• Get signed up for summer camp.* Sign-ups are open for YMCA's Camp Leif Ericson this summer, and 1,600 kids have already claimed their spot. There's still plenty of space for more, but act quickly because some camp sections have already filled. The camp is a one-of-a-kind summer camp experience to connect kids age 4 to 15 with the outdoors, and this year, kids will get a chance to play on the brand new outpost play structure.
  • "You go into another world for a couple of weeks, and you’re going to learn not only skills but stories and friendships that are going to last a lifetime," Camp Director Justin Lassen said.
• Parents can sign up their kids for camp here. And know that if cost is a barrier, the YMCA also offers scholarships, as well as a sliding fee scale.
• "We never want finances to be the reason someone can't go to camp," Lassen said. Learn more here.
• Kids left without legal help after funding cuts. Dozens of kids in the Sioux Falls area will be left without help navigating the legal process for seeking asylum as an unaccompanied minor after South Dakota Voices for Peace received a stop work order from the federal government. It's important to note, as Executive Director Taneeza Islam shared, that this is the established legal process for kids to seek asylum, and these kids are not entering the country illegally. You can learn more and offer support here.
• New forums on homelessness. Good NAtured this week announced a new, community-led forum for dialogue and action in addressing the needs of unhoused folks in the community. The monthly forum will kick off Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. at Good NAtured, and will recur the last Wednesday of each month.
• Bishop Dudley sees record high need. With frigid temperatures this week, the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House is facing extreme challenges in serving everyone who needs help, according to an email from Executive Director Madeline Shields.
  • "To say our shelter is full is an understatement," she said. "It’s 'standing room only' and at night guests sleep wherever they can find floor space. Our kitchen has been running out of food every day this week due to the huge increase in guests we are serving."
  • You can help by volunteering or offering financial support.
• Help determine the future of Sioux Falls parks. The city is ready to start talking about the next master plan for Sioux Falls park system, which will guide decisions about parks, trails, facilities, programs, events, and open spaces in Sioux Falls for the next five years. You can learn more and share your thoughts here.

*Denotes a sponsored story.