This Friday, Jan. 12, the Cheyenne River Youth Project will host a Winter Clothing Distribution at its Eagle Butte campus. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the nonprofit community organization will be distributing winter coats, snow boots and scarves, provided through Alexandria, Virginia-based Running Strong for American Indian Youth; children’s books also will be available.
Members of CRYP’s Family Services program are invited to attend. Heads of households must be present, and any children on their household lists also should attend so they can try on the coats to make sure they fit.
“We encourage all interested community members to come on Jan. 12 and learn more about Family Services,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “You don’t need to be current members. If you purchase a 2018 membership for your family that day, you can get the winter coats and clothing you and your family need.”
The Winter Clothing Distribution is a major component of CRYP’s Family Services Program, created in 2002 to manage the increasing amounts of donated supplies that the youth project provides to local families year-round. To participate in the program, all a local family needs to do is pay a $30 annual membership fee, which covers all of that household’s family members for one year.
“For just $30, a Cheyenne River family can participate in all of our distributions, from our shoes and winter clothing to school supplies and our long-running Christmas Toy Drive,” Garreau explained. “They also can pick up needed household supplies and baby items on a regular basis, and they can participate in our annual heat assistance program during the cold winter and early spring months.”
Those who have current Family Services memberships receive invitations to attend each scheduled distribution. If a family does not have a membership but is interested in obtaining one, they may purchase the membership at a distribution event, stop at the CRYP office during business hours, or simply call (605) 964-8200.
To stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, follow the youth project on Facebook (/LakotaYouth), Twitter (@LakotaYouth) and Instagram (@waniyetuwowapi).
The Cheyenne River Youth Project, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.