The Christian Children's Fund has been funding community organizations on the Rosebud and Pine Ridge reservations since the 1970s. This year, the charitable group is changing the way it decides how to spend its money in an effort to make it go further.

"The old approach was, we just funded an agency and monitored them," said Deb Swan-Douglas, Northern Plains area manager for the fund. "But now the agency needs to ask the community what it needs."

Based in Rapid City, Swan-Douglas said CCF wants to involve community focus groups before making decisions about what programs to fund through its affiliated agencies.

CCF held one of its first focus group meetings in the safe house at St. Francis on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.

Members of the Rosebud, Parmelee and St. Francis communities gathered recently to discuss what recourses are available for people living on the reservation, and what problems need to be addressed.

"We used to build a budget around what we thought the problems were, and how we thought we could solve them," Swan-Douglas said. "Now we are going to ask the people of the communities what is going on and how can our program assist? We're going to let them decide what needs funding. We're not just going to fund a garden program. It has to come from the community that they want a garden program."

The new focus will bring a more collaborative approach to CCF's funding decisions for its affiliates, including Oyate Networking on the Rosebud.

CCF's affiliates include Indian Health Service and Bureau of Indian Affair programs, as well as Boys and Girls Clubs and various reservation college programs. CCF launched a program in the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in July, where it works in the communities of Eagle Butte, Cherry Creek and LaPlant.

Sharon Swift, project coordinator for Oyate Networking/ Teca Project, runs a safe house from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and until 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday for people under the age of 18 to study, play and work on different projects.

Fourteen adults and 14 youths

gathered there in April to talk about what they think needs to be done.

The children and adults were separated in different rooms and were asked essentially the same question: What is working, and what isn't?

The youth from preschool through high school were assigned to draw maps of their communities and put smiley faces next to areas that were positive, and frowns next to negative areas.

Maggie Little Thunder drew the community of Parmelee. She put smiles next to her home, the basketball court, the store and the church.

"I like the church because we can use it for all of our after-school activities like the learning center, where we can use the computer and have study groups," she said.

Groups at other tables put frowns next to "Wisdom Corner," an area where the homeless and alcoholics tend to gather, in St. Francis, cemeteries and homes where they don't feel safe.

The adults were asked questions: How are women treated in this society? What role does religion play in each community? Is the local government respectful and trustworthy? How do people make money? How can the community address the problem of suicide?

Matthew Little Thunder said this kind of workshop is positive for the communities when addressing hard issues like suicide.

"This is good for communication between the adults and the youth; the parents need to understand what is happening to the youth," Little Thunder said.

One major factor when talking about suicide is the connection between generations, and he said it was good to involve different generations in the discussion.

"It's also important for all these communities to come together," he said. "We all need to work together, the whole rez."

"This event asks the questions 'what do we have to offer our kids in terms of shelter, food, clothing and well-being? And it shows families that there is a place to come where kids can be safe, do homework and get away from drinking and drugging," Swift said.

The children at the safe house have organized a youth group that will soon start talking circles, a community garden, ala-teen meetings, weekly inipi ceremonies and weekend activities like dances and lockouts.

"The kids have told me how easy it is to find activities that are dangerous, but finding something positive to do is harder," she said.

For more information about the safe house, the youth group, Oyate Networking/Teca Project or the sponsor, Christian Children's Fund, call Sharon Swift at 747-2356.

New strategy, new name for Christian Children's Fund

For 70 years, Christian Children's Fund has worked to ease the burden of poverty for children and their families. Now the organization is adopting a new strategy, with a new name.

CCF will continue as ChildFund International. CCF's board of directors approved adoption of the new name at its meeting on April 21. The ChildFund International name will take effect July 1.

"We will begin our next 70 years with a new name - one that unifies us with others who are working for similar outcomes for children - broadening our reach and strengthening our impact to improve conditions for the world's children," said Anne Lynam Goddard, CCF president and CEO.

Before changing its name, CCF studied best practices among child development charities, reviewed its programs on the ground, consulted with experts in child development and child-centered community development and talked to members of its employee and donor family.

This is not the first time CCF has changed its name. CCF was founded in 1938 as China's Children Fund. As its work expanded outside China, the name Christian Children's Fund was adopted.

CCF works in 31 countries and helps more than 15.2 million children and family members. Since its inception, CCF has provided nearly $3 billion in assistance to children and family members, with most funding coming from monthly child sponsorships.

For more information, go to www.ccf

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