IMPACT
in the Northern Hills
Your Generosity in Action
Thanks to your support, United Way of the Black Hills is proud to share real stories — told in the words of our partners — that show how your generosity is making a difference every day.
Prairie Hills Transit – Prairie Hills Child Care
We currently have one little boy who is prone to emotional and physical outbursts. He has always had a hard time controlling his emotions and expressing his feelings. He used crying, hitting, and biting as his emotional outlet, sometimes endangering himself, or his fellow classmates and teachers.
He would miss multiple classroom activities and field trips due to his inability to regulate his emotions. Since using calm down kits and calm down corners, we have seen immense improvement in his overall ability to cope with his emotions.
Calm down kits benefit multiple children including this little boy, by offering them a structured way to manage their feelings. These kits typically include sensory items, like stress balls or textured fabrics, along with calming tools like deep-breathing exercises or visual aids.
When our little boy starts to feel overwhelmed, he now knows how to take deep breaths, ask for a sensory toy, or take a break to calm down. We call this a success story, because this little boy no longer has to leave his classroom or environment multiple times a day just to regulate his emotions. He is no longer endangering himself or other children when feeling upset. He is learning and improving daily with his self-soothing techniques.
Thanks to generous donors like you, United Way of the Black Hills is able to make stories like this possible!