OneHeart opens campus, welcomes first guests

RAPID CITY, S.D. — It’s been four years in the making.

On Monday, the OneHeart Campus in Rapid City opened to its first family.

The four-acre transformation campus, which generally encompasses the 100 to 300 blocks on the south side of Kansas City Street, will give many opportunities for those struggling in the community, serving as a clear peace of mind and an out from a fight or flight response.

“When you’re in constant crisis, it’s fight, fright or freeze, and that’s stress and that’s stress chemicals and that’s not a healthy way to live your life and many people are living this every single day for decades,” said Charity Doyle, the Executive Director of OneHeart.

Renovations of the campus and approximately $33 million project began in early April of 2020, with expected completion in early summer 2021. The campus works to help those who are in an insecure housing situation, helps them come out of poverty, and into permanent housing to build a better life.

Among the new renovations of the campus is three residential towers; one each for men, women and families, totaling 89 units. OneHeart’s secondary building, which is still under construction, will provide a coffee shop called HomeBrew, a gym, and childcare center.

But residents at OneHeart aren’t just being given a place to sleep or a meal to eat.

“We really want to try to round out that human life as much as possible and heal their trauma and just really help them rebuild their lives in a meaningful way,” Doyle said.

Ten provider partners from organizations and higher education services from around the Black Hills will be located in the campus’s main building. Those include:

• Behavior Management Systems
• Career Learning Center of the Black Hills
• Catholic Social Services
• Community Health Center of the Black Hills
• Dress for Success – Black Hills
• National Alliance for Mental Illness
• RCAS McKinney-Vento
• Western Dakota Tech
• Working Against Violence, Inc.
• Youth & Family Services.

The campus will even feature healthcare for the homeless, as an urgent care clinic and pharmacy will be located in the main building that’s expected to open in a few weeks, and the outward-facing clinic will be operated by the Community Health Center of Black Hills.

“That’s a big deal,” Doyle said. “A lot of people struggling in the crisis of poverty, I mean, if most of them don’t have health care, don’t have easy access, whether it’s transportation, or funds or whatever, they often put their health issues on the back burner.”

An organization that’s going the extra mile to eliminate a growing problem in the community.

Doyle said that there is no limit as to how long residents can stay on the campus, but also said that those looking for housing at the campus must be referred to OneHeart by a member of its Provider Partner Network.

The campus will welcome 10-12 families by the end of January.