More than 30 years ago, it was becoming increasingly clear to Toni Lodge and other concerned parents, neighbors and friends that someone needed to step in to help change the story for Native American kids in Spokane. 

"We just were tired of people saying Native kids have the most suicide, most dropouts, most everything," Lodge says. "We were like, 'OK, well we'll just figure out a way to be part of the solution.'"

The group cobbled together $100, and someone donated a Ford Pinto to be auctioned off. With that little bit of seed money, the group incorporated and started an Indian Youth Leadership Program that would serve as the core mission of the NATIVE Project.

From there, things escalated quickly, Lodge says. Kids participating in the program wanted their non-Native friends to join. Then it became clear some of the youth needed mental health and substance abuse treatment. Then their families needed treatment, too.

To read the full article, written by Samantha Wohlfeil, click HERE