Volunteer Hall of Fame

Dear Potential CRYP Volunteers,

My name is Gabrielle (Gabi) Berlinger and I’m 22 years old now and I am originally from New York City – an exciting environment in which to grow up, but also a place that fueled the desire to take a break every so often and find quieter, more natural surroundings. I was luck to satisfy this need during the two summers that I spent volunteering for the Cheyenne River Youth Project^®.

When I first traveled out to Eagle Butte in the summer of 1998, I could not have imagined what those two months would hold. Working with the kids from Cheyenne River was an incredible experience where I not only learned about children, but also about life on the reservation, about Lakota culture and traditions, and about how equally important and rewarding it is to provide the support system that the Cheyenne River Youth Project^® does for the Eagle Butte community. Though my time there was mostly devoted to activities with the kids, I could not have expected that living in a trailer house with 6 other volunteers, taking daily trips to Dairy Queen as the evening thrill, or dressing up in furry animal suits to fundraise on Main Street would have added any more fun to the experience, but they all did. It was an amazing summer for me in educational, cultural and social respects.

For those reasons, I returned to volunteer again during the summer of 2001, planning to stay for two months but extending my visit a few more weeks when I didn’t want to leave. My volunteering experiences at CRYP stand out as formative times for me having deeply impressed the worth of such needed and valued work. The children, volunteers and community members whom I met there do not fade from memory because they shared with me their strength, independence, resilience and humor. I think of them often and hope to visit soon again.

My experience is just one of many, and I encourage you to read the stories of other volunteers with CRYP (listed below). If you want to know more about my experience, feel free to contact me at info@lakotayouth.org.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Gabi

Volunteer Hall of Fame

Dear Potential CRYP Volunteers,

Other Volunteer Stories