The start of the new school year may still be a few weeks away, but already the staff and volunteers at the Cheyenne River Youth Project® in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, are hard at work on the 2013 School Supplies Drive. The grassroots, not-for-profit youth organization will distribute school supplies to community schoolchildren at the Cokata Wiconi Teen Center prior to Labor Day weekend.
“The first day of school is just a distant prospect for kids who are still enjoying their summer vacation, but for us, it’s right around the corner,” said April Bachman, CRYP’s finance manager. “We need time to gather all the donated supplies, purchase additional items with contributed funds and then host the actual distribution.”
“We also need time to distribute supplies to children who won’t be able to make it on the distribution day itself,” she added. “We want to accommodate kids who might be out of town with their families, and we have to address the needs of any families who have just moved into our area and may not be aware of the distribution.”
CRYP’s annual School Supplies Drive is a key part of its Family Services Program, created in 2002 to manage the increasing amounts of donated supplies that the youth project provides to local families year-round. To participate in the program, all local families need to do is pay a $30 annual membership fee. The one-time payment covers all family members for the year.
“For that $30, a Cheyenne River family can participate in all of our Family Services distributions, from the school supplies, winter clothing and shoes drives to our long-running Christmas Toy Drive,” Bachman explained. “They also can pick up needed household supplies, including baby items, on a regular basis and can receive heating and home-improvement assistance.”
Surveys have shown that most member households use Family Services once per quarter, although a sizable group does come in once per month. Within the last few years, most households have participated in the organized distributions — including the School Supplies Drive.
Those who have current Family Services memberships will receive invitations for their children to attend the School Supplies Drive distribution in late August. If a family does not have a membership but is interested in obtaining one, simply call the CRYP administrative office at (605) 964-8200. All children must have invitations to receive their new school supplies.
In 2012, 539 children on the Cheyenne River reservation picked up their much-needed supplies at the scheduled August distribution, and in the days and weeks to follow, at CRYP’s Cokata Wiconi teen center.
“We’re looking forward to that again this year, because the kids get excited about planning for their new school year,” Bachman said. “But again, if some kids can’t make it or are new to our community, we make sure we have plenty of the items that we feel will be most important, and we’ll be distributing them throughout late August.
“The goal of our Family Services program is to make life a bit easier for our kids by helping their family members,” she continued. “Many families simply don’t have room in their tight budgets to purchase school supplies, so we want to do our part to help their children be ready for the first day of school. They should enjoy the same excitement and anticipation as kids anywhere.”
To operate its Family Services Program, CRYP relies on a variety of important contributors. Critical donors include organizational partners, church groups, service groups and private individuals.
“We wouldn’t be able to provide school supplies to so many children here on Cheyenne River without the support of our friends and supporters around the country, and even around the world,” Bachman said. “We know we’re going to have 500 or 600 children show up, hoping to receive everything they need to start the year off right, and we need to ready for them. They rely on us.”
To support the 2013 School Supplies drive, please send in-kind donations: backpacks for grades 1-12, protractors, compasses, calculators, mechanical pencils, writing tablets for preschoolers and kindergartners, regular and colored pencils, crayons, markers, folders, pencil cases, notebook paper, kid-friendly scissors, erasers, glue sticks, pencils, pens and rulers. Fat crayons and fat pencils also would be greatly appreciated for our younger schoolchildren.
Contributors also may send funds, which the staff will use to purchase any additional items needed.
“We’re asking our supporters to please send their contributions no later than Thursday, August 15,” Bachman said. “We need time to organize the supplies and get ready for all those eager kids!”
In-kind donations and checks may be sent to: Cheyenne River Youth Project, East Lincoln St., P.O. Box 410, Eagle Butte, SD 57625. To donate online, simply visit www.lakotayouth.org and click “Help 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, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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.