On a corner of the Navajo reservation 100 miles west of Albuquerque, roughly 30 percent of families don’t have running water, one of the highest concentrations of water-poor homes in the United States. With no indoor plumbing, some drive more than 100 miles to get water at the St. Bonaventure Indian Mission. As daunting as the journey is, the alternative—living without water—is far worse.

For many on the reservation, Darlene Arviso has become a beacon of hope: A school-bus driver, she delivers water in her big yellow tanker to more than 250 families daily across 75 miles of unpaved road.

Thousands of TakePart’s supporters were so moved by Darlene’s story that they shared their messages of support. With the help of Dig Deep, a nonprofit working to increase the Navajo’s access to clean water, 3,000 notes of hope and thanks were delivered to Darlene. The video above shows just how surprised she was by the messages, which revealed that thousands of readers worldwide appreciate her hard work.

The struggle for freshwater continues. Thanks to a brutal drought and decades of uranium mining on Navajo land, water on the reservation is scarce, and families have drastically cut back their daily water intake. To put this in perspective, on the reservation residents drink, cook, and clean with an average of seven gallons a day; the average American uses 100 gallons of water daily.

Want to help? Share a message of support with Darlene below, or donate to support Dig Deep’s projects on the Navajo reservation.