Volunteers on Sioux Falls Campus

“Happiness is thinking of myself; joy is thinking of others.” – Author Unknown

SFCH has been a busy place the past few days. Different groups have been dropping by either to carry out an act of service or provide a fun activity for the kiddos. We are grateful for all of our volunteers who want to make a difference in the lives of the children and families we serve and our staff. Here are just a few of the wonderful things that happened last week.

Cleaning In the Units

A group of volunteers came to clean some of the residential units. They spent time wiping down toys and cleaning high-traffic surfaces in the common areas. With flu season right around the corner, this couldn’t have happened at a more perfect time.

Sioux Valley Optimist Club

Our friends from Sioux Valley Optimist Club (SVOC) hosted a birthday party for all our kiddos with September birthdays. And you can’t have a birthday party without cake and ice cream!

SVOC visits campus twice a month to celebrate our children’s birthdays.

They make birthdays special by bringing cake, ice cream and providing gifts to the birthday boys and girls.

After everyone sings “Happy Birthday,” the birthday children gets to blow out the candles on the cake. While our friends at SVOC cut the cake, the birthday kiddos pick friends to help pass out the treats.

Dakota String Quartet

On Wednesday, we welcomed four special guests to SFCH. The Dakota String Quartet, a group associated with the South Dakota Symphony, held a special concert for our kiddos and staff members.

The 45-minute program was educational and relaxing. The kiddos and staff were treated to musical pieces from Johann Sebastian Bach to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. They even snuck in the Ritchie Valens song, “La Bamba.”

Principle Celloist Robert Erhard took time to explain that a "round" in music is when you have a group of people singing a song or playing a melody at different times. Before playing their next song, he split up the kiddos into four groups and everyone practiced a "round" by singing “Row, Row, Row, Your Boat.”

At the end of the program, the Dakota String Quartet answered questions from the audience. They explained to the kids that they all had started playing music very young, and the importance of practicing with your instrument. Of course, the best question of the day was when a child asked what the bows were made out of. Did you know they are made out of wood, horse hairs and resin? The resin on the horse hairs makes a vibration when it rubs against the strings on the instrument. Don’t worry, no horses were harmed in the making of any instrument bows–the kiddos made sure to ask!

Midco Chalks It Up

Summer is hanging on by a thread here in Sioux Falls and last week we had some gorgeous sunny days. Our friends at Midco stopped by for a tour and then spent the afternoon with the kids creating sidewalk chalk pictures. We’re not sure who was having more fun–Midco, the kids or our staff!

Midco had 605 Serendipity tag along and pass out ice cream treats near the end of their visit. It was a perfect way to spend a beautiful afternoon.

Get Involved

Volunteering has many great benefits. It allows you to become involved in your community, build relationships and can leave you feeling fulfilled and inspired. At CHS, we know how important it is to not only find happiness in yourself but to find joy in helping others. Did you know CHS gives you eight hours of Volunteer Time Off (VTO)?

Here are some links on how you can get involved in your community.

• Helpline Center: Volunteer Connections
• Rapid City Volunteer Opportunities
• Sioux Falls Volunteer Opportunities