Navajo Transitional Energy Company funds 29 community projects totaling over $213,000
News Release
Navajo Transitional Energy Company
Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC) announced the recipients of the Community Benefit Fund (CBF). This year, recognizing the hardships caused by Coronavirus on Navajo communities and non-profit organizations, Navajo Transitional Energy Company changed the focus of the fund to the Community Benefit Fund COVID-19 Emergency Response Grant. Navajo Transitional Energy Company awarded 29 grants, with the amount of funding totaling $213,000.
“When COVID-19 began spreading on the Navajo Nation, Navajo Transitional Energy Company immediately took action to provide assistance to the Chapters and organizations that help Navajo people,” said Navajo Transitional Energy Company CEO Clark Moseley. “Converting the Community Benefit Fund to focus on providing emergency response grants is one of the many actions Navajo Transitional Energy Company has taken to help Navajo communities impacted by Coronavirus.”
The Community Benefit Fund COVID-19 Emergency Response Grants are supporting projects that solve local problems for Navajo Chapter Houses and non-profit organizations by creating innovative solutions to address and combat Coronavirus. “I’m impressed with the variety of projects designed to help students, the elderly and Navajo communities,” said Cortasha Upshaw, Navajo Transitional Energy Company Community Affairs Coordinator.
“Each Chapter House or organization faced unprecedented challenges and found ways to help serve the Navajo people during the health crisis,” Upshaw continued. Projects include purchasing personal protective equipment, offering Wi-Fi services for distance learning, providing students with electronic devices, and installing Plexiglas to promote social distancing.
Since its inception in 2016, Navajo Transitional Energy Company has awarded more than $1,013,000 to 144 organizations as part of the Community Benefit Fund. The awards are normally made at a luncheon, but this year Navajo Transitional Energy Company is recognizing recipients through virtual events on the company’s Facebook page. “While we can’t hold an awards banquet, it is important that every Chapter and organization receive recognition for their thoughtful solutions that impact the Navajo Nation,” said Upshaw.
Here is complete list of the projects that were awarded this year.
San Juan Medical Foundation
Category: Community
- 93% of guests that stay at Connelly Hospitality House (CHH) are Native American. CHH will purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) to provide services to patients.
Chinle Chapter
Category: Safety/Education
- Purchase PPE for staff and community and provide hot spots/ Wi-Fi -connectivity for student schooling at various locations.
Ts’ah Bii Kin Chapter
Category: Safety
- Purchase signs for the chapter and community to describe preventative measures against COVID-19.
Kin Dah Lichii Olta
Category: Safety
- Purchase Clear Plastic Sneeze Guard Virus Shields to be placed on students’ desktop to block airborne viral droplets.
Kiwanis Club of Farmington - Rio del Sol
Category: Education
- Kiwanis Clothes and Shoes for Kids - approximately 300 elementary children from low-income families – will be receiving clothes and shoes.
Northwest New Mexico Arts Council
Category: Education
- Purchase PPE supplies, Ziploc bags for packaging, canvas for painting, painting supplies.
Naatsis Aan (Tonalea) Community School
Category: Community
- Plant a garden, purchase fruit trees and seeds, school & student garden project.
Navajo United Way
Category: Community
- Cleaning supplies, PPE safety equipment and decontamination of the Navajo United Way Window Rock Office.
Mexican Water Chapter
Category: Community
- Safety - for winterization activities, i.e. wood hauling for heating, cooking, water hauling for homes without running water, food for those who are in need to keep them safe in over 300 homes & population of 1,300.
Window Rock Unified District
Category: Education
- Purchase electronic devices for our K-12 students for distance learning capabilities for school year 2020-21.
Shonto Prep School
Category: Education
- Purchase student laptop bags – distance learning school supplies - flash drives for students.
Ganado Chapter
Category: Community
- Primary purpose of defraying cost to exchange/rent out Solid Waste Transfer Station Bins to have community utilize the trash bins free of cost for 3 months.
Farmington Municipal Schools
Category: Safety
- Purchase Plexiglas dividers for educational services and the safety of staff and students.
Upper Fruitland Chapter
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Category: Community
- Purchase remote communication technology to utilize for chapter meetings for the safety of staff and community members.
Chilchinbeto Chapter
Category: Safety
- Purchase PPEs and basic necessities for community members - install Plexiglas in the chapter to promote social distancing and provide safety for staff and community.
Dzil Ditl ‘ooi School of Empowerment, Action and Perseverance (DEAP)
Category: Education
- Purchase laptops and internet connectivity resources to all students to continue learning in a safe and supportive way.
National Indian Youth Leadership Project, Inc.
Category: Safety
- Purchase personal protective equipment for staff /youth and a decontamination system for outdoor adventure equipment.
Lupton Chapter
Category: Safety
- Purchase PPE Equipment/supplies and Decontamination/ Sanitation stations for staff and community. Provide Hot spots/Wi-Fi. Services for student distance learning.
Iyanbito Chapter
Category: Safety
- Purchase thermometers, liquid hand soap, disposable hand towels for staff and community, purchase portable hand washing station at chapter house.
Shonto Chapter
Category: Community
- Project will assess, repair and upgrade an existing watering point station to provide accessible water for community.
Page Unified School District
Category: Education
- Purchase and provide access for students by increasing Wi-Fi and data plans on our buses – to provide hot spots at rural areas for distance learning.
Nenahnezad Chapter
Category: Community
- Purchase a temperature-controlled storage unit that will be dedicated to our CHR staff for community PPE equipment and supplies.
Low Mountain Chapter
Category: Safety
- Project to focus on a progressive phased-in reopening of the Low Mountain Chapter government, purchase and provide PPE Supplies for cleaning and sanitizing of chapter building.
Navajo YES
Category: Safety
- Navajo YES will purchase wash stations, and face masks to support safe environments at Navajo YES races. Navajo YES will connect youth with isolated elders through crafting, letter writing and other safe activities.
Northern Agency Veterans Organization
Category: Infrastructure
- Purchase and install internet to provide a safe environment for veterans to file VA claims.
Kayenta Chapter
Category: Community
- Project will purchase fencing, mulch, cedar lumber for raised beds, and garden bricks for the Kayenta Community Garden which will provide food to the chapter community.
Klagetoh Chapter
Category: Education
- Purchase and provide Wi-Fi accessibility for our youth in Klagetoh to participate in Distance Learning.
Indian Wells Chapter
Category: Safety
- Purchase of supplies and materials needed to modify workspace, entry ways and establish hand washing stations. Conduct a risk assessment of existing chapter facilities and infrastructure.
San Juan Chapter
Category: Education
- Purchase school supplies and hand sanitizer for preschool, elementary, middle and high school students.
About Navajo Transitional Energy Company
Navajo Transitional Energy Company is an autonomous single member limited liability company, organized under the laws of the Navajo Nation, that owns mines in Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The mission of Navajo Transitional Energy Company is to be a reliable, safe producer of coal, while diversifying the Navajo Nation’s energy resources to create economic sustainability for the Nation and the Navajo people. Navajo Transitional Energy Company’s sole shareholder is the Navajo Nation.
Navajo Transitional Energy Company is a recognized leader in safety and reclamation, having been awarded the Sentinels of Safety award from the National Mining Association, the Good Neighbor Award from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and the 2019 Excellence in Reclamation award by the New Mexico Mining Association. For more information about Navajo Transitional Energy Company, visit www.navajo-tec.com.
(Image: Navajo Transitional Energy Company)
