Friends of the Children He Sapa fosters lasting, supportive relationships with the youth

By Jasmine Davis

Published: Apr. 3, 2025 at 9:35 AM MDT

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - A study shows 1 in 3 young people grow up without a mentor...Research confirms that professional mentoring can have a huge impact on kids in many different ways, such as personal, academic, and professional situations.

“I’m able to guide and offer information to not just the youth, but their caregiver, and give them empathy and support.. And it makes my life make sense”, said Hattie Dunham, a Professional Mentor “Relative ”at Friends of the Children He Sapa.

Friends of the Children He Sapa commits to every child that they work with long-term, starting from kindergarten to graduation, and into their adult lives.

“We get to grow with the kids who face adversity. Many of our mentors have experienced these adversities, and they know how to navigate them very well using resources that they’ve learned to use, so we have a wide array of mentors that can help with any type of situation”, said Walt Swan, Jr, the Executive Director.

This program is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty and empowering youth for long-term success, emphasized by the Project Director, Tyresha Grey Horse.

“We’re directly impacting generational poverty and working to fix it, so through the professional mentors and the relationships they have with the youth that we serve. We are planting the seeds for future leaders in our communities because there is so much strength and so much potential.“