5 Gallon Pails Making a World of Difference for Navajo Elders

Utah Diné Bikéyah is a nonprofit whose mission is to “preserve and protect the cultural and natural resources of ancestral Native American lands to benefit and bring healing to people and the Earth.” The organization has several programs that assist Native Americans, including distributing essential items in response to a COVID-19 outbreak that has affected tribespeople across the Southwest.

The Cary Company strives to be more than a supplier; we aim to be a committed partner and advisor and to build a positive relationship with all our customers. When we saw the opportunity to help a community in need, we jumped at the chance. Utah Diné Bikéyah approached us to supply pails for their program that provides supplies to Native Americans, particularly Navajo elders, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We envisioned their logo, a nod to the Bear Ears National Monument, screen printed on our food grade 5-gallon pails and a collaboration was born:

With the help of our Creative Department, we successfully ordered, designed, and shipped the custom printed pails for the organization to help hundreds of families.

Our 5 gallon plastic pails were used to deliver meals to residents, who can then re-use the pails to store their water supply. The pails will provide those affected with a container they can reuse countless times, making it a convenient and environmentally conscious solution. These large reusable containers are particularly crucial during the pandemic as it will reduce trips to wells for fresh water, allowing residents to better shelter in place.

“[W]e have been doing food and protection distributions to thousands of families that are being affected by the virus. About four thousand community members in Utah living on the reservation have no running water at their homes, so they rely on filling up their water at community wells. We came up with the idea to pack our food into buckets as part of the distribution because buckets are really useful…we know people are going to use them for filling up water in their communities every day,” explained Gavin Noyes, Utah Diné Bikéyah’s Technical Advisor.

“Our experience with the Cary Company was a very good one. It was efficient and the product got ordered and printed and delivered extremely fast so we’re very appreciative,” Noyes added.

The Cary Company is honored to have partnered with Utah Diné Bikéyah in supporting indigenous peoples and providing them vital resources during this particularly difficult period. Our donation has helped deliver over 100,000 gallons of water storage capacity to nearly 400 families. Visit the website to learn more about Utah Diné Bikéyah and its mission.