Black Hills Community Bank is encouraging its employees to support local non-profit organizations! On Wednesday, July 13, Leslie Rodriguez, a Credit Analyst from Black Hills Community Bank, donated $1,000 to Youth & Family Services Girls Inc. of Rapid City through the bank’s Pass It On program. Under the bank’s Pass It On program, qualifying employees are awarded $1,000 to contribute to a local Black Hills community non-profit organization. The bank’s employees become ambassadors for the bank with their gift. Since Pass It On was originated in 2010, more than $114,000 has been donated by Community Bankers. This is the second year in a row that Leslie has chosen to donate her Pass It On funds to YFS Girls Inc. “I originally thought of Girls Inc. because my daughter goes there. It’s just an awesome program and my daughter really loves it. I thought it would be nice to be able to support the other girls who attend the program,” stated Leslie. Leslie has also supported Youth & Family Services through volunteerism.

During the past month, boys, ages 5-17, enrolled in YFS’ Boys Health Program have been focusing on conservation by participating in a fun, hands-on program called Creek Freaks! The Creek Freak curriculum encourages kids to venture outside to explore local streams and learn how healthy trees, shrubs, and grasses protect clean water and wildlife. The program also helps inspire youth to become more conscious and considerate of nature within their local communities. The Boys Health Program members began their Creek Freak adventure by discussing the main source of natural water in the Rapid City area, Rapid Creek. The big question the boys focused on answering was if the water that flowed from the lakes through Rapid Creek is clean enough to drink. To try and answer this question, the boys studied the water in a variety of locations, beginning at Pactola Reservoir and ending near Sioux Park in Rapid City. The boys and their guides waded into the water and used screens to collect samples from the creek bed. On more than one occasion, the boys found invertebrates! In addition, they collected soil samples and made notes on the nearby vegetation in each location. Once specimens had been collected, the boys were given the opportunity to run their own tests. With the help of their guides, the boys were able to examine the water’s metal content and check the pH levels of the water. Based on the outcomes of their tests, the boys’ hypothesized that the water could be clean enough to drink near their starting point, but undrinkable throughout the rest of the creek. Boys Health Program Advocate, Corey Kennedy stated, “Everyone involved with the project, from the boys to the facilitators, really enjoyed this experience. This project was a successful way to get our boys active outdoors while having fun and participating in educational programming. We support conservation and our fabulous Black Hills area and look forward to many more outdoor projects in the future.”    

On Friday, August 19, 15 boys enrolled in YFS’ Boys Health Program participated in a biking and camping trip on along the Mickelson Trail. “We filled our vehicles and trailers to capacity with bikes and tents,” stated Corey Kennedy, YFS Boys Health Program Advocate. The group’s journey began in Hill City. Although the day started out cool and rainy, the group rallied together and decided that they wouldn’t be delayed or detoured from their adventure. “We dropped of our camping gear and coolers at our desired camp site in Hill City and drove the lot and the bikes to Rochford to start the biking adventure,” Kennedy stated. As the group drove through the hills, the rain started to dissipate and the road began to dry up. “The great news was we could ride in the dry, cool weather without fear of exhaustion from heat.” The boys were full of anticipation and eagerness as the group began their trip. “The boys were all every excited since they’d never done anything like this before. Most of them had never even been to the Mickelson trail before.” As the boys, along with their advocates and supervisors, made their way along the trails, they were able to enjoy the majesty of the Black Hills. “The boys took all the sites in during the ride. They were so excited to see the different tunnels, bridges, animals, and views.” “We mastered the mechanical difficulty, physical fitness, and the cold outdoors to arrive at our camp site six hours later.” After the ride, the boys reveled in stories of what they had accomplished while the adults grilled hamburgers. “Camping was an added bonus to the end of the day, but the bike ride was the stuff of legends for these boys and I imagine it will be for the rest of their lives.”          

Since 1965, Youth & Family Services (YFS) has provided high-quality programming and services to children and families in western South Dakota, due in large part to employees who are committed to professional excellence. This past Friday, September 30, YFS recognized Judy Burgess as she retired from the agency after more than 30 years of service. Judy Burgess started her career as Executive Administrative Assistant at Youth & Family Services in February of 1986. For three decades, Judy has worked hand-in-hand with YFS’ Chief Executive Officer, its Senior Administration, the agency’s board members, and other staff to help improve the lives of children and families in her community. While Judy has been instrumental in the development of several signature YFS events, she is most notably famous for providing her melt-in-your-mouth cookie recipe to YFS and helping the agency start its Valentine Cookie Project in 1998. The idea for the cookie project came as a way to provide YFS’ major contributors with a homemade, heartfelt thank you. Now every February, YFS uses Judy’s original sugar cookie recipe to bake, frost, and deliver more than 800 dozen cookies to its major donors. Judy still personally oversees the frosting and packaging of the cookies with her ever watchful eye. Susan Fedell, YFS’ Chief Executive Officer, says it has always been a joy to be around Judy and work with her. “Judy is a special woman who has committed more than 30 years to providing children, especially girls, with opportunities that help them reach their full potential and inspire them to dream beyond what they thought possible. We thank Judy for her dedication, enthusiasm, and giving spirit, and congratulate her as she enters the next phase of her life.” Although Judy will be retiring from her position at YFS on September 30, 2016, she will still play an important role within the agency as our goodwill ambassador, pastry chef, and volunteer. “We cherish Judy and look forward to working with her as she continues to support the YFS mission through her work on special event committees and other volunteer efforts,” Fedell stated.

On Wednesday, March 29 Scheels partnered with Youth & Family Services’ Girls Inc. of Rapid City and Fatherhood First programs to provide activities to girls that challenged them think creatively and work together to solve problems. Creativity is essential for academic, social, and emotional growth! Children who learn to be more creative become better problem solvers and are better able to adapt to and deal with change. Working together to solve problems bolsters children’s ability to communicate, develop self- confidence, and work toward common goals. Thank you, Scheels, for joining us to inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold!  

First Interstate Bank has granted Youth & Family Services (YFS) with $25,000 to support YFS’ 120 East Adams Street Facility Expansion project. This generous gift will aid in the construction of a new wing to YFS’ current facility, allowing the agency to better serve children and families in the Rapid City community. “First Interstate Bank is honored to support such a vital organization, whose outreach and services improve the lives of countless children and families in our region. I encourage other community partners to step up and support this very worthy cause,” stated Shawn Rost, President First Interstate Bank. First Interstate Bank supports a number of organizations within their service area which includes communities in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. First Interstate Bank shows their commitment to the communities they serve by supporting an array of community needs. They support businesses and professional associations, as well as organizations that provide support in the arts, education, and economic development and social services areas. “Youth & Family Services is so thankful for this incredible gift from First Interstate Bank,” stated Connie Olson, YFS’ Development Director. “Each year, YFS provides thousands of children and families with services and programming that truly make a positive impact on their lives, but we realize there is still much work to be done. By expanding our current facility on East Adams Street, we will be able to provide services and support to an additional 2,100 children and their families. The generosity of First Interstate Bank will truly make a difference in our community and we are so appreciative of their support.” When YFS originally built its current East Adams Street campus in 2003, the agency was serving 8,500 children and their families annually. Today YFS serves more than 14,000 children and are desperate need of more space. The YFS East Adams Building Expansion Project will add 67,525 sq. ft. of indoor program space and 32,794 sq. ft. of playground/outdoor learning space. This expansion will allow YFS to provide transformative opportunities for more children and families by increasing the depth of the agency’s current services and adding new programming to meet unmet needs within our community.