The Spectacular Spring Celebrations and Easter Bunny are coming!
Our Mission
The quality of our future depends on the encouragement and support young people receive today. Therefore, the mission of the Western Wellness Foundation Inc. is making a difference in the lives of children and families, one at a time.
View our Program Brochure
Our Goals
- Provide mentors for youth in need of support and encouragement.
- Provide a quality program to the community through employees and volunteers who are appropriately trained and supported by our organization.
- Communicate the mission of the Western Wellness Foundation and promote the Best Friends Mentoring Program through public relations and fundraising events.
- Build capacity for positive change regarding the condition of children and families in the region.
- Sustain the Best Friends Mentoring Program.
History
The Western Wellness Foundation, Inc. began in July 1994 with a group of concerned Dickinson, North Dakota mental health professionals expressing a need for a mentoring program – such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America - for the region’s at-risk youth. A previous BB/BS program had ended 10 years earlier.
The momentum for developing a program was based on a documented need for children, mainly from single parent homes, to have more adult interaction and positive influence in their lives. In addition to the increase in single parent households, the organizational group noted an increase in both parents in dual-parent families needing to be employed for the family’s economic survival. Consequently, the amount of time youth in the community spent with adult family members decreased, leading to a corresponding increase in the amount of time children spent alone, isolated from caring adults and the community as a whole.
This situation placed a significant percentage of the region’s children at risk for committing future delinquent acts; using alcohol, tobacco products and other drugs; resorting to violence to act out frustrations and to solve problems; skipping school; engaging in teenage sexual activity; and losing self-esteem.
The program’s founders - professionals from both private and public agencies in the eight-county region - agreed that a youth mentoring program would provide the needed youth-adult interaction time, guidance and role modeling missing in some children’s lives. It would also serve to prevent delinquent and violent behavior that was beginning to occur among community youth.
Our Programs
Our Best Friends Mentoring Program matches adult role models with children who need positive adult guidance and friendship.
Our Dickinson Community Voluntary Recycling Program annually collects approximately 4,000 pounds of aluminum cans from three outdoor collection bins and from nearly two dozen businesses.
Our Family Fun Day provides an afternoon drug-free and alcohol-free family centered activities during Dickinson’s Roughrider Days and follows the annual Independence Day Parade.
Eric and Joey enjoy playing football
and other sports together.
