Black Hills Coalition urges community action on homelessness

During the Rapid City Council meeting Sept. 16, the Black Hills Regional Homeless Coalition presented its "We Connect Community" initiative, calling for greater community involvement in addressing homelessness.

Amy Ritchie, project administrator for Volunteers of America and the Black Hills Regional Homeless Coalition said the coalition's goals are to provide services for the homeless population, raise awareness, and promote long-term societal change. With more than 40 organizations collaborating, the coalition aims to connect people to essential services and create solutions to homelessness through education and community engagement.

"We believe that when we build the individual, we build the community," Ritchie said. "This initiative isn't about curing homelessness, but educating the community and providing options for those who want to help."

The coalition's new campaign seeks to increase awareness of homelessness issues in Rapid City, educate residents, and offer guidance on how individuals can assist those in need.

"There's no one answer," Ritchie said. "Every person experiencing homelessness has different circumstances. This initiative is about educating the public on available services and how to connect people to those services."

The coalition's efforts include public presentations, the creation of a toolkit to assist businesses in navigating interactions with homeless individuals, and the introduction of a "text-to-give" campaign. The campaign allows community members to donate funds directly to the Black Hills Area Community Foundation, which will then be distributed to local homeless organizations through a competitive grant process.

According to Ritchie, Rapid City is already making strides to address homelessness, pointing out the work of the Co-Response Team. The team, made up of police officers, mobile medics, and social services organizations like Journey On, offers hands-on support for homeless individuals, helping to reduce emergency room visits and other costly interventions.

"We're doing a lot as a city," Ritchie said. "We have great service providers, and this initiative will help inform people about what's already being done."

While acknowledging that homelessness in Rapid City is not yet on the scale of cities like Seattle or Los Angeles, Ritchie urged the council and community to act early to prevent further growth of the issue.

"We're small enough that we can all play in the same sandbox," she said. "If we get started early, hopefully we won't have 50 tents in the park that we have to figure out how to deal with."

The "We Connect Community" initiative also aims to address common misconceptions about homelessness, such as the notion that all homeless individuals are long-term or willfully transient. Ritchie said that each person's situation is unique, and the key to reducing homelessness lies in fostering collaboration between government, service providers, and civic organizations.

Looking ahead, the coalition is updating its "Community Connect" tool book to reflect more recent statistics and Point in Time count numbers, a metric used to track homelessness over time.

Donations can be made by texting RCGIVES to 605-550-8193 for those interested in supporting the initiative. The coalition also welcomes requests for presentations on homelessness to businesses, organizations, or community groups.

"We just want to create a more educated community," Ritchie said. "It takes everybody on board."

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