NOVEMBER 17, 2023:
The Cheyenne River Youth Project reported today that, in collaboration with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it distributed 435 boxes of food to families on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation earlier this month. CRYP Family Services members received their boxes on Nov. 9, 2023, and members of the general public received theirs on Nov. 10.
“This was so much more than a holiday meal,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “Each box contained ingredients worth more than $250. One of our elders told us this food will help her get through the winter.”
Each family received items such as a whole turkey; ground beef, beef roast, and sliced ham; canned green beans, corn, spaghetti sauce, and pork-and-beans; fresh and instant potatoes, spaghetti noodles, stuffing mix, and rice; fresh squash, carrots and onions; canned pumpkin and cranberry sauce; cheddar cheese; white flour; brown, granulated, and powdered sugar; vegetable oil; butter; salt, black pepper, and cinnamon; hot cocoa, and powdered milk. The distribution also included household items such as plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
President Kevin White Bull of the Church of Jesus Christ’s Eagle Butte Branch expressed his gratitude for the November distribution. His wife, Sister Merrie White Bull, agreed; she is a Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council representative, and she has been a CRYP supporter since the youth project opened its doors in 1988.
“Everyone benefits from the services CRYP provides,” she explained. “Julie is compassionate and has a big heart. We are really proud the church has opened up a partnership with Julie to get food out to the people. The people appreciate it so much. CRYP is a wonderful program.”
“Julie and the Cheyenne River Youth Project are making a difference in the lives of young people and families in the Cheyenne River community,” said Stake President Steve Osmond, from the Bismarck North Dakota Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ. “They help them connect with each other and have life experiences that lift and empower them, and help them move toward a more vibrant and secure future.
“They are dedicated to the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellness of their participants,” he continued. “We are happy to support this work with a donation of quality food, specifically packaged to meet the needs of the community.”
The Church of Jesus Christ is known for its humanitarian efforts worldwide, including immunization, disease control, vision, clean water, education, and wheelchair initiatives. Church farms throughout North America produce crops and livestock, and after processing, food is shipped from a central storehouse in Salt Lake City, Utah, to nonprofit organizations across the continent.
The church has restructured its humanitarian department in the last few years to better localize its efforts. This restructuring has allowed it to find and partner with grassroots nonprofit organizations like CRYP.
.
NOVEMBER 3, 2023:
In collaboration with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Cheyenne River Youth Project will be distributing free food and household items to families on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation next week.
Members of CRYP’s Family Services program will be served on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, and then the nonprofit youth project will open the distribution to the general public on Friday, Nov. 10.
Each box will contain a variety of items, such as a whole turkey; ground beef, beef roast, and sliced ham; eggs; canned green beans, corn, spaghetti sauce, and pork-and-beans; instant potatoes, spaghetti noodles, stuffing mix, and rice; fresh carrots and onions; canned pumpkin and cranberry sauce; cheddar cheese; white flour; brown, granulated, and powdered sugar; vegetable oil; butter; salt, black pepper, and cinnamon; hot cocoa, and powdered milk. Household items will include plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
According to Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director, the Church of Jesus Christ has become an important partner for the youth project. Their collaboration provided approximately 75,000 pounds of food for the local community in early 2022, and their food distribution last fall served 300 families on the Cheyenne River reservation.
“We are so grateful to the Church of Jesus Christ for all their support,” Garreau said. “Their hard work and generosity allow us to give our families everything they need to create hearty, delicious, seasonal meals that will bring generations together.
“We’re approaching the sacred winter solstice, so for us as Lakota people, it’s the season for going inward to enjoy warmth, nourishment, and the richness of our tiospaye (extended family),” she continued. “Many of our Cheyenne River families don’t have room in their budgets for these types of food purchases, and too often, they must go without. A food distribution like this means they will be able to enjoy this special time of year just like families all across America.”
In the last four years, the Church of Jesus Christ has restructured its humanitarian department to better localize its efforts, according to Kimberly Austin, who works in field operations. As she explained, the church wants to “find the CRYPs of the world” and partner with established nonprofit organizations that are already experiencing success in their communities.
At its headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Church of Jesus Christ operates a large central storehouse. Food arrives here from church farms throughout North America, each of which produces crops or livestock that thrive that particular climate. After processing, the food is shipped to nonprofit organizations across the continent.
“We want to try to help our neighbors who are doing really good things,” Austin said in a 2022 interview. “Our belief is all about finding and serving the one; every human is precious and worthy of love and a chance to succeed.
“This is exactly what CRYP does,” she added. “It embraces the one, which ultimately will affect generations and nations. I’m so blessed and grateful to build a lifelong friendship with Julie and the staff at CRYP.”
Comments