You create opportunities for your friends, family, and neighbors with disabilities. The Black Hills Works Foundation connects you to the difference you want to make.
Where would you like your gift to go?
Every area below is privately funded, meaning your gift makes it possible. Choose the priority that speaks to your heart, or give to where the need is the greatest.
- Greatest Needs: Essential items โ groceries, clothing, medications โ for those who need them most
- Housing: Safe, affordable, community-based homes and housing supports
- Arts Expression: The Suzie Cappa Art Center & Flutter Productions are two unique artistic treasures you can support
- Health, Wellness & Recreation: Healthy food, outdoor adventures, Special Olympics, and friendships
- Legacy Park: A peaceful, accessible outdoor space for participants and the whole community
Whose life will you change today?
Give where your heart leads you.
Meeting Greatest Needs
Filling the Gaps
For more than 65 years, you and generations of donors before you have ensured that people with disabilities have their essential needs met. You have supported groceries, work shoes, winter coats, medical co-pays, clothing, and more.
Yes! I want my gift to support greatest needs!
Learn about Peggy’s Greatest Needs
Meet Peggy
Peggy was living independently with minimal support until a fall and ongoing health issues changed everything. She needed more help, and you came through. Your support provided housing with more supports, furniture, hygiene products, groceries, medication co-pays, and clothing.
Without the stress of unmet needs, Peggy earned her GED, reconnected with her family, and eventually moved into a shared living home โ living with a family who opened their home and hearts to her.
Because of you, Peggy is living her best life.
Peggy is one of nearly 600 Black Hills Works participants. Many live on a fixed Social Security income, which โ after rent and groceries โ leaves an average of just $120 per month for everything else. Your gift today makes an immediate, essential difference.
Housing for Now and the Future
Home is Where Everything Begins
At Black Hills Works, we support hundreds of adults with disabilities in a variety of settings, including in our residential homes, their own apartments, shared living with host families, and living with family. Community-based housing leads to greater independence, stronger relationships, and a better quality of life. Your gift today in support of housing is the gift of security, stability, and happy memories.
Yes! I want to support housing and happy memories!
Learn More About Waylon’s Housing Story
Meet Waylon
Since leaving the institution nearly five years ago, Waylon is thriving. Before coming to Black Hills Works, he didn’t walk, communicate, or have meaningful input into his daily life. Today, he selects his own groceries, volunteers in his community, no longer needs a wheelchair, and uses a tablet to communicate. Staff describe him as a “social butterfly and prankster.”
Because of you, Waylon and his friends have a place to call home โ where memories are made and security is found.
Waylon is one of nearly 400 Black Hills Works participants who have an affordable home because of you. Your gift in support of housing helps us provide right-sized, “smart” housing for current and future participants that maximizes independence. Our array of housing options also ensures that participants can age in place with Black Hills Works and avoid nursing home placement. That’s what you make possible when you give – happy memories and the security of a place to call home.
Arts Expression
Creativity for the Heart and Soul
For more than 25 years, you have made it possible for Black Hills Works to offer professional arts programming to participants. Two unique, privately funded programs depend on your support.
The Suzie Cappa Art Center, founded in 2001 in memory of artist Suzie Cappa, provides 30 working artists with disabilities the supplies, training, and studio to create their work โ and a gallery to display and sell it to a grateful community. Thanks to you, the art center expansion is complete allowing for us to welcome even more artists who will be meaningfully employed, creating beautiful art.
Flutter Productions, founded in 2015, is a one-of-a-kind all-ability theater and contemporary dance program. Participants take classes, attend workshops and camps, and perform in full stage productions alongside community volunteers.
Learn More About Jill’s Artistic Story
Meet Jill
Meet Jill
Jill is an artist and an actress. At the Suzie Cappa Art Center, she earns an income selling jewelry, textile art, and her sought-after pipe cleaner fashion heads. On the Flutter stage, she is fully present โ focused, purposeful, and proud.
Her mom, Kay Anderson, put it simply: “When she is on that stage you can just tell she is all there. She has a job to do, and she does her job. These are my proud momma moments.”
Jill and her peers have changed hearts and minds across our community. They demonstrate all that is possible when people with disabilities are given a chance to shine.
Suzie Cappa Art Center and Flutter Productions are supported primarily by private donations. Without you, these artistic treasures would not be possible.
Health, Wellness, and Recreation
Supporting Happiness, Inclusion, and Friendship
When you support health, wellness, and recreation, you are investing in the physical and emotional wellbeing of Black Hills Works participants. Your gifts make possible healthy food guidance, hikes in the Black Hills, nights out with friends, sports supplies, trips to the fair, art classes, and camping adventures.
These are activities that nourish body and soul โ the sort of activities we all need to live meaningful days โ but out of reach for our participants without your help.
Learn More About Health, Wellness, and Recreation
Mary’s Legacy
Peary Wilson describes his late sister, Mary, as the “bravest person I knew.”
Mary, who had Down syndrome, benefited from Black Hills Works programs and supports from her earliest learning years. She especially enjoyed Special Olympics and recreational activities with friends and staff, such as going into the Black Hills for picnics, hiking, fishing, and camping.
To honor Mary’s memory, Peary has established a Recreation Fund in memory of Mary and their parents, Glen and Lois.
“Life wasn’t easy for Mary, but she had a great attitude, worked hard, and had fun. Special Olympics and other recreational activities were always part of her life, part of her joy. We want that for others.”
Peary invites you to join him in supporting the health, wellness, and recreation of Black Hills Works participants! Your donation is the gift of happiness, inclusion, and friendships.
Whose life will you change today?
Give the gift of happiness, inclusion, and friendship today!
Legacy Park
Artists with Thank You Sign A Place for Everyone to Belong
The Black Hills Works Legacy Park, to be located at Black Hills Works on Range Road in Rapid City, will be a quiet, natural space where participants, families, staff, and the broader community can reflect, connect, and enjoy the outdoors together.
The accessible park will connect to the Tom Pfeifle Trails at Raider Park, Mary Hall Park, and ultimately the Rapid City bike path โ and across Range Road to West Middle School and the Remembering the Children Memorial. Future phases will include indigenous trees and plants, benches for reflection, memorials, and opportunities for nearby students to learn, plant, and participate in outdoor classroom activities.
Your gift in support of the Black Hills Works Legacy Park is the gift of reflection, nature, and unity for the Black Hills Works family and the general public for generations to come.
Ways To Give
You change lives with your gift of time or treasure. Whether you give cash, stock, volunteer, or make a plan to leave a legacy, you give the gift of possibility, opportunity, and community.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Become a Sponsor Today!
Sponsorship is a unique opportunity for businesses in our community to partner with us to create pathways to possibilities together.
Our Foundation
Established in 1982, the Black Hills Works Foundation is a dynamic, diverse team dedicated to ensuring that the comprehensive quality services provided by Black Hills Works remain available to the people we support, now and into the future.
Thanks to a generous, supportive community, we are able to enrich the lives of people with disabilities by developing resources, creating awareness, providing advocacy, engaging supporters, and managing assets to support our priorities.
We look forward to connecting you to the impact you want to make! Contact us today at [email protected] or 605-718-6274.
