Tree of Life Ministry is a multi-denominational, cross-cultural mission and relief agency located on the Rosebud Reservation in Mission, South Dakota.  The Dakotas Conference provides leadership, volunteers and financial support to Tree of Life Ministry.

Every day hundreds are served a warm meal at the Warm Welcome. Guests pay $1 to receive a box of food items, shop at the counter for household and hygiene items and enjoy a home cooked lunch. Photo: Two guests at the Warm Welcome enjoy a nutritious meal and conversation.

A few blocks away from the Warm Welcome is the Tree of Life Boutique. Shoppers can find clothing and small household items for a very small fee.  Next door is the shop and warehouse for the construction ministry. Residents of the Rosebud Reservation can apply to have repairs made to homes and community buildings.

All of this happens through volunteers and donations. Each year over 1,000 United Methodist volunteers from across the United States come to meet and serve the Lakota and Dakota people, bringing assistance to the poorest racial group of people in the nation.

Historical look

The Lakota in South Dakota are the poorest racial group in the United States. They are forced to live in unhealthy dwellings, which is coupled with acute poverty marked by 80% unemployment. The people lack access to a proper diet, suffer from high alcoholism rates and suicide rates as high as eight times the national average.

In 1985, Tree of Life Ministry was created to provide free repairs to the homes of impoverished families. This ministry has grown from repairing three homes to 50 homes each summer.

The ministry added a food pantry so that no child would go to bed hungry. The meal program developed into a food pantry that grew from assisting 25 families a week to 1,000 families each week. Photo: A guest at the Warm Welcome prepares to enjoy a warm, home-cooked meal.

The Tree of Life Boutique was created to provide a place where residents of the Rosebud Reservation could shop for clothing, shoes and household items at very reasonable prices.  There are 50 to 200 shoppers at the Boutique each day.

The ministry also participates with the tribe in special programs, such as remedial reading, dental-care, eyeglasses program, nurse-care, suicide prevention and alcohol recovery.

Tree of Life Ministry has worked hard to overcome the negative attitudes held between both cultures, and has become a respected Christian voice among the Lakota people. Volunteers who come to Tree of Life learn about and experience the Lakota culture.

Volunteers-in-Mission come from all around the United States. Seven different universities also offer Tree of Life as an alternative Spring Break, or for cultural sensitivity training.

Giving Tuesday

On December 1, 2015, United Methodists will join hands to support the work of Advance projects and missionaries to transform lives on UMC #GivingTuesday. Every gift made online through The Advance at www.umcmission.org/give on Dec. 1, 2015 will be matched up to $1 million. The Dakotas Conference is home to three Advance projects:  Tree of Life Ministry, Katie Peterson, GBOM church and community worker, and Solar Oven Partners.

Linda Garriot was recently selected as the Dirctor of Tree of Life. Garriot said, "We ask that you continue to pray for us at Tree of Life. Invite us to your congretations so we can have an opportunity to share, an opportunity to give, because you cannot out-give God. I want to bless you with blessings, that is to give to those that are in need."

Tree of Life Ministry from Dakotas UMC on Vimeo.