The Cheyenne River Youth Project announced today that it will be distributing supplies for the 2026-27 school year to hundreds of Cheyenne River children on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The annual CRYP School Supplies Distribution is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at CRYP’s Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) teen center.
This annual distribution is a major component of CRYP’s year-round 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 Family Services members will be receiving cards in the mail, inviting them to 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.”
Families can register for a membership online at lakotayouth.org/programs/family-services/membership/. Heads of household also can call the office at (605) 964-8200 or simply stop by during business hours.
CRYP 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, and the current cost-of-living crisis is making the situation even more challenging for reservation communities.
“Our goal is to make this time of year just a little easier for our families,” Widow said. “We also want to let families know that if they can’t attend the Aug. 11 distribution, please contact us so we can arrange a different pickup time prior to the first day of school.”
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.”
Widow also advised that CRYP is encouraging supporters to send extra supplies for middle and high school students this year, as there is a great need for those age groups.
To sponsor a child through CRYP’s 2026 School Supplies Drive, simply visit lakotayouth.org/school-supplies-drive. Here, you can make a secure online donation, or contribute an in-kind donation through Amazon, where CRYP’s specific wish lists itemize the school supplies needed for each set of grades.
All contributions need to be in-house no later than Friday, Aug. 7, so CRYP staff members will have time to organize the supplies and prepare for hundreds of excited children. If supplies arrive after the deadline, however, the youth project will continue to collect and distribute them as needed during the final weeks of summer and the first weeks of the new school year.
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 lakotayouth.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, follow the youth project on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Vimeo and YouTube.
The Cheyenne River Youth Project, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River Sioux 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.