November 15, 2023

Sponsor a Family for the Holidays

Each year, Youth & Family Services’ staff members nominate families enrolled in our programs to receive holiday assistance. Families who are nominated are those who are facing a variety of obstacles and difficulties and are in need of extra support during the holiday season. Individuals or businesses have the opportunity to help these families by sponsoring them through YFS’ Holiday Families Program. Each sponsorship—$250.00—will provide each member of the family with a holiday gift as well as a holiday meal. For more information on how you can help a family in need this holiday season, please contact Connie Olson at (605) 342-4195 or by emailing colson@youthandfamilyservices.org
November 15, 2023

Volunteers Needed to Help with Annual Gift Wrapping Booth

Youth & Family Services (YFS) is excited to announce it will be operating the Holiday Gift Wrapping Booth inside of Uptown Rapid during the 2023 holiday season! YFS has been operating the Holiday Gift Wrapping Booth for many years. Uptown Rapid patrons can visit the booth and get their holiday gifts wrapped for a recommended donation. All funds raised are used to support YFS’ programs that serve thousands of children and families living throughout western South Dakota. YFS is looking for volunteers to help staff this year’s booth. The booth will be open December 8-24. There are early afternoon and late afternoon shifts each day that range from 3.25 – 3.5 hours. To sign up, visit https://signup.com/go/undgLCH. This a terrific opportunity to spread some holiday cheer with your coworkers, friends, family, club, or group while supporting children in our community. Volunteers must be 13 years of age or older. If you can’t volunteer, please consider passing this invitation on to others who may be interested in helping.
November 13, 2023

Kenny Putnam and Friends to Host Holiday Benefit Concert for YFS

On December 9, Kenny Putnam, Tom Schaefer, Owen DeJong, Brian and Kaija Bonde, Mike Connor, Boyd Bristow, Al Remund, and Larry Rohrer will be performing a concert that is sure to get you in the holiday spirit! For the second year in a row, Holiday for Fiddles (akin to the well-known Acoustic Christmas concerts) will take place in the Historic Theatre of the Performing Arts Center of Rapid City. Music lovers will have the opportunity to attend a 2 p.m. matinee performance or a 7 p.m. performance. The concert will be approximately 90 minutes and feature holiday songs to create a fun, festive atmosphere. “We’re back for another terrific Christmas show!” exclaimed Kenny Putnam. “The magic of three fiddles together with the wonderful acoustic instrumentation and beautiful, original voices are returning to celebrate the musical spirit of Christmas.” In years past, this group of musicians performed for South Dakota Public Broadcasting as Fiddles and Friends as well as for audiences as An Acoustic Christmas. Tickets are $30 each and are available for purchase in-person, over the phone, or online through the Performing Arts Center. A portion of the proceeds from Holiday for Fiddles will benefit Youth & Family Services. “YFS is one of the most important organizations in the Black Hills that provide so many services to kids in the community,” stated Putnam. “We’re very proud to support them.” To purchase tickets, contact the Performing Arts Center of Rapid City:– 610 Columbus St, Rapid City, SD 57701– (605) 394-1786– https://performingartsrc.org/box-office/
November 9, 2023

Gifts For Girls Kicks Off November 13

Riverfront Broadcasting stations Classic Hits Q92-3, KOTA Radio, and Z 106-3 will be partnering with Youth & Family Services to help make this holiday season a bit brighter for girls in our community through their sponsorship of Gifts for Girls! Gifts for Girls encourages community members to sponsor one or more girls enrolled in YFS’ Girls Inc. of Rapid City and Health Connections programs for the holiday season. In total, YFS hopes to find sponsors for 100 girls. To fulfill one or more wishes, individuals can visit our Gifts for Girls page, select the girl(s) you wish to sponsor, and send us an email by clicking the icon below girl’s name you wish to purchase a gift for. In the email, donors should include their name and phone number as well as the name and number of the girl(s) they wish to purchase a gift for. Donors are not expected to purchase all items listed; the ideas provided are simply wishes from the girls. Once a girl has been selected, it will state “Wish Being Fulfilled” above her name instead of “Sponsor Needed”. Gifts can be delivered to Youth & Family Services’ (1920 N Plaza Blvd, Rapid City), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. OR to Riverfront Broadcasting (1116 Jackson Blvd, Rapid City) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. We ask that you return the gift wrapped with the name and number of the girl the gift is intended for by December 14 so we can deliver them in time for Christmas! If you have any questions, please call Brianna Nelson at (605) 342-4195.
October 26, 2023

NASCAR Foundation Announces Rapid City Resident as Finalist for 2023 Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award

Four NASCAR fans dedicated to volunteer support for local children’s organizations were recognized today by The NASCAR Foundation as finalists for the 13th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. One of these finalists is none other than Rapid City’s own, Darla Crown. The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, named in honor of the foundation’s late founder and chairwoman Betty Jane France, recognizes NASCAR fans who volunteer for children’s causes in their local communities. Each finalist receives a minimum $25,000 donation for their organization with the overall winner receiving a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation to further their efforts. Darla was nominated by Youth & Family Services (YFS). “There is no one more deserving of this award,” shared Connie Olson, Youth & Family Services’ Chief Development Officer. “Darla has a heart for giving. She has spent the majority of her life finding ways to give back to her community and to the causes and organizations closest to her heart. She has truly made a difference in the lives of so many.” Darla has been a supporter of YFS for decades. She volunteers in classrooms, has helped with numerous special projects and events, and is an advocate for the organization. In addition to volunteering for YFS, Darla has been involved with Children’s Home Society of South Dakota, Seventh Circuit CASA Program, Rushmore Rotary, Pennington County Veterans Court, the Central States Fair, her church, and has been a foster parent. She is also a 42-year veteran of the South Dakota National Guard. The overall winner will be determined by an online vote, which is open now. Fans can visit NASCARfoundation.org/Award to watch a video about Darla’s impact on children while voting once a day, every day through November 17 at 3 p.m. Mountain Time. The overall winner will be announced during the NASCAR Awards in Nashville on Thursday, November 30. To learn more about The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award and the 2023 finalists, visit NASCARfoundation.org/Award.
August 22, 2023

YFS to Host 6th Annual Harvest Festival

Youth & Family Services’ (YFS) will be hosting its 6th Annual Harvest Festival on September 16, 2023! This free, family-friendly event will take place at YFS’ Fullerton Farm, located at 230 S. Ellsworth Road in Box Elder, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. This year’s Harvest Festival aims to inspire and educate all ages in food, farming, nutrition, sustainability, and healthy fun. YFS’ Harvest Festival is free and open to the public. While you’re visiting the gardens, beehives, and orchard, you’ll be able to: Volunteers are needed to help with this event! If individuals are interested in volunteering, please contact Darcie Decker at 341-7231 or email wehelpkids@youthandfamilyservices.org.
August 2, 2023

Stevens Seniors Bring Coding Camp to YFS’ Middle School Program

Today, three seniors from Stevens High School, Roman Slack, Jhett Waltman, and Quinn Hasse, hosted the NextGen Coding Camp in YFS robotics lab for students enrolled in YFS’ Middle School Program and The Club for Boys. According to their website, “NextGen is a youth engagement day program aimed at fostering computer programming skills among young people. As an innovative and forward-thinking organization, we believe it is crucial for humanity to invest in the next generation’s technological literacy and provide them with the tools to thrive in an increasingly tech-dominant economy.” NextGen was founded by Slack, also the creator of the program. His goal is to educate and inspire other young people to explore the world of coding.   In total, 16 students participated in today’s intensive coding camp where they learned about computer science/computer engineering careers, problem solving, Javascript, CSS/HTML, basic AI coding, and more. Slack, Waltman, and Hasse plan to continue offering courses to students in YFS’ Middle School Program throughout the upcoming school year.
February 15, 2023

Lemley Memorial Trust Tops $1M in Distribution to YFS

In January of this year, 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. Before he passed away in 1983, Dr. Ray E. Lemley, an area physician, rancher, amateur photographer, paleontologist, world traveler, and visionary commissioned a special trust fund that would annually provide monetary support to YFS programs. It was Dr. Lemley’s desire to be able to continue supporting the charities he loved, even after his death. How serendipitous then that Dr. Lemley’s trust would reach a momentous milestone of having distributed more than $1 million, 30 years after setting up the fund. “Dr. Lemley was truly a visionary with a kind and generous heart,” shared Connie Olson, YFS’ Chief Development Officer. “We are so pleased that his legacy continues to strengthen our community. In addition to financially supporting children in perpetuity, we also know it was his hope that his gift would encourage and inspire others to consider leaving a legacy gift.” At this year’s annual luncheon to honor Dr. Lemley, YFS received a check for $28,312 from the Lemley Memorial Trust to help support children and families in our community. The proceeds from his trust are restricted to photography equipment and supplies, art classes, library materials, and other similar educational items.
November 16, 2022

Kenny Putnam And Friends To Host Holiday Benefit Concert For YFS

On December 10, Kenny Putnam, Tom Schaefer, Owen DeJong, Brian and Kaija Bonde, Mike Connor, Boyd Bristow, Al Remund, and Larry Rohrer will be performing a concert that is sure to get you in the holiday spirit! Holiday for Fiddles (akin to the well-known Acoustic Christmas concerts) will take place in the historic theatre of the Performing Arts Center of Rapid City. Music lovers will have the opportunity to attend a 2 p.m. matinee performance or a 7 p.m. performance. The concert will be approximately 90 minutes and feature holiday songs to create a fun, festive atmosphere. Tickets are $30 each and are available for purchased in-person, over the phone, or online through the Performing Arts Center. A portion of the proceeds from Holiday for Fiddles will benefit Youth & Family Services. “This group of musicians is the group that performed for South Dakota Public Broadcasting the last several years as Fiddles and Friends,” explains Putnam. “We‘re excited to bring these musicians to Rapid City and share the music of Christmas.” Putnam shared his hope is that everyone who heard the group in the past, either as Fiddles and Friends or as Acoustic Christmas, will attend. “YFS is one of the finest non-profits around and they’re just wonderful to work with,” Putnam continued. “We’re just so happy to have them as part of this event. “It’s going to be a ton of fun,” he said. To purchase tickets, contact the Performing Arts Center of Rapid City:– 610 Columbus St, Rapid City, SD 57701– (605) 394-1786– https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=148687