Northern Cheyenne Home Renovation

Everyone deserves a safe and healthy home.  Bilford Curley, a respected tribal elder and disabled veteran of the Northern Cheyenne nation struggles every month, and especially during the winter, to pay monthly heating bills so his four grandchildren can sleep in a warm home.  Home energy is a crippling financial burden for low-income Montana households.  On average, households with incomes below the Federal Poverty Level pay 27% of their annual income simply for home energy bills.  

Bilford’s home came to Red Feather Development Group's attention last year.  Red Feather is a nonprofit dedicated to improving housing conditions on US reservations since 1995.   The tribal energy assistance office (LIHEAP) referred Mr. Curley to us for a health and energy audit due to the chronic assistance he receives every year.  The building audit revealed improper ventilation in the attic and crawl spaces and substantial deficiencies in both the air and insulation barriers. Deficiencies that likely contribute significantly to his $500 a month heating bills. 

 With the help of NC Housing Improvement Program, USDA Rural Development, Home Depot, Owens Corning, St. Labre Indian School, Catholic Heart Work Camp, Group Work Camp, and Red Feather donors, we will start a full home renovation in July.  We need your help to buy the materials.   We also need volunteers to help with the labor in July.  If you would like to learn more about volunteering, go to our website:  www.redfeather.org or call our offices in Bozeman, MT at [phone redacted]. 

Thank you for your contribution to such a worthy cause.