Jan 6, 2012
Volunteer Income Tax AssistanceThe Internal Revenue Services' VITA program offers FREE tax filing services for taxpayers with incomes less than $50,000 and a variety of individuals and families with special needs.
Oct 4, 2011
Breaking BarriersIt's National Disability Employment Awareness Month! This observance was created in order to emphasize the successes of workers with disabilities in the work force and the barriers that still remain.
Sep 16, 2011
Volunteers of America, Dakotas Hosts Two 9/11 Commemorative EventsSeptember 11, 2001, was one of the most tragic days that this country has faced in recent history. Many lives were lost, and many first responders gave their lives in an attempt to save others when the World Trade Center buildings were destroyed. A sense of patriotism arose from the event that still ripples across the country 10 years later.
Sep 9, 2011
Celebrate National Recovery Month!Volunteers of America, Dakotas has helped many people start on their road to recovery. This month we celebrate their accomplishments along with the support of all of those who helped them along the way!
Jun 14, 2011
Look Up and Hope Pilot Program FeaturedIt's a growing problem in communities across the country: mothers going to prison. In fact, women with young children are the fastest-growing prison population in the U.S. But Sioux Falls is one of four communities actively fighting the problem through a new program called Look Up and Hope.
May 4, 2011
Volunteers of America Child Care Families Face CrossroadsState and federal cutbacks to child care assistance programs are forcing many parents to make tough choices on whether to keep their kids enrolled in day care. Volunteers of America Dakotas is facing a roughly $1.5 million shortfall that will impact families on tight budgets and their access to child care. Because of those cutbacks, a Sioux Falls mother is tearfully removing her children from day care.
Dec 13, 2010
Foster Grandparents Impact Children's Lives in BrandonVolunteering with the Foster Grandparent Program is a great way for folks age 55-plus to stay active, work with children and earn extra income. Foster grandparents are role models, mentors, and friends to children in elementary schools, child care centers, and Head Start programs. Foster grandparents help children with reading, provide one-on-one tutoring, and guide children at the most important time in their young lives.
Dec 13, 2010
Charity Drive Nets 50,000 DiapersStarting in mid-October, 20 out of 22 Sioux Falls banks started "basic needs" drives, taking donations of money, diapers, coats and nonperishable food items.
Nov 16, 2010
Volunteers of America Gives Struggling Vets New OptionFor the first time in seven years, Leroy Hadley has a place to call home—a place that he says has dignity. Hadley, a 62-year-old Vietnam veteran, moved into the Berakhah House a week ago after spending years bouncing from shelter to shelter in Minneapolis and Omaha before moving to Sioux Falls.
May 7, 2010
Volunteers of America Loses Important FundingThere may be signs that we're bouncing back from the recession, but for many families, businesses and non-profits, money is still tight. For one Sioux Falls organization, donations are more important than ever.
May 3, 2010
Lower Teen Drug & Alcohol Use In SDLocal drug and alcohol counselors aren't surprised by the latest numbers showing use is down among South Dakota teenagers. But a counselor with Volunteers of America is stopping short of calling the encouraging results a trend.
Apr 26, 2010
Bowden Boutique Helps FamiliesVolunteers turned a youth center's gymnasium into a boutique today, complete with free haircuts, manicures, and clothing for the entire family.
Apr 22, 2010
Volunteers of America Helps Runaway Teens and Families1.6 million teens run away each year in the United States. Thousands will end up dead, and even more will be exploited. Most in Sioux Falls are reunited with their families, and help is available for them in Sioux Falls.
Mar 12, 2010
Volunteers of America, Dakotas Builds New ShelterIt's a place where women and their children can go to escape from abuse, heal from drug addictions or start a life after prison. Volunteers of America is building a Pettigrew Heights apartment complex that will provide safe recovery housing for women and children, and they need your help for the finishing touches.
Mar 1, 2010
Volunteers of America, Dakotas Helps the 'Hidden Homeless'The homeless are everywhere, in nearly every U.S. community, living with friends, family, or in shelters. But there's a different kind of need that's growing by the day. They're not kids, but they're not adults either; they're somewhere in between, and they're often called the "hidden homeless."
Dec 18, 2009
Former Volunteers of America Participant Gives BackThis time of year it's always been said that giving is better than receiving, and Thursday night a KELOLAND teen was giving back to an organization that has given him so much. Loren Antoine and other volunteers wrapped nearly 600 gifts for the youth in the Volunteers of America programs.
Dec 3, 2009
Bowden Thanksgiving Dinner Draws Record NumbersThe Volunteers of America Bowden Youth Center hosted its 9th annual Thanksgiving dinner. More than 400 families came out to enjoy a warm Thanksgiving meal. The event drew record numbers. It was made possible by organizers and volunteers, and those who came out say their efforts didn't go unnoticed.
Oct 7, 2009
Youth Finds a Place at the Bowden Youth CenterMost evenings, you can find Carlos Tores at the Bowden Youth Center. The now 19-year-old moved to Sioux Falls in 2007 with hopes of starting a new life and living on his own. But when he moved into his own apartment, he knew things might get tough. Those struggles included running out of food and led him to the Banquet in Sioux Falls, where he learned about the Bowden Youth Center.
Aug 19, 2009
Foot Traffic Triples at Volunteers of America Thrift StoreClothing, appliances and furniture; for years, the Volunteers of America Thrift Store in Sioux Falls has helped families in need get what they need at a discounted price. But now the organization needs help, in the form of donations; that's because demand has tripled.
Jul 30, 2009
Volunteers of America Teachers Obtain Childhood Education DegreesNew requirements for some pre-school teachers could mean a better start to your child's education. Soon, Head Start instructors will have to have at least two years of schooling in childhood education. It may look like fun and games, but at the Volunteers of America childcare center, teachers don't waste a minute.
Jul 29, 2009
Bowden Youth Center Touches LivesTuesday night, the Volunteers of America Bowden Youth Center is celebrating a milestone. The central Sioux Falls facility opened ten years ago. Since then, it's welcomed thousands of children and teens and helped many of them through tough times.
Jun 23, 2009
Even Start Faces Long OddsFederal budget cuts are threatening a longtime education program for KELOLAND families in need. Even Start is a federal literacy program for disadvantaged parents and their kids. Congress has trimmed Even Start funding in recent years. And now the Obama Administration has proposed eliminating it altogether in 2010.
Mar 17, 2009
Volunteers of America Provides HIV Prevention in Our CommunityA Sioux Falls mother of four who has been living with HIV for ten years wants women to understand that they can have a quality life even after being diagnosed with HIV. Nicole Burger of Volunteer of America Dakotas works with those living with HIV in Sioux Falls.