Welcome to Building Our Families
Our Mission
Building Our Families empowers families through wraparound, trauma-informed supports that address physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs. By building trusting relationships and equipping families with lifelong skills, we strengthen the health and resilience of our entire community.
Building Our Families
Building Our Families functions as a community hub that links families to the supports they need.
Rather than creating new systems, we connect and strengthen existing ones. We help families access services, stay engaged, and move between programs without falling through the cracks.
This coordinated approach improves outcomes for families while reducing strain on emergency, healthcare, and child welfare systems.
A Speck of Hope
A Speck of Hope is not just an organization, but a Community. We are a community who fights for the possibility of freedom through our anxiety and through whatever hinders our Mental Health.
Everybody’s Mental Health exists on a different level, but nobody’s is perfect. To exist is to have a mind, and to have a mind is to have mental health. This makes up who we are and how we exist in our world today.
Rachel's Hope
Here at Rachel’s Hope, we believe that everyone should have access to personal hygiene and household cleaning essentials.
We strive to provide accessible assistance of these essentials to anyone who presents a need, regardless of their life circumstances.
We offer delivery to homes, no questions asked. It's not a special request, it's an option provided to all who seek assistance.
Our Store
Our Store is a community store with a purpose — open to everyone.
When you shop here, your purchase helps meet real needs for local children and families, like food, diapers, school supplies, safety items, and support during crisis.
Some families shop.
Some families receive support through our Free Store by referral.
Shopping here helps us respond faster, keep services local, and support families with dignity.
The Building Our Families Story
Founded in 2018 through the vision of Carol Weber and Living Word Church, Building Our Families began as a grassroots effort to support local families in crisis. A board of compassionate community members formed to lead the initiative, seeking support from area churches and organizations. Today, our board has grown—and we are actively inviting new members who share our passion for protecting children and strengthening families.
Supporting Families.
Strengthening Mental Health.
Building Stability.
Building Our Families exists because families in crisis need more than appointments — they need support in the moments in between.
In our rural communities, mental health and family support services are often far away. Long travel distances, limited transportation, and complex systems can make it hard for families to get the help they need — especially during times of crisis.
That’s where we come in.
We provide local, trauma-informed, wraparound support for children and families experiencing mental health challenges, crisis, housing instability, and child welfare involvement. We work alongside existing services — not in place of them — to help families stay supported, connected, and stable.
BOOST Program
Building Opportunities with Optimal Supports & Teaching
BOOST is our community-based program designed to support families when life feels overwhelming.
We focus on helping families stabilize, strengthen mental and emotional well-being, and stay engaged with the services already available to them.
What BOOST Offers
BOOST provides practical, relationship-based support, including:
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Support during mental health challenges and crisis
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Ongoing guidance to reduce stress, isolation, and overwhelm
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Help navigating healthcare, schools, child protection, and housing systems
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Support for parents and caregivers working to stabilize their families
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Coordination with community partners to improve follow-through and outcomes
BOOST meets families where they are — emotionally, mentally, and practically.
Why BOOST Matters
Families in crisis often face real barriers:
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Long travel distances to services
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Limited transportation
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Complex systems that are hard to navigate
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Mental health symptoms that make follow-through difficult
BOOST provides consistent, trusted support close to home. By offering help between appointments and systems, we reduce crisis escalation and help families stay connected to care.
Who We Serve
BOOST supports:
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Families experiencing mental health challenges
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Parents and caregivers in crisis
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Families involved with child protection or foster care
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Children impacted by trauma, instability, or family stress
Our goal is to help families feel supported, capable, and moving forward — together.
How We Work
Collaboration is central to our approach. We partner with:
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Healthcare and mental health providers
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Schools and school support staff
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Child Protection Services and foster families
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Housing and community action programs
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Local nonprofits and resource providers
By working together, we strengthen services, reduce duplication, and improve outcomes for families and children.
Our Approach
BOOST is:
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Trauma-informed
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Relationship-based
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Strength-focused
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Family-centered
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Community-driven
We believe mental health is a family issue, and that healing happens when families feel safe, supported, and understood.
Our Impact
Our work helps:
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Increase engagement with mental health and support services
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Reduce crisis escalation and emergency interventions
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Strengthen family stability and caregiver capacity
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Improve continuity of care across systems
By supporting families early and consistently, we help build healthier outcomes for children and stronger communities.
Supporting Foster & Kinship Families
Building Our Families supports foster and kinship families across Region 5, including Grant, Deuel, Codington, Clark, Hamlin, Brookings, Lake, Miner, and Moody counties.
We provide practical supports that help caregivers meet children’s needs, reduce stress, and build connections. Support may include:
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Children’s essentials to meet everyday needs
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Trauma-informed comfort items, including trauma blankets
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State park passes to encourage healthy family time and connection
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Free cheese through our partnership with Valley Queen
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Foster camp opportunities for children and families
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Special family events that build community and support
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Training and education to strengthen caregivers and reduce burnout
Our goal is to support foster and kinship families in meaningful, respectful ways — so caregivers feel supported and children have what they need to heal and thrive.
Need Support or Want to Learn More?
If your family is struggling, you are not alone.
Building Our Families is here to help.
A safe place to land.
A strong place to start.
If you are in need of services, please fill out the form below and someone will contact you promptly.
If you are a partner or funder, thank you for helping us strengthen families in our community.
Building Our Families
Staff
Terri Mielitz
Executive Director
Kristal Gallegos
Our Store - Assistant Manager
Help further our mission, scan the QR code to donate now to Bof!
Your support means the world to us. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of children and families. Join Building Our Families in our mission to create a brighter future for all. Every contribution, big or small, helps us build stronger communities and brighter tomorrows.
Our Sponsors
655 Walnut St., Big Stone City, SD 57216
Our Store advances family stability by generating local, sustainable support for children and families through a community-based retail model.
Our Store is not just for “poor people.”
It’s a community store with a purpose.
Anyone can shop at Our Store — in person or beyond our local area. We now offer bulk boxes and shipping, allowing people outside our community to find great value while still supporting local families.
When you shop here, your purchase helps meet real needs for children and families who are struggling. That may include food, diapers, school items, safety supplies, transportation to visits, or help during a crisis.
How it works:
Retail Store
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Open to everyone
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Shop like any other store or purchase bulk boxes
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Every dollar supports Building Our Families
Free Store
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For families referred through our programs, foster care, or partner agencies
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Items are available at no cost during crisis or while families work toward stability
When you shop, you’re helping another family — right here in our community.
Why this matters:
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Helps us respond faster
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Keeps services local
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Reduces barriers
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Builds dignity, not dependency
Shopping here is a way to give without paperwork, help without judgment, and support families quietly and respectfully.
If you shop here — thank you.
If you need help — we’re here.
If you’re both at different times — that’s okay too.
That’s what a strong community looks like.
