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Positive Stories & News

Our Vision Became Their Success Story

  • "Having a place like LSS where you have trained caring professionals that care about what they do—that's a big deal. Wherever that trip takes you, they walk with you that whole trip. Read more about Craig and Brian’s journey here.

  • When Vicki Breeman arrived at LSS 32 years ago, she felt like her life was spiraling. “I landed in the right place. LSS changed my life.” Today, she wants to help others. “It’s always on my mind. I guess when I look back, I regret that I waited so long. What they did for me changed my life, and that’s why I’m here today.” Read Vicki’s full story here.

  • Ku is thriving because of the love of the Hornick family. "I can't imagine life without our foster kids. They are part of us. Our purpose is to love them. Because of LSS I have a family." Every day Ku surprises everyone with his words and actions. Read more about the Hornick’s family journey here.

  • Many people go through life masking the pain of childhood trauma. People like Lisa. But they are not alone and they don’t have to go through it alone. “It is a beautiful thing to witness someone break free from the impact of their childhood trauma.” Read more of Lisa’s story here.

  • We share stories about the people whose lives have changed through our work and your support—more so leading up to our Day of Giving now through April 27—South Dakota Cares. The story of LSS is written by each person who walks through our doors. “Why we exist at LSS—it’s to meet people where they are when they finally have the courage to pick up that phone or walk in asking for help.” Read more about the courage of those first steps here.

  • Double Your Impact—Your support becomes their success story. Your gift to one of four matches can make a significant impact: Building Successful Families Match, Enhancing Access to Mental Healthcare Match, Helping Children in Foster Care Challenge, and Offering Cutting-Edge Care Challenge. Read stories of change and see how you can increase the impact of your gift at SouthDakotaCares.org now through April 27.

  • All it takes is one unexpected turn to uproot a stable, healthy family and send them spinning. These families may be tempted to brace hardship alone; however, just a bit of extra help can make a world of difference. Such was the story for Tara and her family. Read more.

  • Nobody should feel alone during a time of transition and financial strain. Stephanie started her plan following a series of events that drastically changed her life. "It was the kind of thing you just couldn't predict," said Stephanie. "I'm a very independent, 'I can do it, I don't need your help' kind of person...but after a few months, I realized it was time to swallow my pride and talk to somebody. You don't have to be in a critical situation' to seek help, 'you just have to want to be better.'

  • Our past experiences profoundly shape how we interpret the world and the people around us. For those who carry deep hurt or trauma, the instinct to build walls or maintain control often can lead to inflicting pain on others. At LSS, these individuals find grace as they grow in self-awareness and learn to move forward — building a future where they can feel healthy, safe and accepted in their relationships. This story rings true for Marie, read more.

  • When Hohman started with LSS Mentoring Services, he had one mentee, Dakhym. Over time, Hohman stepped in and offered to mentor his twin brother Payton together. He became a stable presence and a dependable friend to the boys. Of course, their younger brother had to come along too. "I’m not going to let them down." Read the full story.

  • After foster care, Cherokee needed help getting on her feet. She connected with Independent Living Services at LSS, where she met Denise. “What I learned at LSS was life-saving.” Read more about Cherokee here.

  • “The kids come into our program when they’ve had serious struggles and are not successful in their home environment anymore. They often come to us after multiple hospitalizations and suicide attempts. The majority of our kids have a lot of trauma in their background, and we focus on helping them work through that in therapy. ”

  • You often get a glimpse of life stories from the people we serve—a quote, a few paragraphs, rarely a full story of their challenges and successes. Joe’s life story answers why our vision is that all people in South Dakota will be healthy, safe and accepted.

  • Over time, families grow and change, and encounter new and complex challenges.

  • We listen to individuals and families about their strengths, challenges and what they need to succeed.

  • "It was the biggest decision of my life." In college, expecting twins, she chose open adoption – which proved to be the right decision for her."

  • Life can be challenging, and it’s easy for families to get overwhelmed when chaos surrounds them.

  • We are excited about the collaboration between Leadership Aberdeen and LSS to bring mentoring into the Aberdeen School District.

  • Anyone who has been in debt knows the weight it puts on all areas of life.

  • “We think we are alone. It’s not true.” Amber remembers, “They made me feel like I was a person—that I could be seen. People should never feel the way I did. LSS was there to help me and my son.”

  • Enjoy this wonderful reminder of the difference four hours a month can make.

  • “They helped me create a plan and walked me through the steps of what I needed — I’d never had anybody do that for me.”

  • The path to parenthood is unique to each family. Some will arrive suddenly, while others plan the birth of a child years in advance.

  • At LSS, we connect people with the resources to help them be their best selves. That means we work with community partners to help meet client needs and ensure our whole person family-centered approach is carried out successfully.