What does it take to run the Allen Youth Center?

Find our monthly cost breakdown below

An outdoor basketball court with a painted red and blue surface, surrounded by a chain-link fence. There are two basketball hoops, one in the foreground and one in the background. A building with solar panels on the roof is visible, along with a large water tower painted in a weathered greenish color. The sky is clear and blue, and there are some colorful murals of bulls and cows on a wall to the right.

Average monthly running costs

These costs are averages from January to May 2026. They vary seasonally.

  • The Allen Youth Center serves over 40 households every month, many of these households include 7 to 12 family members.

    Between running our youth activities, maintaining a safe space, and feeding the community, it costs approximately $23,800 each month to operate the center.

  • The Allen Youth Center is Lakota-led. Our team works hard to make the center as welcoming, and as open, as possible.

    We’re planning on hiring more team-members to provide more support to the community and to keep the center open more often.

  • We host a food pantry next to our basketball court. This pantry supplies over 40 families with healthy and nutritions food boxes.

    We often prepare meals and provide bottled water for visitors at the center.

    We’re looking into installing water filters to reduce costs and provide a clean, reliable water source to everyone; especially to families without running water.

  • Our regenerative gardens include a greenhouse and a field of over 11 000 ft² (or 1000m²) with raised beds.

    We’ve hired a gardener from Allen to take care of the gardens and help out with the center.

  • We support One Spirit’s summer camps by assisting in oranization and transportation to and to and from:

    • Camp Marrowbone

    • Horse Spirit Camp

    • One-off events

    These costs peak with the summer camps but remain important in the harsh winter. We currently use personal vehicles and are looking to purchase a short bus for our team.

  • These are our fixed survival costs. This covers commercial insurance, high-speed internet access, keeping the lights on, the AC running in the summer, and ensuring the furnace keeps the building warm through freezing South Dakota winters.

  • This includes supplies for everyday upkeep, activities and events at the Youth Center.

Support the Lakota Youth

We asked the kids at the center:
“What is your favorite thing about the Allen Youth Center?” :

“I love Tai’s dogs and playing with them and the food she makes us and how her wife is always nice to us.”

“The basketball court and reading area.” “The new management is so awesome and always makes my kids feel welcome and included.”

“Honestly the vibes and i really like the people running it.” “The fruit & snacks 🍎”