Nonprofit makes a difference for Rapid City’s at-risk youth

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - One day, Joe Barb walked into a barbershop and walked out on a mission.

“All of this began with the pandemic. I took my son for a haircut at the barbershop on East North Street. It was one of the few barbershops that was still open and while we were there, there was a youth that was in the barbershop. And I was talking to the barber and he said that he was homeless and I said, ‘who’s looking for him,’” said Barb.

The Circle is a nonprofit organization founded by Barb to provide shelter and services for at-risk young adults.

“I connected with McKinney Vento which is a federal program in our school district that helps youth that are housing insecure. And found out that during the school year, there was over 800 youth identified as housing insecure and I thought, ‘Wow, we really have to as community do a lot more’,” said Barb.

The Circle provides transitional housing, career services, and social-emotional activities.

“Like today at 3 is ‘Gratitude Grounds’ which is, you know, just visiting with peers. Talking about things that give you gratitude. We have a peer support group tonight for addiction recovery for anyone who may have experienced addiction in their life or in their household previously,” said Barb.

At the end of the day, it’s celebrating the successes of the youth.

“When you’re going through all of this, sometimes people will have little back slides and you’re like, ‘oooh.’ But, to see them have a backslide and then come out of it on their own, it’s amazing. Because you know that they finally got the confidence and the perseverance to move on,” said Mallory Lynn Buxton, youth homelessness demonstration program support administrator.

“We have one youth who was part of the original Youth Action Board. Who she’s at Stanford on a full ride with a 4.07 (GPA). And we have another youth who maybe struggled to find independence to find employment who got their first job,” said Barb.

Currently, the nonprofit is housing nine kids and providing services to another 150 throughout the area.

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