JULIE GARREAU ON "GROUNDWAVES" TONIGHT:
AND YOU CAN JOIN VIA ZOOM OR FACEBOOK LIVE!
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Our executive director, Julie Garreau, will be the featured guest on tonight's episode of "Groundwaves: Rooted Torah/Soaring Music," a weekly online gathering that runs from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Tonight, Julie will join Rabbi Adina Lewittes and Dan Nadel for a discussion about cultivating humility around Thanksgiving, and building bonds between Jewish communities and First Nations communities.
GroundWaves weaves together beautiful music, deep Torah, and transformative wisdom that unfolds over a brief dialogue with someone either within or beyond the Jewish community who has important insights to share. Again, you can catch it at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard time via Zoom or Facebook Live. You won't want to miss this!
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Again, you can catch it at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard time via Zoom or Facebook Live. You won't want to miss this! |
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CRYP SERVES HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES IN ADVANCE OF COVID LOCKDOWN |
Starting today, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has enacted a COVID-19 Shelter in Place order for the city of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, due to rising cases and hospitalizations. The Cheyenne River Youth Project also is closing its buildings to the public for the duration; the tribe anticipates lifting this lockdown on Wednesday, Dec. 2. |
In preparation, CRYP staff worked hard last week to conduct three major curbside distributions for the Cheyenne River community in just three days. First, in collaboration with Partnership with Native Americans (PWNA) and with support from Pierre, South Dakota-based Rilings Produce, the nonprofit youth organization distributed 175 free boxes of fresh, nutritious produce on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Next, in partnership with the CRST Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) office, CRYP staff members served 175 free, home-cooked meals in a drive-thru version of the youth project’s eagerly anticipated “Thanks for Kids” dinner on Thursday, Nov. 19. The meals included turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes, corn, pies, and refreshments.
Finally, on Friday, Nov. 20, CRYP and PWNA joined together to distribute 153 free turkey boxes for the community. Each box included a turkey, turkey gravy, stuffing, corn, cake mix, chips, drinks, lotion, lip balm, healing salve, hygiene kit, dental kit, and cleaning kit.
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According to Dawnee LeBeau, CRYP's deputy director, the team is encouraging local families to take time during the lockdown to renew their Family Services applications online; they also may submit "Dear Santa" letters for all the children in their households online, ensuring that they can participate in the upcoming Wo Otúh'an Wi Toy Drive.
CRYP also extended its discounted membership price. Families can now purchase a Family Services membership for just $25, which covers all members of the household for a full year, and guarantees access to all distributions.
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The youth project's big November distributions follow a busy September and October, during which CRYP was able to provide 244 and 267 families with fresh produce, respectively. Also this fall, the organization served more than 150 meals through its 8th annual Harvest Festival dinner, and it made sure 572 children from 211 families had all the school supplies they needed for the 2020-21 school year.
“We’re grateful to the United Missionary Corporation, the Patrick Church family, and countless individual donors across the country who really stepped up to help us take care of our kids this year,” LeBeau said. “We’ve also found that Family Services has taken on a new importance in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and we can help our kids get through this by making life just a little bit easier for their families and care-givers.
“We extend a heartfelt philámayeye to PWNA and ICWA, who have been vital partners in these distributions, and in reimagining our community meals,” she continued. “We couldn’t have done this without you. We’re also thankful to Rilings Produce for joining with us this fall.”
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IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO SUPPORT WO OTÚH'AN WI! |
In four weeks, Santa Claus will be visiting more than 1,500 children on the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation — and it's not too late to give him a helping hand through our Wo Otúh'an Wi Toy Drive! We have several different ways to help. |
To adopt a child's individual "Dear Santa" letter:
To contribute any of our most-requested gift items:
(Please remember to use AmazonSmile, and designate CRYP as your preferred charity.)
Participate in our annual Star Quilt Raffle:
Purchase tickets here for your chance to win an authentic Lakota star quilt handmade by Cheyenne River Lakota artist Bonnie LeBeaux.
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Make a financial contribution to the toy drive:
Please note: We are asking our donors to send unwrapped packages this year. If you do have extra wrapping supplies, however, please send them along to us! We would greatly appreciate them.
All packages can be shipped to the following address:
Cheyenne River Youth Project
702 4th St.
Eagle Butte, SD 57625
And please remember to fill out the in-kind donation form on our website. Not only does it save time on our end, it will serve as your documentation for a 2020 tax deduction.
Philámayeye.
Thank You! We wouldn't be able to bring Santa Claus to Cheyenne River this year without you.
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DAWN E. LEBEAU JOINS CRYP AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR |
CRYP is pleased to announce that Dawn E. “Dawnee” LeBeau has joined its full-time staff as deputy director. She is responsible for developing CRYP’s strategic plan and budget, overseeing fundraising activities and grants, and providing leadership for all daily operations — including youth programs, social enterprises, community services and events, facilities management, office adminstration, and human resources.
LeBeau said she is proud of CRYP’s ability to offer programming that amplifies indigenous Lakota virtues, language, kinship, and love for traditional lands, communities, and foods. She noted that she particularly enjoys working in many capacities, and increasing her own knowledge of the opportunities the youth project offers Lakota youth.
“The work is fulfilling,” she said. “I enjoy assisting community relatives and all people through generosity, and I love building personal and professional relationships. Each day, I come to work prepared to help community, and I hope that the knowledge I carry will be beneficial in all realms of CRYP.”
According to Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director, LeBeau is already making a difference at the nonprofit, grassroots organization.
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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: LAURE LACHAUD |
My name is Laure Lachaud, and I have been a Cheyenne River Youth Project volunteer for a decade. A little about me: I first served as a long-term volunteer, living on the CRYP campus in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, for 18 months; after that, I became a seasonal volunteer, traveling from my New York home every December to help support the Wo Otúh’an Wi Toy Drive.
For me, Christmastime means CRYP. It means traveling back to my second home on Cheyenne River, and seeing all my friends again. It means weeks of working nonstop, around the clock, in a sea of Christmas carols and toys, making sure 5,000 presents get picked, wrapped, and delivered. It means laughing with friends, eating my weight in baked goods, working 12 hours a day, and seeing the faces of children light up when Santa Claus hands them their presents.
Unfortunately, I cannot make the trip to Eagle Butte this year. I am not exaggerating when I say that having to make this decision was agonizing. I love the Wo Otúh’an Wi Toy Drive. I love the hard work, I love the community, and I love the satisfaction of helping bring Santa to the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation. Realizing that it wasn’t going to happen this holiday season has been devastating. For the first time, I had to weigh the COVID-19 pandemic’s very real safety risks against my heartfelt commitment to CRYP. As much as I would have loved to make the trip, now is not the time. Now is the time to stay home, do everything we can to protect each other, and know that we all will be together again one day.
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WELCOME TO OUR ONLINE KEYA GIFT SHOP |
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CRYP is proud to make select items from the Keya (Turtle) Gift Shop available online, and proceeds benefit the nonprofit organization's youth programming and family services.
By supporting the Keya Gift Shop, you're also supporting local artists and craftspeople; our youth artists, who are learning how their creative passions might translate to possible career opportunities; and our teen interns, who work in our gift shop every day, developing valuable skills in customer service, financial literacy and business management.
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NEW PRODUCTS & GIFT CARDS
Check out the latest additions...
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While our volunteer program is suspended for the duration of the Covid-19 public health crisis, we are continuing to accept applications, and we look forward to welcoming you to our CRYP campus!
If you are interested in applying for our volunteer program, please click here to learn more. And to meet a few of our former volunteers, check out our Volunteer Spotlight.
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There are so many ways to support CRYP and our ongoing mission in the Cheyenne River community. If you wish to make a donation, please click here, and you may earmark your contribution for the program or initiative that resonates most with you.
You'll also learn more about planned giving, CRYP's endowment fund, and GoFundMe fundraising efforts that benefit our organization.
Also, what if CRYP earned a donation every time you searched the Internet or made an online purchase? Click here to learn how you can support our nonprofit, grassroots youth organization through AmazonSmile, Capital One, GoodSearch, and GoodShop. It's easy to set up, and with every purchase, a percentage will benefit CRYP.
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SPONSOR ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES FOR CRYP YOUTH |
CRYP is always looking for sponsors to support art and athletic enrichment activities for our after-school and summer programs. We're deeply grateful for both monetary and in-kind donations; learn more at the link below. You'll also find details about planned giving, our endowment fund, and a GoFundMe fundraising to benefit CRYP.
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CRYP relies on in-kind donations as well as funding to continue our mission in the Cheyenne River community. If you'd like to help, please click here and scroll down to "In Kind Donations," where you'll find links to our Amazon wish list.
You also may contact us at (605) 964-8200 if you'd like a copy of our most up-to-date list, as well as and price quotes for particular needs. Thank you for your support!
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Each month, we host a birthday party for children at The Main whose birthdays fall during that month. To offset the cost of each party, CRYP seeks monthly sponsors to contribute $40 for the birthday cake. Now that we can offer monthly drive-thru parties, we're actively seeking contributions to help support these special occasions for our kids. Please click here, select "The Main" for your gift, and mention "Birthday Cake" in the notes. Philámayeye!
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To learn more about CRYP and its programs, 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 social media.
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The Cheyenne River Youth Project is dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities, ensuring strong, self-sufficient families and communities. Visit us at www.lakotayouth.org
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