Carrie Moser, Author at Black Hills Works

The Unsung Hero in the Founding of Black Hills Works

January 7, 2025 | Black Hills Works Newsroom, Blogs

As Black Hills Works enters its 67^th year of helping adults with disabilities thrive in Rapid City, we would like to take this opportunity to recognize someone who has been overlooked in Black Hills Works’ history: Jim Kibben.

Founded in 1958, the story of Black Hills Works usually centers on Alice Kibben and her work organizing families of children with disabilities, with the promise of a bright future for their family members. Like the parents she pulled together, her motivation was the birth of the Kibben’s son, Winfield.

Win was born in 1949 during an era when professionals told parents that they would be better off institutionalizing their children with disabilities.

The Kibbens refused to accept this conventional wisdom, and Alice led the charge to organize families from across the state to call for education, research, community opportunities, and favorable legislation for all children and adults with disabilities.

It was her husband, Jim, however, that convinced Alice to carry the torch that led to the eventual founding of Black Hills Works, and he was an advocacy force in his own right.

Roxanne, one of the four Kibben children, describes her mother, Alice, as very driven, especially for a woman in the 1950s. Roxanne’s parents did not start their family until their late-30s, focusing instead on intellectual pursuits and running a successful business.

According to Roxanne, when Win was born, her mother was devasted. For Alice, having a child born with a disability felt like a personal failure. Like so many mothers of that era, she blamed herself for his disabilities and saw a bleak future for him.

Her father, Jim, however, saw a different path. Blind himself, he could envision what Alice couldn’t: a happy future for Win and all children with disabilities.

“Win will be our happiest child,” he assured Alice.

Jim’s heartfelt confidence in a bright future for Win helped Alice and ultimately buoyed her into action. Alice wanted to give all children with disabilities a fair shot at life, and she was equally motivated to tell other mothers not to blame themselves.

Together, Jim and Alice organized families from across the state. Jim served on the statewide board, chartering the small aircraft to meetings in the eastern part of South Dakota. He also spearheaded fundraisers and used his company supplies and secretarial support for early communication efforts.

Jim and Alice were involved nationally, connecting with families from across the country through the then-called National Association for Retarded Citizens, now simply The Arc. They attended conferences, networked with other families, and learned all they could about supporting children with disabilities in their home communities.

In 1958, the Kibbens adopted The Arc’s national preschool curriculum for children with disabilities and hired Alma Kuster to teach ten children with disabilities, with the first classroom in the basement of the Kibben home. This modest classroom was the start of Black Hills Works (then called the Black Hills Workshop).

Jim’s influence and encouragement even went well beyond Black Hills Works, Rapid City, and the state. On August 12, 1968, the then-Executive Director of The Arc, Gunnard Dybwad, recalled a visit to the Kibben home where he met Win. He thanked Jim for teaching him “a lesson that I have restated literally around the world – a new look at the child with [disabilities].”

From these humble beginnings, Black Hills Works supports nearly 600 people with disabilities in western South Dakota, offering affordable, accessible housing, employment support, essential needs, and access to an inclusive community that welcomes them. The voices and lived experiences of the people we support and their families continue to show us the beauty of diversity and the strength of human potential.

Celebrating the future often means looking back at the trailblazers, to include Alice and Jim Kibben, who made it all possible. Sixty-seven years later we continue to embrace their mission and vision, celebrating opportunity through community. Today, a supportive community stands on their shoulders, and their donations of time and treasure make so much possible.

If you would like to support Black Hills Works and be part of our still unfolding story, give today at blackhillsworks.org/donate or contact Tamie Hopp, Director of Philanthropy, at [email protected] for more information.

Thank YOU for making the difference you do!

Plan Today for a Secure Tomorrow

August 3, 2024 | Black Hills Works Newsroom, Blogs

“Make-A-Will Month,” observed each August, serves as an excellent reminder about the importance of future planning for loved ones and causes that matter to you.

Planning for one’s own mortality is uncomfortable, and, for many people, talking about it with family members is even more difficult. This discomfort may explain why relatively few American adults have a will in place, even though most agree about the importance of advance planning.

“Nationally, 64 percent of adults surveyed agree it’s important to have a will,” said Tamie Hopp, Director of Philanthropy for the Black Hills Works Foundation, citing the annual Caring.com’s 2024 wills and estate planning survey. “Even so, only 32 percent actually have one.”

The Black Hills Works Foundation, a nonprofit supporting people with disabilities in Rapid City, hosts estate planning information sessions for families of adults with disabilities, connecting them with experts like attorneys and trust officers.

“Planning for an adult family member with disabilities who relies on programs like Medicaid and other public programs for support, adds another layer of complexity,” said Hopp. “Our free planning sessions help demystify the process a bit, and help families move forward with this essential work.”

Bequests, or trusts (often funded through a will upon the donor’s passing), are the most common ways professionals can help you provide for family members and make a lasting impact for the causes that matter most to you upon your passing.

Lois Perino wanted to make a lasting impact, so put plans in place that proved to be an enduring legacy for twelve organizations that mattered to her. She felt moved to support organizations helping people facing barriers or challenges.

“We were so heartened and grateful that Lois took the time make arrangements in her will to benefit Black Hills Works and eleven other worthy organizations,” said Hopp. “Through a simple will bequest, she changed countless lives.”

Having a will in place is also a gift to friends and family, as it serves as a roadmap of your intentions, making a difficult time of loss a bit easier. Lois didn’t share her estate plans with many people, including her close friend, Peggy Livingston, who Lois chose to administer her will.

“I was honored to carry out her charitable wishes and learn about the organizations that meant so much to Lois, including Black Hills works,” said Livingston.

Wilfred (“Shorty”) and Margaret Rasmussen, of Rapid City, understood the importance of carefully planning. Their legacy continues to benefit Rapid City-area children and people with disabilities, just as they did during their lifetime. Since the mid-1990s, following their deaths, the Wilfred & Margaret Rasmussen Trust, provide for in their wills, has contributed well over a million dollars to area nonprofits supporting children and people with disabilities.

Lyndell Petersen, trustee and Shorty’s close friend, is heartened, but not surprised, by his friend’s legacy.

“Shorty and Margaret didn’t have children of their own, so they supported kids in the community who might otherwise go without,” said Petersen, also a trustee to the Rasmussen. “They bought trophies for the Western Junior Livestock show reserve champions and hosted an annual Christmas party for the Boys Club. The kids loved them, and they loved the kids.”

Sara Gentry, Executive Director, Rapid City Club for Boys Foundation, agrees. “There are people on staff who still remember Shorty and Margaret fondly. They were so generous and genuinely seemed to enjoy their connections to the kids.”

The Rapid City Club for Boys, along with Black Hills Works and Girls Incorporated, are among the local organizations that have received annual gifts from the Rasmussen Trust for nearly three decades.

“I can’t overstate the meaningful impact Shorty and Margaret have had on the lives of the people we support,” said Hopp. “Because of them, our arts expression programs – Flutter Productions and Suzie Cappa Art Center – are thriving; homes supporting hundreds of people with disabilities have been upgraded and made more accessible; therapeutic sensory rooms are now in several homes; and so much more.”

Sensory rooms offer a therapeutic place where individuals with disabilities have agency over their own experience. Here, Lyndell Peterson (third from the right), a trustee for the Rasmussen Trust and friend to the couple, sees the impact of their gifts.

“They continue to impact the lives of the boys through their trust,” said Gentry, sharing that the Rasmussen Trust has funded Club for Boys’ program supplies for the educational, outdoor, recreation and sports programs. “They have left a meaningful legacy.”

“They would love that they are being remembered in this way,” said Shorty’s close friend, Lyndell.

Your personal roadmap to providing for family and causes that matter to you – your legacy – begins with your estate plan. With this being “Make-A-Will-Month,” there is no better time to start. Your planning today will change the lives of those you care about tomorrow.

Mary and Paul Rodrigues: Grateful for Peace of Mind

July 17, 2024 | Black Hills Works Newsroom, Blogs

Mary and Paul Rodrigues had successful careers in Northern California, and Mary’s daughter, Angie, had a job and coworkers she loved.

Other supports for Angie, however, were limited, and crime was on the rise in the neighborhood where she worked, so when a friend told them about Black Hills Works, making the move to Rapid City, South Dakota felt right.

Moving in 2019, Mary, Paul, and Angie quickly adapted to living in Rapid City. At that time, Mary supported Angie at home, with employment and day supports through Black Hills Works. Paul took a job at Habitat for Humanity, and then Feeding South Dakota where he served as the organization’s Western Operations Director until his recent retirement.

Grateful for the support Angie was receiving, Mary and Paul quickly became part of the Black Hills Works family. They attend nearly every Black Hills Works event, to include Suzie Cappa Art Center gatherings, the annual Gala, Flutter programs, and legacy planning learning opportunities.

They’ve enjoyed seeing Angie grow in her level of independence. She now lives in an apartment with a roommate and is working to be more independent. She’s keeping her space neat and is learning to cook. One goal is to someday have an apartment of her own, without a roommate.

Preparing for a future when they are no longer around is also foremost on their minds. They recently took a tour of some of Black Hills Works homes, looking at the range of supports offered, from 24/7 staffed group homes with individual apartments to a full care home.

“I know any future move will be based on a number of factors to include level of need and availability, and especially, Angie’s choice,” said Mary. “Still, Paul and I are so heartened to know that Angie will always be supported, as her needs change.”

The Rodrigues’s show their appreciation with annual donations through a tax-free IRA Qualified Minimum Distribution (QMD), and Mary has provided for Black Hills Works in her will, making her part of the organization’s Evergreen Society.

Their giving “why” is easy to figure out: Angie and her peers with disabilities, and a peace of mind Angie’s future.

“What would our community look like without Black Hills Works?,” remarked Paul. “People like Angie would not be involved, families and their loved ones would be isolated, and organizations like Feeding South Dakota would be without valuable volunteer support.”

“I’m truly grateful that Angie has Black Hills Works,” said Mary. “Having supported Angie her entire life, it was admittedly difficult to turn over care to someone else. The transition was hard, but seeing Angie grow more independent, and knowing her future is secure, is such a blessing.”

Thank you, Mary and Paul, for sharing Angie with us and being part of the Black Hills Work family! You are making an incredible difference in the lives of everyone we support!

Shared Living, the newest residential option available at Black Hills Works.

January 18, 2024 | Black Hills Works Newsroom, Blogs

Black Hills Works offers a range of residential options for those supported in its programs to best meet everyone’s unique needs and preferences. In the newest option, called shared living, individuals are matched as roommates with people in the community. Shared living provides the opportunity to live in a family setting and can be life changing for those who are not comfortable in other residential settings.

Importantly, while many shared living providers are not related to the individual they are matched with, family members can also apply to be shared living providers for their loved ones. Shared living providers are considered contractors with Black Hills Works and receive income for the services they provide. After an in-depth application and screening process, shared living providers go through robust training.

April Cayot has been a shared living provider for Kai Knutsen since May of 2022. She learned of the program through friends who spoke highly of it.

Kai, age 38, lives with April, her son, her granddaughters, and four dogs in the multigenerational family home. April smiles as she discusses Kai’s busy schedule, noting that he’s typically gone all day after breakfast together. “We have regular calendar meetings. Keeping his calendar up to date is very important to Kai.”

Kai loves to use Rapid Ride and Black Hills Works transportation to get to his job at Safeway, the YMCA for exercise, and to other activities. He’s also very involved in Special Olympics, enjoys “Friday Fun” outings with April and his friends, and has met a friend for lunch every Saturday for ten years. At home, he helps with chores and has become part of the extended family.

As a retiree, April appreciates the opportunity to earn an income outside of a traditional work environment. But being a shared living provider is about so much more than that. “It’s turned into a huge blessing,” she says.

Kai’s parents, Dr. Roger and Janice Knutsen, greatly appreciate the shared living program. “Kai still has his own independence,” his mom shares. “He has built a community for himself,” and shared living is an important part of that. She continues, “We can still have our life, our retirement, and we know Kai is well taken care of.”

Shared living providers aren’t on their own, either. April has a network of support and respite opportunities when needed. Black Hills Works staff provide guidance and case management and are always available when questions arise.

Tyler Brink is another individual supported by Black Hills Works who is thriving in the shared living program. His mom has been his shared living provider for four years. Tyler had previously lived in a home with several other young men. While he misses his friends, Tyler and his mom, Trine Brink, say that shared living has brought increased growth.

Like Janice and Kai, Trine says of her son, “He has become more independent. Yes, we’re family, but we’re roommates now. He’s responsible for himself. It’s been an effort on both sides.” Both agree that shared living provides a strong foundation for success in all other areas of Tyler’s life.

As his shared living provider, Trine can help Tyler process challenges and lessons in the moment as they arise. This immediacy helps him be better prepared when similar situations come up again, whether it’s household chores, waiting in long lines, budgeting, or catching the bus to work on time. Trine smiles at Tyler as they discuss his growth, reminding him, “You’re capable of all these things.”

For families considering shared living, Trine says, “The sky’s the limit for how you want to make it work for the person supported. Black Hills Works is very supportive. If you’re discouraged and feel like there aren’t any other options for your adult child, this is a new option.”

If you are interested in learning more about shared living, either as a provider or for a loved one, please reach out to Amanda Diers at (605) 718-6288 to learn more.