Simply Smiles Update: Native Foster Parents Sought, Party

BIG news: This week, we released our application for Native foster parents for the Simply Smiles Children's Village! Native foster parents at the Simply Smiles Children’s Village will ensure that Native children who have been removed from their homes on Cheyenne River Reservation can remain with their "kin and community,” fulfilling the letter and spirit of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Simply Smiles empowers its Native foster parents to raise Native children in an environment that is rooted in Lakota traditions and guided by trauma-informed, therapeutic healing practices.

Help us to spread the word! If you know of interested individuals who would like to become a Native foster parent, please click the button below to view and share the application. (Please note: Applicants must be enrolled members of a federal or state recognized tribe to be considered for a foster parent position.)

Application: Native American Foster Parent at the Simply Smiles Children's Village

Learn more about the Simply Smiles Children's Village

On the construction front, we've seen a big transformation over the past month at the first home of the Simply Smiles Children's Village, especially with the installation of the floor tile and the septic system:

See more construction progress & learn more about the Simply Smiles Children's Village

At the Simply Smiles Home for Children in Oaxaca, Mexico, the kids took a visit to an indoor playground and activity center in Oaxaca. (Pictured above.) The generous owner of the activity center believes so strongly in the philosophy of the Simply Smiles Home for Children that the kids can go for free as many times as they want!

The kids also recently learned about fire safety and practiced extinguishing small fires. They were eager to meet the experts and learn how to keep each other safe in case of an emergency. Thank you to the local professionals who taught the kids some important lessons:

Learn more about the Simply Smiles Home for Children

Sponsor a child at the Simply Smiles Home for Children

The Simply Smiles team is getting ready for our annual Christmas Party on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota on Friday, December 13th! AND, in addition to the youth who participate in our summer programming, we’re also providing gifts for all of the students who attend the Tiospaye Topa School!

Only a few items from our gift registry remain, all chosen specifically for each child. We can't wait to see the kids' faces when they receive their gifts from Santa!

If you've already supported our Christmas Party efforts, thank you! If you haven't yet or would like to share information on the party with friends, family members, or coworkers, click the buttons below to take action:

We're seeking enthusiastic volunteers to join us on both the Reservation AND in Mexico in 2020--and beyond! Get planning for your trip, and learn more about how you can make a direct impact during your week-long service trip experience:

Connect with a Volunteer Coordinator

Simply Smiles volunteers are a vital part of the construction process of the Children's Village. THANK YOU to our volunteers who have generously spent their time with us this fall and helped with interior construction work on the first home of the Children's Village, including Tom Bissell, Scott Redfern, Debbie Gran, Bruce Gran, Peter Van Loon, Chris Palmer, Thor Vanderblue, Bud Jantz-Sell, Dom Mastroni, Debi Mastroni-Kenyon, and David Nurnberger!

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