Each year, volunteers from around the country, and around the world, converge on the Cheyenne River Youth Project® campus in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, to support the annual Christmas Toy Drive. Each year, CRYP seeks to bring Christmas joy and magic to 1,500 children in 20 communities on the remote, 2.8-million-acre Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation.
This year, the volunteer corps will be larger than usual, thanks to Lyft, a San Francisco-based company whose culture celebrates altruism, community and family.
Lyft is a peer-to-peer ridesharing app that connects nearby drivers with passengers who are in need of a friendly, affordable ride. Co-founded in June 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer, Lyft is the fastest-growing rideshare company in the United States. Available in 150 cities, Lyft is preferred by drivers and passengers for its safe and friendly experience, and its commitment to bringing about positive change for the future of America’s cities.
Roughly a dozen Lyft drivers are making plans to travel from around the country to volunteer their time with CRYP. Chicago-based driver Carlos Correa, his wife, Arlene, and their three teenage daughters will make the trip for the second consecutive year. New volunteers include Moraga, California-based Marcus Weemes, and Jane LeBoeuf from Providence, Rhode Island, who will be bringing her father.
Corporate employees are planning to volunteer, too. Already confirmed is Laura Copeland, who leads Lyft’s driver communications department. She is the face of Lyft for the drivers; she also is a familiar face in Eagle Butte. Copeland first volunteered for the 27-year-old, not-for-profit youth project in summer 2009, and she returned for the holidays that year to assist with the Christmas Toy Drive.
“I’ve only missed one since then, so that’s five toy drives for me,” she said. “I’m humbled to see so many Lyft drivers volunteering to donate their holiday vacation time to serve Lakota children in a place very far from home, but I’m honestly not surprised. Lyft drivers are naturally very altruistic, and many of them have day jobs serving others. Marcus is the director of student housing for a university, and Jane has a background in hospitality and tourism. It’s in their nature to make people’s days.”
Copeland noted that, in Silicon Valley, it’s uncommon to find many people who know much about contemporary native communities and modern-day reservations. And too often, the public is bogged down with stereotypes.
“I’m lucky to work for a company that supports CRYP’s efforts to empower the Lakota people,” she said. “Most people don’t know that John Zimmer, Lyft’s cofounder, volunteered on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The Lakota community is very closely knit, and ridesharing is common there.”
According to Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director, the youth project’s staff and volunteers are thrilled that so many Lyft drivers and family members will to make the journey to Eagle Butte in December.
“They’re giving up time at home, and their traditional family celebrations, so they can be with us and help bring Christmas to hundreds of kids here on Cheyenne River,” she said. “It’s a big deal, and we’re deeply grateful that the Lyft family chose to embrace our community. They honor us.”
To learn more about Lyft, visit www.lyft.com. For information about the CRYP Christmas Toy Drive, check out our video and click here to find out how you can help.
To stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, follow the youth project on Facebook (/LakotaYouth), Twitter (@LakotaYouth) and Instagram (@waniyetuwowapi). And follow the hashtag #lyftcheyenneriver on social media in the weeks to come!
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.