Iglutheca

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Our Mission is to provide a pathway for homeless Lakotas out of addiction and poverty.

09/17/2026

This morning, one of our Shelter guests who relapsed yesterday was standing in front of the grocery store, nodding off. She eventually fell forward, headfirst into the concrete. She’s in her early 20s, and has been trying to maintain sobriety, but relapses frequently.

One of our workers, Clarissa Broken Rope, was on site when this happened. She called me and asked if we had any Narcan. I told her that we had some Narcan in the laptop bag that she was carrying with her. The employees at the grocery store were faster in finding their Narcan and gave her one dose. She stirred some, but she didn’t come fully awake.

I was on my way over to help as soon as Clarissa called. She began breathing more slowly as we waited and seemed even less responsive to pain or our voices, so I gave her another dose of Narcan. Again, she started to stir some more, but she never fully woke up.

We called 911 again to see how far away the Ambulance was and the dispatcher radio to the Ambulance and told us it would be 20 more minutes before they would arrive.

Pastor Dan had arrived on scene and offered to take her in the bed of his truck. We loaded her in and started heading to the hospital with Pastor Dan driving and me holding her still in the truck bed. Two are surprise, the Ambulance intercepted us and we were able to quickly get her loaded into the Ambulance where I’m sure she was in good care.

Thank God for Narcan, and a very caring community. If she had passed out somewhere else, this could have been the end of her life. Hopefully this event will be enough to convince her to get more serious help and turn her life around.
~Abram Neumann
Edit: She said it was 100% alcohol, but it was scary how shallow her breathing became so shallow. We still definitely could have lost her.

09/03/2026

Abram here: I went to Rapid City to visit some of the ones who have made it to permanent housing. I was able to give an 8 month coin to one of our former shelter guests who has had a dramatic transformation. I also met with a young couple that have a new place. And a veteran who found housing in Rapid! It was a good day!

08/26/2026

My extremely hectic home! This is a cross section of what it takes to house, feed, clothe, and guide our guests to better things. Staff, shelter guests, and outside volunteers are providing the labor; donors keep us funded; food, clothes, and other supplies are donated; the Pine Ridge Reconciliation Center provides their meals and space; and I need to be generous with my home to proved office, warehouse, and volunteer space.

The collective efforts can be enormous at times, but it is all worth it with the many lives that we impact, and the lives we change.

08/19/2026

We don’t always know where our shelter guests have gone! Sometimes they work with us and suddenly they disappear. We hope that we were a positive force in their life. Today I ran into a Shelter guest who told me that he has been working since January and living up in Rapid City. It was awesome to see him doing well.
~Abram

08/15/2026

Our Homeless Shelter is hiring!
We are looking for compassionate individuals can work with individuals who are struggling with homelessness, mental health issues, and addiction. It’s a job. It takes a lot of patience, but it’s also very rewarding!

If you think you have what it takes. Apply here:
https://www.iglutheca.org/job-application

08/14/2026

Our shelter is looking for workers! Apply if you think you have what it takes to provide discipline, and show kindness, and give encouragement to our Shelter guests.

07/31/2026

We are so proud of our former client, Stevian, and all that she has accomplished.

She came to Iglutheca toward the end of last year to overcome her addiction while pregnant. Although she made some progress at the Shelter, she experienced a relapse. She then made the courageous decision to enter a treatment program in Rapid City, where she and her baby received the support they needed.

After completing treatment, Stevian found a job and secured a beautiful apartment. She is now about to become a manager at a new McDonald’s in Rapid City. Today, she and her baby are living a better life.

Her love for her baby has changed the way she lives her life, and has been a source of motivation for Stevian to rewrite her own story.

Over the past years, Iglutheca has supported at least five pregnant women in their sobriety, allowing them to create a better future for their babies.

07/30/2026

Our shelter guests, David and Arlene, are beginning a new chapter, and we couldn’t be happier for them.

David and Arlene have been at Iglutheca since March. While working hard on their sobriety, they also spent time building new skills to prepare for the future. David focused on construction skills, while Arlene trained in elder care.

Last month, they were able to get a trailer and have been working hard to make livable for their family. They recently moved into the trailer, and like anyone starting over, they are still in the process of furnishing and stocking their home.

To help with this next step, they have created an Amazon wish list. If you would like to bless them with a household item, please check out their list. If you also have furniture or other household items you would like to donate, you can reach out to Rlene Leighton Bagola directly.

It’s always encouraging to see our shelter guests take the next step toward independence, and we are so proud of how far David and Arlene have come. Please check the comments for the link to their Amazon wish list.

07/23/2026

At Iglutheca, we have assistance to help guests find employment, permanent housing, addiction and mental health services, and to keep them accountable to keep working towards their goals.

Each guest must put in 15 hours of work per week toward bettering their lives. For one guest that may include a lot of GED study; for another, it may be applying for jobs; for another, it may be completing a job training to become more employable; for others we may be entirely focused on sobriety and mental health.

These hours are required and we do have a very patient and merciful eviction process for those who are not willing to put in the work. We give second, third and fourth chances, but may eventually refuse future services to a guest who is refusing to progress. We have special accommodations for those with mental health problems, and the elderly.

As a result of this work we can count that out of 96 guests who have stayed over 60 days: 34 have obtained new income, 36 have been housed, and 36 have been sober for over one month. This isn’t all of our successes, but this is the population we chose to systematically review. There may be more who have found success whom we were not able to contact.

07/21/2026

Imagine not having a mailing address. How would you receive a Social Security card, a birth certificate, or other important documents? How would you apply for government benefits or housing if there was nowhere for your mail to go?

Now imagine applying for a job and being told, “We’ll give you a call,” but you don’t have access to a phone.

At Iglutheca, our shelter guests have a mailing address and access to a phone which allows them to receive all their important documents and stay in contact with employers, housing agencies, healthcare providers, and others they need to reach.

These are resources many of us rarely think about, but they can make a meaningful difference for someone working toward stability. We are grateful to be able to provide them for our shelter guests as they work to achieve independence.

Address

P. O. Box 5005
Pine Ridge, SD
57770

Telephone

+6056797259

Website

https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=ZDK2XMMBNP2WL

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