• 2023 Tewa Holiday Project Wrap Up

Ruth James

Welcome to the

Tewa Holiday Project

When my wife and I moved to Sedona in 1994 we were drawn to the Hopi Reservation. We soon began taking Holiday baskets to our friends in need at Christmas. In January of 2006 while having dinner with Peter and Janet Fagan, Janet suggested that we expand this “project”. In December of 2006 we raised $2,200 and took 20 baskets up to First Mesa.  In 2007 we “adopted” the Tewa Elders at First Mesa and the “Tewa Holiday Project” was born. This group of Native Americans living on the Hopi Mesas receive little support from the various Government entities at Hopi because they are not true Hopis but Tewa who moved to Hopi from New Mexico during the years of the Pueblo Revolt in the late 1600’s. Currently there are about 85 Tewa Elders living at First Mesa.

 

Tewa_Holiday_Project_85 In 2007  with the help of Laura Van House, Peter and Janet Fagan and the support of many new friends we raised $5,300.00  and took  50 Holiday Baskets to First Mesa along with many SUV’s full of gently used winter clothing. In the Spring of 2008 we created a partnership with Sedona based Non Profit Cornucopia Community Advocates lead by Julie and Harvey Grady. In 2008 we raised $11,275 and 50 “Tewa Travelers” made the delivery to first Mesa to deliver the 75 “baskets” to the Tewa elders.

In 2009 we raised $10,462 and again delivered 75 baskets to the Tewa elders at First Mesa. 2009 was our first year to make our delivery to the new Tewa Community Center. 45 “Tewa Travelers” made the trip. Until you make the delivery to Tewa and experience first hand the gratitude and sharing my words do no justice to describing the experience. In 2010 we raised $12,618 and again delivered baskets to  75 Tewa elders and nearly 60 Tewa Travelers made the trip. In 2011 we raised the most money ever with a grand total of $13,848 raised. In addition to the 75 baskets delivered we were able to purchase 6 laptop computers for First Mesa Elementary. In 2014 we raised over $13,400 in cash, plus 105 coats and hats and over 100 toys for the Tewa Children. The 2015 saw us raise over $15,000 in cash, deliver 110 coats and over 140 hats to First Mesa Elementary and collect and deliver over 150 wrapped presents to the Tewa children at First Mesa. 2016 Was another successful year for the Tewa Holiday Project. Again over $15,000 in cash was raised, over 130 coats were delivered to First Mesa Elementary along with over 175 hand knitted hast that were given to the children and Tewa Elders and over 150 wrapped gifts for the children of Tewa. In  2017  the Tewa Holiday Project had its most successful year ever with over $17,000 in cash raised, 165 coats and hand knitted hats delivered to every student at First Mesa Elementary and 150 brand new wrapped Toys for Tewa children. The 2018 was another successful year for the Tewa Holiday Project. Over $17,0000 in cash was raised along over 150 brand new coats for First Mesa Elementary and over 150 wrapped Christmas presents for Tewa Children.  2019 was the 13th year of the Tewa Holiday Project. The Tewa Holiday project has grown over the years from providing “baskets” for 20 Tewa Elders to an event that provides $15,000 worth of food and personal items for 85 Tewa Elders, 170 brand new coats and hand knitted hats for every child at First Mesa Elementary and over 150 brand new wrapped toys for the Tewa Community children, totaling well over $25,000. All from the generosity, compassion and support from folks in the Verde Valley and across the country. Truly I am humbled and brought to tears when I reflect on it. For the 2020 Tewa Holiday Project it was the year of Covid. First of all let me give a gigantic Thank You to all of you that made donations to make the 2020 Tewa Holiday Project a success. Donations of $22,500 far exceeded the year’s goal of $16,000 and it was a good thing that it did as expenses were up too. The 2020 delivery could not have happened without the help of Mike Newcomb and Manzanita Outreach. With the help of Manzanita Outreach we made a single delivery with their two big trucks to the Tewa Community Center for a touchless delivery to the Tewa Elders. In addition with the help of Caroline Diehl and Verde Valley School we delivered over 130 brand new coats.to First mesa Elementary. And finally with the help of Dale and Rosemary Stellick of Rosedale Hair Salon and Annie Hunter and crew from the Hummingbird House we delivered over 150 brand new wrapped to to Tewa children.

The 2021 Tewa Holiday Project delivery to the Village of Tewa will occur on December 11, 2021. Once again, due to Covid 19 and with the help of Manzanita Outreach we be making a touchless delivery to the Tewa Elders. We will also be continuing the Coats4 Kids Program with the help of Caroline Diehl and the Toys4Tewa program with the help of Dale and Rosemary Stellick of Rosedale Hair Salon If you would like to be on the email list to get updates and information and be a part of the 2021 Tewa Holiday Project just email me.

Since 2008, the Tewa Holiday Project has operated under the nonprofit umbrella of Cornucopia Community Advocates. I am saddened to say both of my friends, the founders of Cornucopia Community Advocates, Harvey and Julie Grady, passed away this spring. After their passing, the Board of Directors of Cornucopia decided to dissolve the nonprofit.

I am very grateful to announce that we are now under the umbrella of Manzanita Outreach. Manzanita Outreach helped us with our delivery to Tewa for the last two years, so we already had a working relationship with them. Manzanita Outreach, for those of you who do not know, is a 501c3 nonprofit that shares food in underserved communities, neighborhoods, and homes throughout the Verde Valley and beyond. They are a qualified charitable organization for the Arizona Tax Credit. They are a preeminent supplier of food to the food insecure in the Verde Valley, and I am very pleased to be a part of their organization.

The 2023 Tewa Holiday Project delivery to the Village of Tewa will occur on December 9, 2023. The Tewa Holiday Project will be helping pack this years donations and the Manzanita Outreach warehouse facility on December 6, 2023. The Village of  Tewa has asked that the delivery by made using the drive through technique . We will set up tables at the rear of the Tewa Center . The Tewa elders will drive up and the supplies will be placed in their car. We will once again be collecting the coats for the Coats4Kids  Program. We are delivering coats to First Mesa Elementary, the entire Hopi Head Start program and a private group helping children in foster care. We will be needing about 180 coats to accomplish this. The coats ornament trees will be set up at Clarkes Market in the Village of Oak Creek and Whole Foods in West Sedona. In addition we will be collecting Toys for Kids again this year. The Toys4Kids Trees will be set up at Rosedale Hair Salon and Sedona Eyecare. Start looking for the ornament trees around the first of November.

Want to make make a donation? If you want to use a credit card just click here Tewa Holiday Project

If you want to use a check, make it out to Manzanita Outreach and mail it to Randy Crewse at P.O. Box 479, Sedona, AZ 86339.

  • Randy Crewse
  • Executive Director
  • Tewa Holiday Project
  • 928-300-7141
  • RandyCrewse@gmail.com