All CRYP Fund-Drive Contributions Will Double This Year, Through $75,000 Matching Grant
EAGLE BUTTE, SD (February 27, 2012) — Last fall, the Cheyenne River Youth Project® kicked off a special fund drive called “Keep The Lights On.” After two years of declining contributions due to the Great Recession, CRYP launched the drive to raise funds for routine daily expenses that grants typically do not cover — including electricity, heat and water.
Now, that fund drive is about to enter a dramatic second phase, thanks to the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux (Dakota) Community in Minnesota. The Shakopee community has provided a $25,000 grant to support CRYP operations; in addition, it has pledged an additional $75,000 through a matching grant. It will match all contributions from charitable sources, foundations, other tribes and individuals up to that amount.
“To say that we’re thrilled with the Shakopee community’s generous support is an enormous understatement,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “Like many not-for-profits, we’ve seen contributions and support erode over the last couple of years. Our income has dropped significantly; as a result, we’ve made a number of difficult decisions to reduce our overhead while maintaining our programs and services.
“After those reductions, however, we were forced to look at reducing open hours for our kids, and that was unacceptable,” she continued. “Our young children and teenagers depend on us to be open after school and on Saturdays. For so many of them, the meals they have at school and the healthy snacks and evening meals we provide are their only reliable sources of food. Plus, we provide a positive, safe environment for studying, socializing and participating in sports and other wellness activities. That’s good for our kids and for the Cheyenne River community, so we knew we had to do everything we could to keep the lights on.”
According to Garreau, the Shakopee community’s contribution has come at the perfect time. It is a critical stop-gap, allowing CRYP to continue funding youth programming supplies, meals and snacks; utilities such as electricity and heat; and ongoing maintenance at the 4,224-square-foot Main Youth Center and 26,000-square-foot Cokata Wiconi Teen Center. It also will help provide for the 23-year-old youth project’s remaining staff, which is at the minimum level required to run the East Lincoln Street campus.
“We want to assure the Shakopee community, and the rest of our supporters, that this emergency stop-gap is a short-term solution,” Garreau said. “We have developed a long-term plan to ensure budget stability in these turbulent economic times. We’ve been a major force for young people on the Cheyenne River reservation for nearly a quarter century; diversifying our funding base and creating new financial goals will ensure that we’ll be here for future generations as well.”
To that end, CRYP has added a development director, Kellie Jewett, to its staff through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention. Jewett is researching and reaching out to not-for-profit organizations and foundations with which CRYP has not had a previous relationship, and the organization will be applying for additional long-term government grants.
In addition, CRYP has been experimenting with a few for-profit ventures as part of its sustainable systems initiative. These include a gift shop, which sells hand-crafted items from Cheyenne River’s young people and local artisans, as well as items from the 2-acre, naturally grown Winyan Toka Win Garden; the Keya Cafe, through which the youth learn valuable business and service skills; and rental fees for the use of CRYP facilities. Such rentals allow local and regional groups to enjoy amenities such as a computer lab, a classroom, a dance studio, an Internet cafe, a commercial kitchen and a full-size gymnasium.
“We’re encouraging all of our friends and supporters to make a contribution to CRYP in the coming weeks, as they will see their donation doubled through the Shakopee community’s generous support,” Garreau said. “Together, we can weather the remainder of this storm and enter a new and exciting phase in the life of our grassroots community organization.”
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, visit the youth project’s Facebook “Cause” page. All Cause members will receive regular updates through Facebook.
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.