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, 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.
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.
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.