AUGUST 29, 2024:
The Cheyenne River Youth Project announced today that it provided boxes of fresh produce to 330 families and school supplies to 612 children through large-scale distributions last week at the Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) teen center. The well-attended events were held Aug. 14 and Aug. 16, 2024, respectively.
“We understand that distributions like these don’t change the big picture, but they bring goodness to a community and provide some relief,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s chief executive officer. “I am so proud of the CRYP team and our volunteers.”
The summer produce distribution was held in collaboration with Partnership with Native Americans (PWNA) and Pierre, South Dakota-based Rilling Produce. Each box included a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, including potatoes, corn, cantaloupe, plus, peaches, cucumbers, radishes and watermelon; according to CRYP Arts Manager Wakinyan Chief, local families were thrilled to have access to these foods.
“Everyone was smiling, and we received thanks from every family,” Chief said. “To be able to give people access to nutritious, delicious, fresh food feels incredibly good to all of us who had the honor of serving our relatives last week.
“Although it is not a permanent solution to the food insecurity we all experience on reservations across the country, it definitely provides some relief,” he continued. “It also raises awareness about the importance of supporting this work, which is dedicated to achieving food sovereignty for Native nations.”
The families’ youngest members also were excited about the fresh foods in the produce boxes. Danielle Reynolds, one of CRYP’s programs assistants, said she won’t forget the reaction of one little boy.
“He grabbed a cantaloupe from me and exclaimed, ‘Cantaloupe! We never get cantaloupe!’” she recalled.
Two days later, the Cheyenne River community turned out in full force a second time for CRYP’s annual school supplies distribution. Approximately 130 families visited Cokata Wiconi between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to pick up school supplies for their children.
CRYP has continued to provide school supplies to families who were unable to attend the Aug. 16 distribution. The youth project also provided boxes of supplies to Cheyenne-Eagle Butte, Takini and Tiospaye Topa schools, serving hundreds of additional children.
According to CRYP Programs Director Jerica Widow, the school supplies distribution is an important program for the nearly 36-year-old youth project, as it benefits children living in all 20 communities on the remote, 2.8-million-acre Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, which is the size of Connecticut. The only other program with a similar reach is the annual Wo Otúh’an Wi Toy Drive.
“This is why our Family Services program is special to us, and vital to our communities,” she explained. “Our parents, grandparents and other care-givers often cannot travel to Pierre or Rapid City to go shopping, even if they would have room in the household budget to do so. Offering programs like the school supplies distribution and the toy drive makes life a little easier for them, which in turn supports our children.”
At this year’s school supplies distribution, children were able to choose backpacks, protractors, compasses, calculators, pencils, pens, crayons, writing tablets, folders, scissors, erasers, glue sticks, rulers and so much more. And, like children everywhere, they were able to experience the joy and excitement of preparing for the first day of the 2024-25 school year.
“We are deeply grateful to the United Methodist Committee on Relief, the Oklahoma Indian Methodist Conference, and all of the generous individual donors across the country who made this year’s school supplies distribution possible,” Widow said. “We couldn’t serve so many hundreds of families without your friendship and support.”
CRYP created Family Services in 2002 to manage the increasing amounts of donated supplies it was receiving throughout the year. To participate, all local families need to do is pay the annual membership fee of $30. That small, one-time payment covers all household members for the entire year, and proceeds support the program infrastructure so Family Services can remain a reliable community resource for years to come.
Produce and school supplies distributions are major components of Family Services. The program also provides access to shoes, winter clothing, household supplies, baby items and holiday gifts.
To learn more about the Cheyenne River Youth Project and its programs, and for information about making donations and volunteering, call (605) 964-8200 or visit www.lakotayouth.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, follow the youth project on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Courtesy photo.
Courtesy photo.
Courtesy photo.
Courtesy photo.
Courtesy photo.
Courtesy photo.
AUGUST 14, 2024:
The Cheyenne River Youth Project will be distributing supplies for the 2024-25 school year to hundreds of Cheyenne River children on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. The annual School Supplies Distribution is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at CRYP’s Čhokáta Wičhóni (Center of Life) teen center.
CRYP’s annual School Supplies Drive is a major component of its Family Services program. To participate in the long-running program, all a local family needs to do is pay a $30 annual membership fee, which covers all family members for the year and provides access to school supplies, shoes, winter clothing, household supplies, baby items, and holiday gifts.
“All members of our Family Services program will be receiving cards in the mail for the August distribution,” said Jerica Widow, CRYP’s programs director. “To receive school supplies, families must bring their children with them, along with their Family Services card. If you don’t have a current membership but would like to obtain one so your family can participate, just call our office at (605) 964-8200.”
The grassroots, nonprofit youth organization has been providing school supplies to children ages 4-18 for decades. Many Lakota families on the Cheyenne River reservation simply don’t have the room in their household budgets to purchase school supplies each year for their children.
“We want to provide support to those families so they can fulfill this critical need,” Widow said. “We also want to let families know that if they can’t attend the distribution on Aug. 16, please contact us, and we can arrange a different pickup time.”
In a typical year, CRYP serves more than 500 schoolchildren through the School Supplies Distribution. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of partners and friends across the country, Widow said.
“We’ve built supplies lists for kindergarten through second grade, third through fifth grade, sixth through eighth grade, and ninth through 12th grade,” she said. “You can sponsor a child at one of these levels, and we’ll handle all the shopping and the distribution. If you’d like to contribute a backpack as well, an additional $30 will allow us to incorporate that.”
To sponsor a child through CRYP’s 2023 School Supplies Drive, simply visit lakotayouth.org/school-
Comments