\">appeared on Cronkite News<\/a>.  It  is published via a <A href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative  Commons license<\/A>. Cronkite News is produced by the <A href=\"https:\/\/cronkite.asu.edu\/\">Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication<\/A> at <A href=\"https:\/\/www.asu.edu\">Arizona State University<\/A>.<\/EM><HR>\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/07\/chizforchei.jpg\" alt=\"chizforcheii\" class=\"invisible\" height=\"0\" width=\"0\" \/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Volunteers with Chizh for Cheii are preparing to deliver firewood to elders on the Navajo Nation, where nearly 90 percent of homes rely on wood for heat.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5504,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11,19,1],"tags":[42,5,46,128,24],"class_list":["post-5496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-health","category-national","tag-arizona","tag-coronavirus","tag-cronkite-news","tag-elders","tag-navajo","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-1qE","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/07\/chizforcheii.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}