Gilchrist Foundation Supports Capital Campaign for Boys and Girls Home
Boys and Girls Home of Sioux City has been working to improve the lives of children and families in the area for more than 100 years. In 2022 alone, it served 60 children in residential treatment as well as provided 754 group/family therapy sessions, 3779 individual therapy sessions, 124 mental health assessments and 15,121 pounds of emergency food relief. Because the need to help children and families is growing, Boys and Girls Home has developed plans to relocate some of its services to the new Ginny Peterson Behavioral Health Campus at 1551 Indian Hills Drive. It will accomplish this goal through a $8.5 million capital campaign that the Gilchrist Foundation is proud to support.
The Foundation has given $240,000 to support the campaign, $150,000 in 2021 and $90,000 in 2022, by helping to fund the media center and multi-purpose room at the Ginny Peterson Behavioral Health Campus.
Boys and Girls Home and Family Services states, “The decades long partnership with the Gilchrist Foundation has enabled Boys and Girls Home to better serve children and families in our community. This project would not be where it is today without the support of the Gilchrist Foundation. Not only does the foundation help by supporting us, it also encourages other gifts due to the matching challenges. With the support of the Gilchrist Foundation, lives have been changed.”
About the New Ginny Peterson Behavioral Health Campus
For years the Boys and Girls Home served children, adolescents and adults at its 2101 Court Street location. But the age, size and condition of the facility was a challenge. The Ginny Peterson Behavioral Health Campus is an improved space that will allow the organization to better serve the community. The new campus will offer an opportunities school, family services and residential treatment.
Opportunities School: The opportunities school will provide individualized educational services to children ages 5-18. The 25,600 square-foot school will feature 10 classrooms, a recreation/conference center, library/media room and auditorium. The interior of the school has already been demolished and a conference room, restrooms and sample classroom have been completed. The roofs of both the school and the residential units are done. Primary overhead electrical conduits have been installed. The cafeteria and art room are next on the docket for this part of the structure. The current plan is to have the children in this facility by September 2024. Construction is continuous and exciting.
Family Services: Family services provides outpatient counseling services for individuals of all ages. These services were relocated to the Ginny Peterson Behavioral health Campus in July 2021. The 34,400 square foot two-story building features 10 therapist offices, a play therapy room, art/sand therapy room and administrative and support services. The finance department, development department and leadership team have already relocated. Individuals of all ages can access the mental health services including cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, group therapy and more. In addition, a Yoga and Meditation studio was created with a free-will offering as an entry to self-care and mental health awareness. Currently, classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9-10 a.m. Call 712-293-4900 for more information about outpatient therapy and Yoga.
Residential Treatment: The residential treatment building will provide living quarters for children aged 7-18. The 23,100-square-foot building will also feature a unit recreation area and residential staff offices, including therapists, nurses and unit directors.
In 2023, a new space was also created for the organization’s STUFF thriftique in preparation for construction of the Residential Treatment living spaces. STUFF is a fundraising thrift store enterprise for Boys and Girls Home. Donations are gratefully accepted and information is available on the Boys and Girls Home’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Boys and Girls Home and Family Services takes pride in helping themselves as exhibited by this endeavor.
About The Gilchrist Foundation
The Gilchrist Foundation was created by Jocelyn Gilchrist in honor of her family. She used the wealth accumulated by her family to give back to the community, especially in the areas that were her biggest passions: the arts, wildlife and conservation, public broadcasting and disaster relief. After her death in 2008, the Gilchrist Foundation continued to support these philanthropic interests.
The Foundation is proud to support the causes that were near and dear to Jocelyn Gilchrist’s heart by awarding four types of grants: project grants, micro-grants, endowment grants and capital campaign grants. You can learn more about the entire application process here or contact Security National Bank at 712-277-6586 or wealth@snbonline.com.