Eagle Butte, S. Dak.-The Cheyenne River Youth Project recently received a $10,000 South Dakota Fund grant from the South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF).

"Our relationship with the South Dakota Community Foundation goes back many years, and it's always been one of mutual respect and friendship," said Julie Garreau, CRYP's executive director. "They've supported us in every aspect of what we do, from building and maintaining our facilities to developing and enhancing our youth programming. We're deeply grateful for this new investment, which will support our food sovereignty initiatives here on the Cheyenne River reservation."

Funds will be used to assist with the purchase of the Keya Café Food Truck, which will enable the Cheyenne River Youth Project to take its restaurant on the road, closer to the population of Eagle Butte and to other communities across the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. The truck will also help with transporting produce grown in CRYP's 2.5-acre, pesticide-free garden, making it readily available for purchase.

"The South Dakota Community Foundation is proud to partner with the Cheyenne River Youth Project and support this entrepreneurial effort," says Ginger Niemann, SDCF program officer. "Not only are they boosting their budget but they are also making healthy produce and meals readily available for a good portion of their community members."

The South Dakota Fund is an unrestricted fund that makes grants in support of culture, economic development, education, health and human services. The SDCF awards grants throughout the year to nonprofits that meet vital and diverse needs across the state. Interested applicants can learn more by visiting https://sdcommunityfoundation.org/for-nonprofits/sd-fund-grants/

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, facilities and projects that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.