Posted on December 08, 2024,
General News
January 6, 2025
The holidays may be over, but the festivities continue! Click here to see the latest holiday highlights.
Despite Old Man Winter’s attempts to slow us down with freezing temperatures, Shelter for Family Safety staff have been keeping their clients warm with a festive hot cocoa bar.
Assistant Program Supervisor Breckin Steilen and Youth Care Provider Grace Eager served hot cocoa, marshmallows and candy canes to clients.
Cook Reanna Mennis and Youth Care Provider Kinzie Telgren were looking festive as they enjoyed a little hot cocoa break.
Assistant Program Supervisor Emily Hall and Crisis Advocate Britney Kennedy were staying warm and toasty with their pitcher—I mean mugs—of hot cocoa.
Assistant Director of Schools Tara Chayka, Director of Schools Mike Groher and COO Deanna Larson attended Owen School’s jolly Christmas program last month.
December 23, 2024
Holly Jolly Highlights
He’s making a list and checking it twice!
Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice!
Santa Claus is comin’ to town!
Happy Christmas week, holly jolly colleagues! Santa Claus may be coming to town this week, but clients and staff at Shelter for Family Safety had quite the surprise when he and Mrs. Claus dropped by for a visit last week. They read stories, decorated cookies and did a few holiday crafts before he had to travel back to the North Pole.
Kiddos and staff at Owen School were also getting into the holiday spirit last week. The children performed the musical “The Holly Jolly Pirates of Pinataville” for their annual Christmas concert. Click here to see more festive photos from last week!
A few staff members from Shelter had their picture taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus last week. We heard that all of them made the nice list this year. From left: Crisis Advocate Linn Nelson, Crisis Advocate Sage Ver Steeg, Administrative Assistant Maddie Mortimore, Crisis Advocate Carissa Vander Velde and Assistant Program Supervisor Krista Buchholz.
Case Managers at Shelter made wreaths with clients. Staff are pictured holding supplies as they get ready for clients to arrive for the event. Left to right: Laura Ralston, Reanna Mennis, Michelle Schroeder, Michelle Haeder, and Heather Plueger.
The Therapist Team at Shelter hosted a Room Spray making event for clients and staff. The three therapists Rachel Abraham, Tina Riter, and Jeanne Weyen are helped Assistant Program Director Darlene Hillmer make a bottle of room spray. They brought popcorn and everything needed to make the perfect, uplifting, or calming scent to create exactly what the individual desired.
Evelyn and Elvis are still causing all sorts of festive shenanigans at Shelter. Last week they brought staff Brown-EE’s and a “Sponge” cake!
Many volunteers stopped by SFCH last week to help wrap Christmas Eve and Christmas Day gifts for the kids.
Tom and Tammy Roberts came out of retirement—just kidding! But they did stop by to help wrap Christmas gift for the kiddos.
Grant Specialist Angie Smith and Purchasing Coordinator Kim Knopf organize gifts for the volunteers to wrap at the North Pole gift wrapping day.
Our friends from Novak Sanitary Services braved the cold and dropped off 20 bikes and helmets for the kids at SFCH last week.
Ribbons, bows, boxes and paper—oh my! Our elves at the Gift Wrap Booth in the Sioux Falls Empire Mall have been getting busier the closer we get to Christmas!
Members of the marketing department turned into Christmas elves last week. From left: Clara Jacob, Tiffany Ring, Janet Andersen and Krystal Schoenbauer.
You never know who you’re going to run into at the Gift Wrap Booth! Board Member Gina Hopkins gathered a few elves from her PEO group.
December 15, 2024
Oh, by golly! CHS is having a holly jolly Christmas this year! See more festive photos from this month below.
CHS staff, Board members and volunteers gathered at Owen School for the annual Gingerbread House Making party and Christmas Giving Store. Volunteers helped the kids decorate their gingerbread houses with an assortment of candies, while other helped the children choose and wrap gifts for their loved ones.
Staff from Jolly Lane got into the Christmas spirit earlier this month with an ornament exchange, potluck and ugly Christmas sweater day. Left to right: Administrative Assistant Maren Schaap; Education & Public Awareness Specialist Jessica Broullire; Child and Family Services Director Tifanie Petro; Development & Events Manager Theresa Schreiner; Volunteer/Development Coordinator Abby Scharp; Lead Forensic Interviewer Brandi Tonkel and Family Advocate Coordinator Jennifer Arnold.
One incredible volunteer baked 53 gingerbread houses for the residential kiddos at BHCH. Click here to read more about the Gingerbread Lady. At the party last Tuesday, children could decorate their house however they wanted to with a variety of candies.
The Gift Wrap Booth is in full swing at the Empire Mall in Sioux Falls. Development Coordinator Staci Kroupuenske joined Dakota News Now reporter Phil Schreck for an interview to encourage shoppers to stop by and get their gifts wrapped. Watch Staci’s interview here.
December 8, 2024
The holly-jolly spirit is alive on all CHS campuses! Last week the SFCH kiddos kicked off our Christmas season with a beautiful and festive concert. They dressed in special holiday outfits, and performed a few Christmas carols, including Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer.
“My favorite part is the last three songs of the program–when everyone stands up and we all sing together. I love seeing all of the kids come together and sing those familiar songs.”
Kiah Gail is the Music Therapist at Loving School and has been practicing Christmas songs with the kiddos for the last four weeks.
“This year the kids were very excited to create a DIY instrument! I loved seeing their personalities shine through their instruments and seeing how proud of themselves they were–it just really warmed my heart.”
Those fun instruments weren’t just made in music class. The project ended up being a collaboration between Kiah and Art Teacher Rylee Lehmkuhl. The two of them worked together to help students create personalized instruments like drums, shakers or clappers.
“I think it’s important for the kids to see that their teachers and staff are friends,” said Kiah. “We do all get along and help each other when we can. Being able to model to the kids what healthy adult relationships look like is so important.”
Following the concert, Santa himself made a guest appearance. While kiddos waited in line to take a picture with him, multiple volunteers and staff gathered at the Georgetown Mall–A-Room with a View–to help kiddos find and wrap gifts for their loved ones. Children also had the chance to create a homemade foam gingerbread house.
A few blocks away, the Shelter for Family Safety had two of Santa’s helpers show up to get staff into the holiday spirit. Evelyn and Elvis journeyed from the North Pole and are getting into all sorts of Christmas shenanigans– like releasing Crocs in the bathroom. Shelter staff are also doing a candy cane hunt, so be on the lookout for red and white stripes. Happy searching!
If you missed last week’s activities, no worries because the holiday fun is just beginning! This Tuesday, December 10, volunteers will be helping kiddos make gingerbread houses at the Rockerville campus. And just like Georgetown, volunteers will be helping kids shop and wrap gifts for their loved ones at the Christmas Giving Store.