The work we do here at CHS can be stressful at times. We constantly hear about challenging topics and treat vulnerable children and their families who are struggling and in need of help. Hearing people's trauma and trying to help guide them through their healing journeys can take its toll on us and eventually lead to burnout. This is why it’s imperative to find moments throughout the day that make us smile and raise our spirits.

In Heartfelt Moments By Staff, we encourage everyone to share the subtle reminders the universe sends us when we have those demanding days.

March 11, 2025

Heartfelt Moment: Houseless Family Finds a Home

We need to remember to take time to acknowledge the wins we have throughout our day. It doesn’t matter how big or small that victory may be, it’s still a step in the right direction. Let’s take a moment to celebrate Family Engagement Specialist Loree Crawford’s recent win!

Loree is working with a client who has been houseless for the past 14 months. After much searching, patience and hope, her client was recently able to find and move into the perfect home for her and her family. Here is Loree’s story.

Hello,

I have some incredible news to share! All paperwork and housing assistance are in place and at 4:10 pm, my young mom, “S” received the keys to her first independent home—a three-bedroom, two-bath, first-floor apartment!

S and her two children will have their own bedrooms AND will be on the first floor for safety, which is great because her son loves to climb.

Normally, S doesn’t show emotion about anything—she is on the Autism Spectrum so normally her expressions are blunt. However, today I could hear it in her voice, she was extremely excited!

This is what tenacity, working together, being kind and believing can really do to help others. This is such a great achievement, and I’m thrilled to have overcome almost a year’s worth of hard work! Thank you for celebrating this huge accomplishment with CHS Family Engagement.

It takes a village to raise parents and children from hard places, and it’s amazing to see them reach their dreams! I’m grateful to everyone involved in helping S find a home. I know I couldn’t have helped S get into her new apartment without everyone’s assistance!

The most important takeaway from today is that a mother who was houseless and had no hope of getting a home 12 months ago, is now in a nice, safe home with her children. S found her path to HOPE and I couldn’t be more proud of her.

Loree

February 17, 2025

Heartfelt Moment: Valentine’s Day Colors

When you think of the typical Valentine’s Day colors, you may be inclined to say red, pink or white. But a few kiddos at BHCH have a different idea of what those colors should be.

Recently, a few volunteer groups stopped by Rockerville to make heart-shaped crafts and decorate cookies with the kids. One of the volunteers was Vice President of Development Kara Flynn. Being a boy mom herself, she decided to sit with a group of young men and help them with their cookies and crafts.

Last weekend I helped the volunteer groups that came in to do Valentine’s crafts and treats with the kids. I sat with a group of boys, and after they frosted their heart-shaped cookies and decorated them with LOTS of sprinkles, they turned their attention to decorating Valentine frames and wooden ornaments with stickers and markers. They all wanted to use these gem stickers that came in many colors.

At our table, we had gold and silver gem sticker sheets, but I went around to the other tables and grabbed additional colors. As they were decorating, we talked about Valentine’s Day colors and how typically they are red, pink, white and sometimes purple.

“What color are you going to make your hearts?” I asked the table.

Some children answered “red” but one little boy—Kiddo A—said, “I’m going to use purple because purple is the color for CHS!”

This sparked a conversation amongst the boys about how CHS is a place of love for the children who are in our care.

A different child—Kiddo B—spoke up and said, “Well actually the CHS logo is purple, white and black.”

“Then I’ll use purple and white,” said the Kiddo A. “You can’t use black because then it would be a broken heart.”

I love how observant these kids are! It warms my heart that they connected purple with both Children's Home and Valentine's Day. I was also pleased to learn that you can never have too many sprinkles on your cookie!

February 10, 2025

Heartfelt Moment: Being the Impact

This Heartfelt Moment is brought to us by Business Office Coordinator Jennifer Laatsch. Jennifer works out of the new Rapid City campus and one of her responsibilities is helping check in clients when they come for outpatient clinic services. Recently, Jennifer was feeling under the weather and needed to take a sick day. When she returned to the office, one of her colleagues told her that one little client was very displeased that she was out sick. Here is Jennifer’s story.

Hello,

I had a great experience with a client not long ago and I wanted to share it with you. We have one client in our outpatient clinic that I am always so happy to see! We always have great conversations, and they are so smart. Upon meeting them, they told me about wanting to be a doctor one day and what type of doctor. Working in a variety of healthcare settings, I was able to give the kiddo insider information on some of the doctors and what they do. We really made a connection, and after that, we were always excited to see each other during their appointments and before they went back.

Unfortunately, I was out sick one day, and the day I was out was when this child came in for their appointment. They noticed right away that I was not there for our chats, and it had an effect on them. I did not know this until I came back, and my nurse told me about it and how the kiddo was not impressed with my absence. Many of the kids we see are children with special needs or autism and they thrive on structure and stability. I did not know the impact I had on them until after this incident.

What this taught me was that no matter what position we hold at Children's Home Society—a receptionist or a CEO—we make an impact on children every day. It is important to be the impact! It also taught me to use more hand sanitizer, so I don't get sick!