CRYP will be hosting free vision clinics and children’s tea parties on Monday, July 30 and Tuesday, July 31 at the CRYP campus in Eagle Butte. New Providence, Pennsylvania-based We’re All God’s Children will be conducting both activities.
Four of CRYP’s teen interns will be assisting the vision team during the clinics, which are scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day in Cokata Wiconi’s Morgan Yellowhead Gymnasium. When We’re All God’s Children arrives, they will provide training so the teens can help to match community members with the correct eyewear.
“We’re honored to have We’re All God’s Children with us, providing this important service in our community,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “We’re also grateful that they’re willing to give our teen interns valuable work experience. The interns need to arrive on time, follow directions, have patience, be friendly and serve others with a smile—all valuable skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.”
The vision clinics are intended to determine the need for corrective eyewear, not to treat diseases of the eye. With the support of the Lions Club, We’re All God’s Children is providing 2,000 pairs of used eyeglasses that have been cleaned and measured. Rather than grinding new lenses, the team will match the strength of in-stock glasses to a particular client’s needs. They’ll also bring reading glasses for those over age 40 who have trouble reading small print.
Clients won’t be able to choose their frames, but they will receive the eyewear they need free of charge. If the correct glasses are not on site, a client will receive a prescription to be filled locally. And, while the team will be testing children of all ages, they cannot provide glasses to children under the age of 6. If they determine that a child needs corrective lenses, they’ll alert the parents or guardians that they must take the child to an optometrist for evaluation.
In addition, as a special treat for CRYP’s youngest youth participants, We’re All God’s Children also will be hosting two tea parties for 4- to 12-year-olds at The Main. They will take place during youth center’s open hours, 3-7 p.m., on July 30 and 31.
“The idea is to guide the children through a formal dining experience, sharing lessons in table manners and social etiquette,” said Jerica Widow, CRYP’s youth programs director. “And, as usual, children attending The Main on those days also will enjoy their wellness-hour activities and supper.”
For more details, contact CRYP’s main office at (605) 964-8200.
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 (/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.