CHS Volunteer Named Sioux Empire Volunteer of the Month
Earlier this month, staff from Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Helpline Center visited the Sioux Falls campus to honor CHS Volunteer Michelle Lauer as the 2025 Sioux Empire's Volunteer of the Month. Photo: Kathy Brennan with BCBS of SD, Lauer, Bella Oliver with Helpline Center and Faron Lais with CHS.
CHS Volunteer Michelle Lauer was named the Helpline Center’s 2025 Volunteer of the Month. Volunteer and Development Coordinator Faron Lais nominated Lauer for her incredible contributions over the past 10 years in the Loving School library.
“Michelle earned this award for the amazing work that she has done at CHS,” said Lais. “She began her volunteer work in April of 2014 and continues to keep our library stocked, clean and ready for kids to use.”
Lauer usually volunteers twice a week on the SFCH campus. She stays busy setting up book displays, organizing, and processing book requests from the kiddos. She also assists a class at Loving School with science projects and regularly works one-on-one with the students doing enrichment activities like reading.
“I have a master’s degree in psychology and used to do counseling,” said Lauer. “I also volunteered in my kids’ classrooms. After I stopped, I realized how much I missed working with kids. Being able to help them at the library is truly rewarding.”
“Volunteering helps me appreciate so much,” she added. “These kids are dealing with some pretty serious issues, and yet they show up every day and do the work. It’s inspiring.”
Earlier this month, representatives from the Helpline Center and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Dakota visited CHS to honor Michelle for her inspiring years of service and dedication to the kids. They presented her with a framed certificate, a yard sign and a letter of recognition from Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken.
Even though she prefers to stay out of the spotlight, Lauer gratefully accepted the award and hopes that her story will inspire others to make a difference in their communities.
“Volunteering pushes you outside of your bubble,” Lauer said. “I feel like people get stuck in their own space and forget what’s happening in the bigger world. We need to change that.”
If you’re interested in stepping outside of your bubble and making a difference at CHS, visit our Volunteer webpage to explore opportunities on all of our CHS campuses.
