In partnership with great plains food bank
A 501c non-profit organization food bank. To help the less fortunate and to help battle food insufficiencies in our communities on Spirit Lake and Lake Region area.
Our Mission
This Corporation is an organization exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, including, for such purposes, as making the distributions of a supplemented food source to individuals and families in need. The Corporation is organized for the purposes of assisting Native American and Non-Native American families and peoples in improving their quality of life and serving as consultants who educate and augment where necessary, the maintaining of positive healthy eating and living habits.
Distributions
2021 Overview
May 2021
Households: 360
Adults: 425
Children: 235
Seniors 60+: 246
Pounds: 86,682
Totals: pending
Where it started..
Cankdeska Cikana Community College at Fort Totten, ND
14,338 lbs of food
Spirit Lake Casino in Saint Michaels, ND
20,000 lbs of food
City Plaza
Devils Lake, ND
Meet the Team
Patrick Schmid
President/ Founder
Patrick Schmid, Oyate Waokiye which means Helper of the People the founder of Wana Wota, an enrolled member of the Spirit Lake Tribe is also the ND State PATH Coordinator for Region III at the Lake Region Human Service Center in Devils Lake ND. Patrick oversees the six counties which make up Region III where he serves the homeless population who suffer from sever addiction, mental health issues and chronic homelessness. Patrick is serving a two-year term on the ND State Board of Continuum of Care in a Lived Experience position. He also serves on the Indigenous Social Workers Coalition out of Grand Forks ND as well. In his free time Patrick can be found with his family at local community events, his children’s sporting and 4H events, cook outs with friends and family, on the farm or out hunting and fishing. Since graduating from the University of North Dakota and becoming a Social Worker Patrick has dedicated to his life to helping others in need and to educating and empowering others with his life’s story in hopes that they will learn from his mistakes without having to make similar ones of their own. Recently Patrick has been working on, with the support of the Board, expanding Wana Wota by signing with ND CoC to join the fight in not only combatting food insecurities but also homelessness.
Eunice Davidson
Vice President
Eunice Davidson was raised on the Spirit Lake Reservation, attended school there. She continued her education later on in life & received her Liberal Arts & Dakota Studies Degree from Cankdeska Cikana Community College, she attended one year of Indian Studies at Fort Berthold Community College and went on to Black Hills State University where she received her bachelor's degree in Education. Eunice's love for genealogy motivated her to take a year's training from the IAP Institute and was certified as a Genealogist.
Eunice knows the importance of education and works with many in her community to teach about their family's heritage and history. When asked to help with the Wana Wota Food Bank she saw the importance of how it was needed in her community and another opportunity to help where she could. She volunteers her time in helping distribute food to the tribal members & surrounding area. As a board member, she attends meetings regularly to help plan for a vision for the Wana Wota organization.
Dr. Galynn Lindemann
Secretary
Ms. Lindemann, is a licensed social worker. Obtaining her undergraduate degree in social work and her Master's degree in social work. Additionally, Ms. Lindemann holds a master's in business administration (MBA). She also holds' her doctorate in social work. Currently, Ms. Lindemann is a social work instructor with the Cankdeska Cikana Community College located at Fort Totten, North Dakota on the Spirit Lake Dakota Indian Reservation.
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Lara P
Treasurer
I was born and raised in Devils Lake. I graduated from Devils Lake Central in 1986 and the University of North Dakota in 1990. I married my husband, Tony, in 1991, and we had our first child, Haley Darling (married Blake Darling), in 1992. Our second child, Blake (engaged to Margy Green), was born in 1995. Our grandson, Wyatt was born in 2019, and we’re expecting another grandchild in August of 2021. I’ve been teaching at Devils Lake High School for 28 years. I teach TV productions, publications, and yearbook. I also serve as the DLPSDF coordinator for the school district. In my spare time I love traveling and spending time at the lake with family and friends. I serve on many school and community boards, and I’m involved in many organizations. I love giving back to my community!
John Chaske
Board of Directors
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Cornell GoodThunder
Board of Directors
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Agnes Cavanaugh
Board of Directors
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Craig Burns
Board of Directors
Craig is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of North Dakota. He graduated from Western Michigan University with his MA in Spanish Literature in 2000, then spent six years in the US Army as an Army Cryptologic Communications Interceptor/Locator, including a 12-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2004-2005. After leaving the Army, he returned to school, receiving his MSW from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2009. Since graduation, Craig has worked in Early Intervention for the State of Hawaii Department of Health, Crisis Mobile Outreach, social work faculty with the MCH-LEND (Maternal and Child Health-Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disorders) program at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, and as the Social Worker for the Home Based Primary Care Program with the Department of Veterans Affairs on Guam. He has taught as adjunct faculty at the University of Guam and Guam Community College. He developed and taught a Military and Veteran Social Work course for the University of Hawaii MSW program. Craig served as President of the NASW Guam Chapter and received the 2016 Social Worker of the Year award from the NASW Guam Chapter. His interests include interprofessional education and practice, decolonization and indigenization of social work education, curriculum, and practice. He was instrumental in establishing the first community garden on Guam and is passionate about food security, sustainability, and Social Determinants of Health.
Mindy Debolt
Board of Directors