Jeremy LeLaCheur

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.”  

On January 13, 2020, 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 Lemley’s desire to be able to continue supporting the charities he loved, even after his death. He also hoped 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 $24,614 from the Lemley Memorial Trust to help support children and families in our community. Since the trust’s beginning, more than $893,600 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.

After 39 years of advocating for children and families in western South Dakota, Susan Fedell, Chief Executive Officer for Youth & Family Services (YFS), will retire from the organization on September 30, 2020. “Susan leaves behind an incredible legacy for Youth & Family Services,” says Tonya Johnson, President of YFS’ Board of Directors. “She’s played a critical role in building an organization that supports children and families in achieving their goals.” When Susan assumed the position of Executive Director in 1986, YFS was operating as Girls Club of Rapid City. Recognizing that several programs had been added throughout the years to meet the most urgent needs of children and families, it was decided the organization needed a new name to better reflect the range of services it was providing. Under Susan’s leadership in 1991, the agency became known as Youth & Family Services, Inc. This change allowed programs to offer wrap-around services and enabled staff to develop stronger relationships with families and work with them for a longer period of time to promote transformational change. Additionally, as YFS, the organization was able to operate under one experienced Board of Directors with a broad community picture, reduce administrative costs, and commit more funding directly to programming. Under Susan’s leadership, YFS has experienced tremendous growth. Some of the most notable developments include: Going from an annual operating budget of $1.08 million to more than $15 million The evolution of several key programs Expanding to serve 24 counties in western South Dakota The organizational change of Youth & Family Services, Inc. becoming an umbrella of related services The establishment of Youth & Family Services Foundation Becoming one of the largest youth-serving organizations in the state of South Dakota, serving more than 14,000 children and their families annually Undertaking three capital campaigns The construction (and later expansion) of YFS’ East Adams Street campus “Susan has brought attention to important issues such as poverty and gender equity, and she has worked to ensure that all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status, have access to quality services that help prepare them for life,” Johnson stated. Susan was quick to point out, “YFS’ successes wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance of its dedicated Board of Directors, compassionate staff, and the thousands of individuals in our community who have invested in the lives of children and families. I’m confident this organization will continue to look at existing needs and gaps in services to ensure that YFS continues to thrive and be impactful.” Stepping in to fill the position of Chief Executive Officer for YFS is John Julius. Earlier this year, John retired as Principal of Rapid City Stevens High School after being an administrator there for 19 years. John was the head principal for 13 years after being an assistant principal for 6 years. Prior to being an administrator, John taught for 13 years in Rapid City Area School District. “We are excited to be welcoming John to the YFS family,” stated Johnson. “His expertise in youth […]

On November 23, representatives from Strider Sports visited Youth & Family Services’ 120 East Adams Street campus to present the non-profit organization with an outpouring of support in the form of a check for $11,000 and a coupon— redeemable for a Strider bike donation valued at more than $9,000. The $11,000 monetary gift will be used to support YFS’ building expansion project at its 120 East Adams Street campus. This project expanded YFS’ facility by more than 67,500 sq. ft. of indoor program space and more than 32,790 sq. ft. of outdoor play and learning space. The 73 balance bikes that YFS will receive will be utilized by children enrolled in YFS programs. Strider Sports is a Rapid City based business that was established in 2007 by Ryan McFarland. Since 2007, Strider has sold more than 2 million bikes to families around the world. Strider believes kids learn best through play, life is better when riding a bike, and that when children learn to balance they find confidence, courage, and happiness. “We’ve worked with YFS for many years, supplying Strider bikes for their kids to use during PE and recess,” said McFarland. “In the process, we saw the overcrowding and overuse of the previous facility layout. This new facility expansion is absolutely amazing and such an encouraging and uplifting environment for these kids. We’re hoping this new fleet of bikes, and a little cash to boot, will help them fulfill their mission.” YFS’ partnership with Strider Sports has been on-going for many years. “We are so appreciative of the generosity that Strider has bestowed to YFS, not only today, but throughout the years,” said Connie Olson, YFS’ Chief Development Officer. “Strider believes in the work and mission of YFS, and having them as a community partner truly enhances the lives of the children we serve.”

The Denny Menholt Group in Rapid City stepped up in a big way for families enrolled in Youth & Family Services (YFS) programs this past week! The area business made a generous donation that allowed YFS to purchase 416 Thanksgiving meals which were distributed to families enrolled in the organization’s programs. “This has been a difficult year for all of us,” said Krista Morrison, Director of Marketing and Communications for Denny Menholt Auto Group. “Local businesses like ours are trying to balance providing our services while also protecting our employees and customers. As winter approaches, we recognize that our community programs are also struggling.” Morrison went on to explain, “Their [YFS] major fundraising events have been canceled, which means they don’t have all the funding needed to support area families and individuals. We stand behind our mission that together we make a difference in our community. The Denny Menholt dealerships wanted to make an additional donation this year because we recognize the need to empower the amazing people who run these programs, and we hope that our commitment will inspire others to do the same.” YFS partnered with Timmons Market to order the food items that would make up each meal. In addition to placing and organizing the order, Timmons allowed YFS to purchase the food at a reduced rate; this enabled the non-profit to stretch their funds, thereby feeding more families. “We feel very fortunate to be in the position that we are in during these trying times,” shared Dan Bruner, Co-Owner of Timmons Market. “YFS reached out to us early on during the pandemic, and we have forged a partnership that allows us to leverage our ability to bring in goods that people need, and YFS’ ability to get those goods to the people who need them most.” Bruner noted a large part of their business is based on their Christian faith. “We believe that we are called to not only provide a business to our community, but to be able to give back when able. When we received a call about the generous offer from the Denny Menholt Auto group, we knew we wanted to participate in any way we could. As a grocer in the Rapid City area, helping organizations who combat food insecurity is a large part of our culture, and we look forward to working with YFS in the future to continue making a positive impact with families in our community.”   Each of the 416 families were given a turkey, two cans of corn, 5 lbs. of potatoes, gravy, Jello, dinner rolls, and a pie. The items were delivered to YFS’ East Adams Street location on two different days by Timmons Market employees. YFS staff assembled the meals on November 20. That same day, families were able to pick up their meals. YFS staff delivered meals to enrolled families living outside Rapid City. “The generosity that the Denny Menholt Group and Timmons Market have extended to these families is just unbelievable,” shared Connie Olson, YFS’ Chief […]

Giving back one cup at a time. This has been the mission and motto of The Bean Counter — a locally owned and oper­ated coffee shop located inside the Med5 Federal Credit Union on 5th Street in Rapid City. The Bean Counter is the only nonprofit coffee shop in South Dakota, and exists thanks to the vi­sion of Med5 Federal Credit Union in Rapid City. Since its establishment in May of 2019, The Bean Counter has donated all its profits to support 15 local nonprofit organiza­tions in the Rapid City area. This past summer, The Bean Counter made a change in its giving plan and commit­ted to donating its profits exclusively to Youth & Family Services in order help YFS fulfill its mission to support children and their families in being capable, caring, and contributing members of our community. “YFS spoke to us and was a single organization that had outreach in so many areas. We were happy to find an organization that was so committed to children and families, and stays in our area,” shared Ray Graff, Manager of The Bean Counter. In addition to providing monetary support to YFS, Ray is currently working with staff from YFS’ Middle School Program to help them get their coffee counter up and running. “Integrating a coffee counter into the Middle School Program was a spe­cific request from the middle school students as we started the planning for this program,” stated Corey Odle, YFS’ Middle School Program Coor­dinator. “Ray has been great to work with. He’s so kind and has been a great resource to turn to as we work to set up our coffee counter.” Ray has visited YFS’ Middle School Center and provided education to staff and enrolled youth so they better under­stand all aspects of the espresso machine, how to properly time each component as they make a drink, as well as providing guidance on different types of coffee beans and how to better understand different flavor profiles. “We plan to utilize our coffee counter to help teach lessons surrounding accounting, kitchen safety, business administration, and science,” said Corey. “We’re so thankful for our partnership with The Bean Counter and hope to pursue job shadow/ca­reer mentoring experiences for the kids as well.” For more information about The Bean Counter, to view their menu, and see their hours of operation, visit their website at https://thebeancounter-med5fcu.com/.

On Tuesday, April 6, three local State Farm agents presented Youth & Family Services (YFS) with a check for $5,000 to support financial literacy programming offered by the organization. “We are so thankful for this generous donation that will be used to help children and families served by YFS,” shared Connie Olson, YFS’ Chief Development Officer. To be a true catalyst of change and help bridge generations of families out of poverty, YFS works to provide intentional economic literacy opportunities designed to motivate low- to moderate-income families to move out of poverty. Olson explains, “We know that learning economics helps children and families understand our history, government and culture. It also helps us learn to make decisions about their personal and shared resources, to understand work and careers, and to develop the habit of analytical thinking. Economic principles do not just deal with money and jobs; they are at the core of decisions we make every day — decisions our children will use to shape their lives.” The grant was awarded by the State Farm Good Neighbor Citizenship program after YFS submitted an application and received an additional recommendation for the grant from Rapid CityState Farm agent, Scott Carlson. “At State Farm, we make it our business to be a good neighbor and are committed to building safer, stronger, and better educated communities,” stated Carlson. “State Farm is proud to support Youth & Family Services. For years, Rapid City agents have supported YFS as volunteers and through personal donations. This grant will specifically be used to assist in the area of YFS’ financial literacy programming and aligns directly with State Farm’s Community Development focus.” Pictured in photo from left to right: John Julius, YFS Chief Executive Officer; Scott Carlson, State Farm Insurance Agent; Dave Raml, State Farm Insurance Agent; Mike Smith, YFS Chief Operations Officer; Doug Markworth, State Farm Agent; Amanda Moriarty, YFS Child Development Center Director; Connie Olson, YFS Chief Development Officer; Justin Freeman, Community Outreach and Events Coordinator. Children pictured are enrolled in YFS’ Child Development Center.