ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Many groups and entities work hard in the community to help local citizens and recently, another local group stepped up to help in a big way.
Liberal’s LEAD class recently took on a big project and as class member Jaqueline Nieblas tells it, there was a massive amount of work done.
“At the beginning of the LEAD class, the presenters always talk about how part of the class involves doing a big give, which is a big project that's required by each LEAD class. During class, we start off with $1,000 and then depending on what we decide to have as our big give project, we can raise funds, we can make a donation ourselves, whatever it takes to get that big project accomplished,” Nieblas said. “There were all sorts of ideas thrown out, including splash pads, a kitchen for Stepping Stone Shelter, and a drive for the Liberal Animal Shelter, among many others, but we just weren't 100 percent sure what we wanted our project to be or how much we wanted to raise or really any of the more logistical details. Ultimately, we decided we should do something for Stepping Stone Shelter because we just really wanted to be there for them and help. Initially, the idea was to help with some interior work and some necessary work with the kitchen, but once our team went in there, we realized there were a lot of setbacks that would happen if we helped them, and they also already had some help that was about to come their way, and we didn't want to mix in with that help and potentially cause some issues.”
However, Nieblas continued, the thought of helping the shelter was hard to put away.
“During that trip, however, some of the team noticed how there's not really an area at the shelter where the residents can go outside and just spend some quiet time by themselves, so we decided we'd put together a nice privacy area where the residents can spend some time outside, especially in the evenings since it's warming up and the sunset is kind of late. With the first quote we received for the project, we thought 'If everyone gives $100 each or gets a donation of $100, we can easily meet that!' That's what we started off, and the class went above and beyond with its efforts, and we ended up with a total of $15,320 – that includes all the donations we got plus the initial $1,000 we started with. We got donations from Southwest Medical Center, Keating Tractor & Equipment, Southern Pioneer Electric Company, Black Hills Energy, among others, and there were also multiple classmates who made donations themselves instead of going out and fundraising. We also received a very generous donation from an anonymous source, which we're very thankful for. Once we went through everything ... we put down some gravel out there, we put up some fencing and some lighting, and we put out some nice tables and chairs and umbrellas to go with them, and all of that was just to put together a nice space where the residents could go outside and spend some quiet time. A team from Terrazas Lawn Care also helped with this project, they helped prepare putting in the fencing and did the gravel work out there, and they allowed our class to spend a Saturday going out and helping everything come together. The project took pretty quick to put together, and everything came together really nicely, which we're very happy about.”
But what to do with the extra money? Nieblas said the solution was simple.
“With all the extra money we had, we wanted to make sure we went out with a bang and help some other groups/entities in town that help the community, so we made some more donations,” Nieblas said. “The Liberal Animal Shelter got a donation of dog and cat food, the Liberal Wrestling Club received $1,000, the Liberal Area Coalition for Families received $1,000, Kids, Inc. received $1,000, Junior Elite Softball received $500, the Liberal Bee Jays received $500, St. Francis Ministries received $500, Southwest Miracles received $500, Energy FC Liberal received $500, the Satanta Recreation Department received $500, Satanta District Hospital received $1,000, Liberal Area Rape Crisis/Domestic Violence Services received $1,000, the Liberal Cub Scouts group received $1,000, and Bright Futures received $500. We picked a couple Satanta organizations because there are some classmates who are from Satanta, so we wanted to make sure they got some love too. We knew this experience was something that should be shared with the community, so we also donated $1,000 to the Liberal LEAD Class of 2026, and that money will be used to help with enrollment fees.”
Nieblas and fellow classmate Ruby Terrazas said it felt very good to be able to raise such a large amount of money.
“We were all super surprised, I don't think anyone in the class thought we'd raise so much more than what we'd anticipated,” Nieblas said. “In the beginning, we were all somewhat nervous and wondering exactly how we'd raise the money we needed and all the logistics of everything, but we just took it one step at a time and gave it our all. When we went back to class and discovered all the donations we'd received, plus the donations that were still trickling in, we were all really shocked because we didn't know what all we'd be able to do.”
“And it also really helped how Mead Lumber donated the lumber for the fencing, which allowed us to save some money,” Terrazas added. “With the initial project for Stepping Stone Shelter, even with Terrazas Lawn Care helping, the amount we paid them was actually not that much because they were very gracious and kind. Nearly everything with the project came from donations or with minimal payment, there wasn't really any HUGE amount of money we had to pay for anything.”
With all the money that was raised, Nieblas and Terrazas said it felt good being able to help Stepping Stone Shelter and the other entities throughout the community.
“We all know everyone starts somewhere. We all know, no matter where you are, having just that little bit of privacy and quiet is very important – being able to step outside for a bit and just smell the fresh air without several pairs of eyes looking at you is just so nice, and we wanted to give that to the shelter,” Nieblas said. “We wanted to be able to give them a nice outside space instead of them having to stay inside all the time. We want them to be able to enjoy it. We were really excited about the additional funds we had, and we knew we wanted to go out with a big bang and do something big and special for people who do so much good in the community. With the organizations we donated to, some of our classmates have connections to either through volunteering or assistance they'd given. We knew we wanted to spread the money around in order to make sure multiple parts of the community got represented.”
“I feel super proud of what we were able to do. When I pass by the shelter, I feel so much joy about having been able to help them and know we were able to do that as a team and work together,” Terrazas added. “We made many new connections through this project, and I hope we can keep them as time goes on. Before we got there, that area was kind of rough and ugly, and with everything we did, it just looks so much better and it's much more homey for the residents. The class accomplished something we never thought we would, and we're just so happy with what we were able to do.”
Nieblas and Terrazas also offered encouragement for people to take part in future LEAD classes.
“I would say just do it. Don't think about it, just do it. It is a little time-consuming, and there is a lot of work involved, but if you're wanting to grow as a person and a leader, the LEAD class is one of the best opportunities to take advantage of. It helps create a new mentality, and it's just an amazing opportunity,” Nieblas said. “And because of everything we were able to do with this class, I feel like this opens up the opportunity for people to get interested in taking the class and taking on bigger projects than what we did, which leads to a little bit of that competition.”
“I would agree with that, just go for it. There are a few things that could be intimidating, but I learned so much and grew so much as a person, and it'll do the same for you,” Terrazas said. “There were multiple activities we did that made us feel a little uncomfortable at first, but we worked together and realized we needed to overcome that discomfort, and we were all better for it. The instructors were also great and helped keep the chaos at a minimum, and they were just amazing to work with. I would like to emphasize how people can enroll in this class and take it. I think it used to be a situation where you had to get picked to be in the class, but now, you can actually pay and enroll and take part in the class, so if you're interested, I would encourage people to go for it.”
