Yesterday on the radio program Glenn discussed one of the 12 communities that the Restoring Love food drive trucks went to, Navajo Nation.
Terra , a member of the Mercury One staff, traveled to New Mexico for the drop off on the reservation and described the poverty she saw as unlike anything she had ever seen. “It was like traveling to another country,” she said.
This is how Terra described her trip out to Navajo Nation:
“There were approximately 500 individuals there waiting to receive food. Pastor Robert gave a blessing. During that time he specifically wanted to thank both your organization, Glenn, and also Mercury One. He said they've not seen this kind of outreach before. The local media came out to cover it and they shared with us that the local media does not come out to the reservation unless there is a shooting or a death. He said that in the 12 years that he has been there on the reservation, he has not seen them come out for anything other than a shooting or a death. So, that was pretty moving.”
You can watch Glenn talk to Terra about her time with the Navajo people yesterday here:
Glenn explained yesterday that Navajo are a very proud and private people. Terra described that the pastor kept encouraging them on was to ask for help if they need it, reach out to your neighbor.
This morning on radio he took a few minutes to give update listeners on the Navajo Nation. Glenn, who had just had another meeting during the break about what happened with the food drop off yesterday, explained that the Navajo Nation is a third world country within our own borders.
“These guys are amazing, just amazing,” he said. “They were so grateful.”
The Navajo’s had explained to the Mercury One crew that the media never covers them unless there has been a death or something else negative.
The stories coming out of the area reminded him a little of Wilmington, a town in Ohio that was ravaged by the recession. Glenn and his team produced a Christmas show in Wilmington in 2010.
“We're going to do something really cool for the Navajo nation. I mean, these, they're still alive. The Windtalkers', the guys who were the code that the Nazis couldn't break, the Japanese couldn't break? Those guys are still alive. Those guys are powerful, strong Americans, and nobody pays attention to them,” Glenn said.
While one food truck has already made a delivery to the area, Glenn announced on radio that Mercury One was sending their second food truck out there now.
“We just didn’t know how bad things were,” Glenn explained.
Despite the hardships in the area, the Mercury One team reported that there was an incredibly positive and uplifting attitude among the members of the community.
Terra explained, "I don't think that I ever realized just how independent that - and proud, like (Glenn) said, the Navajos, especially, are. That was one of the things that the pastor kept encouraging them on was if you need help, ask for it, reach out to your neighbor because they're very private people, also."
