Thursday, June 30, 2011

Black Hills Power Donates $2,500 to NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources.


Sturgis, SD (05/04/2011) – Tom Berry, on Behalf of Black Hills Power, presented a check in the amount of $2,500 to NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources Executive Director, Joy McCracken.

The donation proceeds from Black Hills Power will support NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources community outreach program Group Cares (formerly Group Workcamps.) Group Cares is a non-profit, interdenominational Christian volunteer home-repair organization headquartered in Loveland, Colorado.  For the sixth time, NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources, along with Sturgis Brown High school sponsor the Workcamps July 10th-16th in the Northern Black Hills.

This year over 400 youth and adults from around the nation will visit the Black Hills and perform work on 56 homes. At each Workcamp, teenagers and adults – all members of church youth groups – volunteer a week of their time to repair homes throughout the community.  “This represents about 12,000 hours of volunteer labor, worth over $120,000, to the community,” said Sharon Martinisko, Community Outreach Coordinator for NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources. 

NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources would like to thank all of their sponsors and organization that helped them exceed their goal of $20,000: Meade County Commission, $5,000;  Lawrence County Commissioner. $5,000; Black Hills Power, $2500; City of Sturgis, $3,000; SMRI, $1,000; Wesleyan Church, $1,000; Sturgis United Way, $1,000; Knights of Columbus $1,000.  NeighborWorks would also like to thank all of the volunteers and sponsors that helped raise $617 from the Pancake Feed Fundraiser. NWDHR also thanks Larry & Cindy Griffin, Iverson Construction and Northern Hills FCU for sponsoring a home during Group Workcamps Week. 

The donations will help provide materials needed to help repair local area residents’ homes.  Repairs offered through the Workcamp include interior and exterior painting, weatherization, porch construction and repair, wheelchair ramp construction, and other work.   

Since 1992, NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources has provided a variety of programs and services that has assisted more than 800 low-and moderate-income families with the purchase of their homes.  For more information about NeighborWorks’ programs and services, call 578-1401 or visit its website at www.neigborworksdhr.org.  

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Paint the Town 2011

Northern and Southern Hills Residents Paint the Town
Deadwood SD- NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources and volunteers celebrated the 16th annual Paint the Town June 4th-11th. The event was apart of NeighborWorks American National NeighborWorks Week.  Armed with paint brushes and cans of paint, residents from the Northern and Southern Hills painted a house in the communities of Box Elder, Lead, Deadwood, Edgemont, Sturgis and Rapid City. 

Six homes were painted throughout the Black Hills. Including the first home that was painted for Paint the Town in 1994.  Long time Deadwood resident Bill Auer has lived in his home for 75 years.  Being located right on Main Street, and high traffic area, it is one of the first structures that many see when they enter Deadwood. To improve the visual impact and the quality of Mr. Bill Auer’s home volunteers scraped, painted and made the home shine.  The first “Paint the Town” was held in June 1994 when 25 volunteers painted one house in Deadwood.  Over the last 16 years, over 80 homes and over 3000 volunteers have dedicated time to this annual event.  Paint the Town is not just for the homeowner, it has a positive affect on the whole community. 

“Community improvement activities are a vital piece of neighborhood revitalization,” said Sharon Martinisko Community Outreach Coordinator of NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources. “The volunteers are making their neighbor’s homes look better, and in doing so you’re making the whole community look better. For most of these families, there’s no other way this is going to happen, and they just appreciate it so much.”

This year marked the 28th Anniversary of the event sponsored by NeighborWorks America.  During National NeighborWorks Week, organizations across the country mobilize tens of thousands of business people, residents and government officials in a week of neighborhood change and awareness.
Plant Swap 2011 
In the Lead-Deadwood area, volunteers planted flowers for Plant the Town, painted homes, and the Fourth Annual Community Plant Swap was held giving both new and experienced gardeners the opportunity to share and swap plants and ideas.  NeighborWorks® weeks ended with a bang at the First ever Lead Live Open Summer Market.  All of the events helped bring community members together.  If you would like more information on NeighborWorks Week, or any of the other events that took place please contact NeighborWorks at 605-578-140.

NeighborWorks® ‘Paint the Town “is sponsored by NeighborWorks® America, South Dakota Housing Authority. Additional sponsors and volunteers for the 16th Annual Paint the Town Event include: Deadwood Gulch, TDG Communications, Lead Chamber, First Interstate Bank of Sturgis Lead/Deadwood and Rapid City, BoxElder Job Corp, Black Hills Baptist Church, Northern Hills Federal Credit Union, and Wells Fargo.

For More Information Contact
NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources
Media Contact: Sharon
605-578-1401

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Monday, June 13, 2011

Lead Live Brings Sunshine to Lead Main Street


Over 200 community members came out and enjoyed Lead Live on June 11th. Can't wait to see you all again on July 9th! Spread the word!

Lead SD, June 11, 2011- Lead Live Open Summer Market kicked off with a bang.  Over 200 community members gathered around Lead Main Street to celebrate community and enjoy music, food and home made items. 

Music filled the air in down town Lead all night.  Steve Thorpe, Fancy CreekJumpers, and Sioux Falls musician Shantel Bolks, brought their talents to Lead main street and helped us a celebrate the importance of community.  Lead resident Kena Brown also performed her belly dance routine. 

The residents of Lead made this event a success.  Smiles and laughter kept the sun shining.  Children enjoyed the jumping castle while parents and residents shopped at the local vendors.

“Lead Live is for the community of Lead, this event it to get the residents out and about and enjoy everything that Lead has to offer.  Lead is a great community with lots of great ideas; Lead Live just helps bring all of the great ideas together!” NeighborWorks Marketing Director, Stephany Valkenburg.

Next month, July 9th Paul Kopco and Straight Shooter will be performing on the Lead Live Stage from 4pm-8pm. 

Lead Live would like to thank all of the vendors, residents and sponsors that came out and supported the event.  NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources, Lead Chamber, Homestake Visitor Center, Wharf Gold Resources, Deadwood/Lead Art Center, Black Hills Mining Museum, Golden Hills Resort, Lead Historic Opera House, First National Bank, The Lodge at Deadwood and Lead-Deadwood Community Foundation.

For more information on Lead contact NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resource at 605-578-1401 or find us on facebook @Lead Live. 



 The men of the hour!  Fancy CreekJumpers kept Lead Live a Rockin!  Thanks Guys! We are so lucky to have you in our community!



Shantel Bolks acoustic performance on the Lead Live Stage June 11, 2011.  You are welcomed to come back share your talent with us anytime! We love it!!