Darlene Hillmer's work day on Friday, Dec. 5 started with a call about a fire alarm and evacuating the Children's Home Shelter for Family Safety where she serves as assistant program director. Shortly after, she and her team were standing in more than two inches of water in the basement, surrounded by ruined toys, clothes, diapers and other essential supplies.
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A burst pipe had caused the alarm to go off, and the resulting water damage left the nonprofit with two dumpsters full of now-ruined supplies.
- Included in the damage was a pile of toys the shelter had planned to gift to residents during the upcoming holiday season.
The shelter, which opened in a larger location in 2022, has been at or over capacity in recent weeks, Hillmer said. The capacity is 108, but there have been nights where the shelter has housed as many as 120 people.
Thankfully, none of the water hit the living quarters, so shelter guests were largely unaffected. But staff offices were damaged, and many of the supplies stored in the basement had to either be laundered or thrown out.
What happened next?
The shelter put out a call to local media and the broader community later that day explaining the situation and asking for help – specifically for toys for kids, and essentials like diapers and laundry detergent.
"The response was overwhelming," Hillmar said.
She had other nonprofits saying they'd set aside diapers to help the shelter get through the weekend. Businesses offered support, including donations from Vern Eide and Lloyd Companies and many other community partners. Individuals reached out via social media. Friends and family of shelter employees offered help.
And, in the end, Sioux Falls did what it does best: showed up.
"Because of the generosity of Sioux Falls, we absolutely will be able to provide a wonderful holiday for our families, and it wouldn't have been possible without the support of the community.
