Each year an amazing group of quilters spends hours and hours of their time working together to create beautiful works of art that also keep children warm. We would like to thank the South Canyon Lutheran Church PieceMakers for their contribution to the children and families served by YFS.

Youth & Family Services would like to recognize the generosity of the FL Clarkson Family Foundation and Pioneer Bank and Trust. Together, these two organizations are supporting YFS’ 120 E. Adams St. Building Expansion project. YFS’ expansion project will allow us to provide services to thousands of additional children and their families in our community. Both Pioneer Bank and Trust and the FL Clarkson Family Foundation are long-time supporters and partners of YFS.

Youth & Family Services staff members Vonnie Ackerman, Pat Schulte, and Tony Walking, together with Mike Long of Rapid City, recently attended the 28th annual National Leadership CADCA Forum (Communities Anti-Drug Coalitions of America)  in Washington, D.C. These individuals represented the Rapid City Oyate Okolakiciye Prevention Coalition.  The goal of CADCA is to offer education and support to prevention coalitions throughout the country to support substance abuse prevention. As a part of the conference, the group met with their national elected leaders to discuss specific challenges and successes within their communities as they related to drug and alcohol use/abuse and suicide prevention.

RCS Construction is supporting the development of communities in more ways than one! In January of 2018, RCS Construction announced that their Woodstave Penstock Replacement project in Spearfish, SD was selected as the recipient of the 2017 AGC Build South Dakota Award! The recipient of this award is gifted with a $500 check made out to the charity of their choice. RCS generously chose to donate their $500 reward to Youth & Family Services to support children and families in the Black Hills community. Congratulations, RCS Construction, and thank you for your support!

Youth & Family Services, Inc. (YFS) received a $2,000 grant to develop a seed starting system for the organization’s future greenhouse classroom at its 120 E. Adams Street facility. The grant is provided through Farm Credit Services of America’s (FCSAmerica) Working Here Fund. Included in YFS’ current facility expansion project at its 120 E. Adams Street location is the construction of a greenhouse classroom. YFS’ future greenhouse will offer a variety of growing styles including traditional, hydroponic, and aquaponic systems, as well as a vermicomposting system. The seed starting system for the greenhouse will consist of enclosed shelving units with regulated watering and lighting schedules. Combined, these units will have the capacity to grow 1,000 plants at a time. Plants started in this system will be transplanted to YFS’ Fullerton Farm and the raised bed gardens at various YFS facilities and distributed to YFS program-enrolled families who want to grow their own food. YFS will be partnering with an EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service) team from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to design and construct the seed starting system. “Greenhouse education for children will be developmentally appropriate and integrated with math, science, literacy, and the arts,” said Sharon Oney, YFS Grants Administrator.  “Anticipated results are that children and families will have access to fresh produce, will develop a preference for healthy foods, and will know how to grow their own container, raised bed, or in-ground gardens within their available spaces.” “At FCSAmerica, many of us grew up in agriculture and continue to farm. We know first-hand the value of agriculture education and are proud to partner with Youth & Family Services to ensure future generations have the same opportunities for learning,” said Michelle Pluta, Vice President of Retail Operations at FCSAmerica’s Rapid City office. Youth & Family Services, Inc. is one of 78 organizations to receive a Working Here Fund grant in the third quarter of 2018. FCSAmerica awarded $120,625 during the latest grant cycle ending September 30, 2018.

On January 14, Youth & Family Services (YFS) staff and supporters toasted a man who left behind a legacy of sharing his passion and resources with the youth of western South Dakota. Dr. Ray E. Lemley, an area physician, rancher, amateur photographer, paleontologist, world traveler, and visionary commissioned a special trust fund in 1981 whose proceeds would annually support YFS programs. It was Lemley’s desire to be able to continue supporting the charities he loved, even after his death. He also hoped that his gift would encourage and inspire others to consider leaving a legacy gift. At this year’s annual luncheon to honor Lemley, YFS received a check for $24,000 from the Lemley Memorial Trust to help support children and families in our community. Since the trust’s inception in 1983, more than $869,000 in earnings have been distributed to YFS programs. The proceeds from his trust are restricted to photography equipment and supplies, art classes, library materials, and other similar educational items.

If you’ve had the pleasure of joining us at our annual Kids Fair, you know how big of an event it is! Held at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center each spring, Kids Fair occupies the Barnett Arena, Rushmore Hall, and the East Concourse. With attendance numbers surpassing more than 10,000, the safety of our guests is a top priority for Kids Fair organizers. A key component to ensuring the safety of our guests and the seamless operation of such a large event is for Kids Fair staff to be able to quickly and clearly communicate with each other. Because communication signals within the buildings can be challenging, walkie-talkies are not always effective. To help ensure the safety and continued success of Kids Fair, Black Hills Energy generously provided Youth & Family Services (YFS) with 15 smartphones, which will be used for more improved communication between leaders, monitors, and volunteers at the event. The phones were presented to YFS staff at Black Hills Energy’s quarterly Community Giveback event. Black Hills Energy has been a strong supporter of YFS events and programs for many years. We greatly appreciate their partnership and commitment to the betterment of our community.  

On November 1, 2019, Black Hills Energy presented Youth & Family Services (YFS) staff and board members with a gift of $50,000 to support our current facility expansion project at our 120 E. Adams Street site. This generous gift was presented by leaders from Black Hills Energy at their third quarterly Community Giveback event, held at their corporate headquarters here in Rapid City. This event provided generous support to 18 different organizations serving our Black Hills community in important and crucial ways. Both their local utility and the Black Hills Corporation Foundation have been making grants to worthwhile nonprofit organizations throughout the history of the corporation, but this is the third time they have hosted a collective recognition event in honor of their community partners.  “We are extremely thankful of the continued support and generosity that Black Hills Energy shares with YFS,” stated Connie Olson, YFS’ Development Director. “This gift is going to make a significant, positive impact on the lives of thousands of children and families throughout western South Dakota.”