Helping by removing barriers keeping people in poverty

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - A Rapid City non-profit organization is helping fight homelessness by believing in second chances for those that are going through the crisis of poverty.

For OneHeart, creating a pathway that unhoused people can take out of poverty is the organization’s goal.

“We do that by reducing or removing as many barriers as we can that tend to keep people in the crisis of poverty,” said OneHeart community engagement coordinator Julie Oberlander.

The services on their campus range from transitional housing to mentorships that aim to get people back on their feet. The programs available through OneHeart are geared to get people to stay for a longer period until they feel comfortable with the skills they learned throughout the program.

“We expect and want people to be here longer than what an emergency center might want,” said Oberlander. “The more likely you are when you leave to be able to be self-sufficient.”

If an individual cannot find the resource they are looking for with OneHeart, they will help them look for an agency that has what a person is looking for.

“If we don’t have that resource for them here on this campus, we want to connect them to one of our partnering agencies that can help,” said Oberlander.

If you would like to donate to OneHeart or learn how to get more involved with the organization, you can head to their website.

Copyright 2023 KOTA. All rights reserved.