Cheyenne River Youth Project welcomes Illinois volunteers

Wednesday, May 4, 2011  

The Cheyenne River Youth Project in South Dakota recently hosted a group of young volunteers from Illinois.

Ten teens from the Youth Crossroads spent seven days on the reservation. They helped out at two Cheyenne River Youth Project centers, learned about tribal culture and bonded with their counterparts.

"I learned that we had more similarities than differences," Cindy Camacho, 16, told The Chicago Tribune. "They listen to a lot of the same music we do. They like basketball, sports and board games."

More than 45 percent of the population on the reservation is under 18. Young people there deal with high rates of suicide, poverty, substance abuse, diabetes and obesity.

Get the Story:
Youths from Berwyn, Cicero take service trip to reservation (The Chicago Tribune 5/4)