After years of providing a robust, respected and much needed program for youths on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota, a funding crisis has arisen for the director of the Cheyenne River Youth Project. Here is what’s happening with the Lakot youths:
The Cheyenne River Youth Project in Eagle Butte, S.D., has announced that one of its primary funders will not be able to give CRYP its annual $70,000 operating grant for the next fiscal year. As a result, the youth project is urgently seeking financial assistance from individual and group donors, former and current volunteers, strategic partners, friends and other supporters as the winter season rapidly approaches.
“We had a cooler, wetter summer than usual in South Dakota, and prevailing wisdom says this is a harbinger of a hard winter – heavy snow, blizzard after blizzard,” commented Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. “While we’re happy to see an easing of the drought conditions we’ve experienced in recent years here on Cheyenne River, we’re apprehensive about the coming season. The recession has decimated our funding sources. We’re facing an enormous shortfall as we go into a season that will bring huge utility bills.”
Garreau noted that, without the $70,000 operating grant, CRYP has zero dollars available to pay its heating, water and electric bills at the Cokata Wiconi Teen Center and The Main Youth Center, which total approximately $6,000 per month.
“On average, we’ve got 40 kids using each youth center daily, and those numbers can spike into the 70s and 80s during the Alternative Spring Break season and the summer months,” she said. “They’re counting on us to be there, but if we don’t find a way to pay these utility bills, we will be forced to close or, at the very least, drastically reduce our service hours. There’s no way around it. We must turn to our supporters to help us in this time of great need.”
If CRYP’s supporters can’t fill the gap, and if the youth project has to close its doors this winter, it will be unable to provide a safe place for children 4 to 12 years old and teens 13 to 18 years old to play, hang out and study after school. It will be unable to provide a daily snack and hot supper to the young children, many of whom rely on the youth project to provide that third meal after the schools provide breakfast and lunch.
CRYP also will be unable to continue special workshops, sporting events, open mic nights and Internet Cafe hours at the teen center. It will be unable to host Main University for the young children and College Night programming for the teens, nor can it pursue the ACT prep course that the staff was hoping to offer for the college-bound.
“It’s really that serious,” Garreau said, urging all friends of the youth project to consider donating to the CRYP Operations Fund as soon as possible.
“If you help us pay our utility bills, you are ensuring that we can keep the lights on and the rooms warm for our local youth during the long winter ahead,” she said. “Any amount will be greatly appreciated. In these challenging economic times, literally every dollar makes a difference.”
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 CRYP’s Web site.
Jodi Rave
