WITH HEARTS AND HANDS READY TO SERVE! ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS IN 2024-2025

 


Look at all the ways our stake members serve their communities and each other!


June 2025 Stake Primary Service Project to benefit Children’s Home Society  

This June 21 activity was a bake and lemonade exchange.  Suggested “donations” were art supplies, activity books, games/toys, Legos, clothing, and batteries. Forty-one Primary children from throughout the stake participated as well as 4 Sister missionaries, 5 Elders, and 20 other adults.  The children decorated rocks with inspiring words and distributed baked goods and lemonade to those who brought donations.  Following “the covenant path” through the building added a spiritual element to the activity as the children learned about gospel principles and temple covenants.  



Sister Lauralee Hatch, Stake Primary President, shared her experience of the event: “I was overwhelmed by all the support from the members of our Stake who came, made donations, and were willing to help with this activity.  We filled 2 SUVs with supplies for the Children’s Home Society and were additionally able to donate our leftover treats to the Cornerstone Mission. We even had participation from community members making donations and walking the covenant path. What a treat it was to experience such a successful event. Our children have been greatly blessed to have been a part of it.”



 

June 2025 Stake Conference Humanitarian Project

For our summer conference project, members donated hundreds of pounds of healthy snacks for the Boys and Girls Club in Rosebud.  We also donated a big garbage bag of (gently used and washed) hoodies and two winter coats.  Once again, we are grateful for the generosity of the Stake. 

 

April/May 2025 Global Youth Service Day/Months

Many youth volunteered at different activities, including Feeding South Dakota, Sleep in Heavenly Peace,and “Clean Up Rapid City.”  For the first time, there was an Interfaith Global Youth Service Day held on May 3 at a local church where 60+ youth and their leaders participated in 7 different service projects with youth of other faiths.

 

December 2024 Stake Conference Humanitarian Project 

Our Stake Conference Humanitarian Project found us putting our arms around our brothers and sisters in Rosebud and the Pactola Spanish branch. Baby items and clothing were donated to the Spanish branch and clothing to the Rosebud branch. There was such an abundance of donations that we also donated items to non-profit organizations in Rapid City: Journey On (a non-profit helping the homeless), Passages Place (a non-profit helping women get back on their feet), Mommy’s Closet (a free crisis resource provider that lends a helping hand to low-income families with children up to age 5), and the Community of Redshirt. The generosity of stake members was such a blessing to so many!

 

December’s Light the World Campaign 

Wards and branches spent many, many hours spreading Christmas cheer and messages of love, hope, and peace during December.

  • Members from at least three wards helped organize “Christmas Angel’s Toys,” for Salvation Army’s distribution. Over 50 members sorted 2,000 toys and about 1,000 Angel Tree tags. Another 21 members helped parents “shop for gifts for their children” and restocked the gifts on tables.Other members “rang the bell” for Salvation Army. Missionaries also helped at the “Toy Store.”
  • A Ward collected diapers and wipes for Mommy’s Closet, a free non-profit crisis resource provider that assists low-income families with children under 5.
  • A Ward sponsored a Meals on Wheels Elders’ Tree.  They collected many items needed by seniors at Christmas time, helping the elderly and homebound know they are not forgotten.  This Ward also helped Black Hills Foster Association by acquiring plush toys for foster children.
  • The Hot Springs branch made warm hats and scarves all year long for Christmas cheer for the Senior Citizens Center, Hot Springs Elementary School, and our new Pactola Spanish branch.
  • A ward made a Giving Tree for its members. They have many in the military that needed a little extra help this year. 
  • A member helped decorate Storybook Island with lights for the big December fundraiser.
  • Some ward families placed wreaths on cemetery markers to honor veterans at Black Hills National Cemetery on December 14th.
  • Relief Society sisters helped children choose Christmas gifts for family members at the Children’s Home Society “Pop Up Gift Store.”

 

Casper Temple Open House

Our stake provided more than 250 volunteers serving for many, many hours during the open house on Sept. 2, 7, and 13.  Members helped by speaking at talking points in the tour, ushering, putting on shoe coverings, checking in volunteers, cleaning, parking, providing medical support and security, and more.  Their sacrifice of time and talents brought a wonderful spirit to this special event.

 

September’s 9/11 Day/Month of Caring in 2024 with United Way 

Most wards and branches have adopted non-profit community organizations to help. September was a busy month for these non-profits and the volunteers who performed many acts of community service throughout the month.
  • From Mt. Rushmore Ward, 34 members helped clean and paint the Salvation Army Camp in the Black Hills.
  • Rapid Valley and Canyon Lake Wards cleaned different parks, including Canyon Lake Park.
  • Members and Youth from Canyon Lake Ward volunteered with Billion Graves.
  • Chadron Ward had a road side clean up on Sept. 21 with 15 people helping, including missionaries and four families.  Seven members helped clean the Chadron Museum on Sept. 12.
  • From Pierre Ward, 12 members volunteered on Sept. 12 at the Walk for Hope, an event that promotes awareness and support for mental health and suicide prevention.
  • Black Hills Ward collected school supplies, sheets, blankets (some made by the Relief Society), books, and clothing for the Children’s Home Society. They also collected clothing and hygiene items for WAVI, a temporary home for women and children who are the victims of domestic violence.  A sister made a quilt for someone in need.  Ten Young Women and leaders provided and served dinner to the residents at Cornerstone Mission.  They also prepared, cooked, and served dinner to 6 needy families.
  • From the Rapid City Ward 10 Young Men and Young Women helped prepare the Black Hills Raptor Center garden for winter. Thirteen ward members volunteered at Feeding South Dakota Fairgrounds Distribution on Sept. 28.  
  • Belle Fourche Ward provided service to those in need by delivering meals, giving haircuts, helping weed gardens, and helping can items.
  • Twenty-six members from Rapid City’s five wards helped unload the Bishop’s Storehouse truck, unpacked all the boxes, set up items on tables, and filled orders for members struggling with food insecurity.
  • Hot Springs Branch did a Grand Stair Challenge.
  • Twelve members, including missionaries, and 22 community members spent two days setting up displays and taking them down at the end of the event, Community Connect, held at Mother Butler Center.  Over 900 families were helped.


Also in September:

  • The MOM’s Tour utilized 46 volunteers on Sept. 29 at Oyate Clinic.
  • At the Stake Relief Society Conference on Sept. 28, 81 sisters tied 15 baby blankets and blackened codes on 984 Maxi Pad packages for Mommy’s Closet.  The Youth also donated 13 tied baby blankets.