In 2011, CRYP Brought Holiday Cheer to Nearly 1,200 Children in 21 Communities across the Cheyenne River Reservation
Just imagine: in December, a busy group of gift-wrapping elves went through 150 rolls of tape and 1.5 miles of gift wrap. They sorted 40 pounds of candy. In a massive Santa’s Workshop, overflowing with toys, games, books, movies, CDs, winter clothing and other goodies, they completed Christmas “shopping” for a child every 3.5 minutes of operations. And, in the end, they provided a joyous holiday for nearly 1,200 children.
The North Pole in a charming Christmas story? Not quite, but close.
These hard-working elves were dedicated volunteers from around the world, who descended on the Cheyenne River Youth Project® in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, for the 23-year-old, not-for-profit organization’s celebrated Christmas Toy Drive. And Santa’s Workshop was a transformed Cokata Wiconi Teen Center, from the gymnasium that warehoused thousands of donated gifts to the lobby/cafe area that served as wrapping central.
This is a gargantuan effort, and the workload is increasing every year for the grassroots youth project, whose small staff depends on an influx of returning volunteers to get the job done.
“We’re reaching more children across the Cheyenne River reservation every year,” explained Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “In 2010, we served about 845 children. Last year, that number grew to 1,061. And this year, we served 1,163 — that includes 975 children and 246 families who submitted ‘Dear Santa’ letters; 85 children through social services, including those living in shelters and foster care; 21 children through a Blackfoot holiday party; and an additional 67 children through Main Youth Center activities and local community outreach.”
Since CRYP ensures that each child receives at least three or four gifts as well as much-needed winter clothing, those stats mean that volunteers sorted, wrapped and distributed more than 5,000 gifts this year. And their reach was staggering; the 2011 Christmas Toy Drive served children in a whopping 21 communities across the remote 2.8-million-acre Cheyenne River reservation.
“Many people think, because we’re located in Eagle Butte, that we only serve children in this community,” Garreau said. “Actually, the Christmas Toy Drive has the largest outreach of any CRYP program in our nearly quarter-century-long history.”
This year’s communities included Bear Creek, Blackfoot, Cherry Creek, Dupree, Eagle Butte, Faith, Fort Yates, Fox Ridge, Habitat, Iron Lightning, Isabel, La Plant, Lantry, On The Trees, Red Scaffold, Ridgeview, Swiftbird, Takini, Thunder Butte, Timber Lake and White Horse.
“We could never accomplish such a large-scale holiday drive without our many supporters,” Garreau said. “We’re deeply grateful to the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux (Dakota) Community, Running Strong for American Indian Youth, the Spirit of Sovereignty/National Indian Gaming Association, the Larson Family Foundation and the Crazy Horse Memorial Christmas Fund for their contributions.
“We’re also very fortunate to have what we call our CRYP ‘branches’ in Missouri and Colorado,” she continued. “These are grassroots organizations as well, each comprising a group of dedicated volunteers who work hard in their respective communities on our behalf. As always, we offer our gratitude to the impressive students at Fairview High School in Boulder, who fulfilled 500 Santa letters this year in their community; and to our friends at the St. Louis Chapter of CRYP and the St. Louis SWAT Team.”
Garreau also said countless Christmas Toy Drive contributions flow into CRYP from individual donors around the country — and even around the world, thanks to the organization’s thriving international volunteer program.
“Our volunteers go home after their terms of service, and they share their experiences and newfound passions with their friends and families,” she explained. “They become our ambassadors, and the assistance they’ve given us over the years has been priceless, from encouraging new volunteers to come to Cheyenne River and rallying support for our fund drives to collecting funds and in-kind donations themselves.”
Many of these volunteers find themselves returning year after year to donate their time and effort to the Christmas Toy Drive. In a recent letter to the reservation’s regional newspapers, this year’s volunteers said they would rather be at CRYP for the holidays than anywhere else.
“This is a chaotic time of year, but we would rather sleep in classrooms and on the library floor than miss a Cheyenne River Christmas,” they wrote. “No matter how crowded it gets, we want to support Julie Garreau and her incredible staff when they need every extra pair of hands they can get. And we want to give back to the community that has welcomed us and taught us so much over the years, because our time here has profoundly changed us… the Cheyenne River Youth Project is an incomparable place of love, hope and joy.”
Staff and volunteers alike say that December’s long days and often sleepless nights are worth it when they see the light shining in the children’s eyes as their families come to Cokata Wiconi to pick up their boxes or as they see Santa and his elves materialize at their front door on Christmas Day. Their parents share their delight; for this one day, their children get to share the same hope and excitement of children everywhere.
“We are truly blessed to have people like you who bring some joy into a child’s life during the Christmas season,” one mother said after the holidays. “Thank you so much for making my little girl’s Christmas magical… (and) thanks again for all you have done and continue to do for the children and families on the Cheyenne River reservation.”
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.