God Bless All Inc. marks first year

By: 
Ron Burtz

­­­­­­­A non-profit organization founded to help vulnerable people in the Custer area will be celebrating its one year anniversary thismonth. God Bless All Inc. was started last January by Custer native Jane Wise, her husband Lester and a group of their friends and has had a productive year.
Jane said the group’s mission is to help “what we consider vulnerable people—veterans, disabled people, elderly folks.”
“We are a spiritually based non-profit organization,” said Wise. “We want to show people that there are still honest people out there that care.”
Wise said over the past 12 months the group of volunteers, which now totals about 10, has helped people in the community with a variety of projects ranging from simply spending one-on-one time with an elderly person to helping provide wheelchair access, moving furniture, remodeling and outdoor work such as roofing, cleaning gutters and raking lawns.
“We haven’t had any problems finding people to help,” said Wise.
The group’s first project last winter was widening two doorways and remodeling a bathroom to make it more wheelchair friendly for a veteran with Alzheimer’s.  
“We do everything,” said Wise, adding that while they ran out of time this year, they would like to help people with Christmas decorating next year.
All the labor is provided free of charge. The group’s only request is that recipients pay for materials and give a free-will donation to the organization to help defray costs.
“When we tell them we just take donations for our labor, people break down and cry,” said Wise. “’You’ve restored our faith in humanity,’ they say.”
Much of the work has been done by Lester who works at Custer Do It Best and is an experienced handyman with skills in plumbing, electrical and other building trades but others help as well and are involved in the group’s monthly board meetings.
Wise said when there are questions about whether a certain project should be taken on, the board makes the final decision.
Those looking for help from God Bless All have several avenues for contacting the organization. There are pages on Instagram, Facebook and other social media and a contact form can be found at the group’s website GodBlessAllInc.simplesite.com.
Those wishing to make contact by phone can call Jane at 605-440-0943 or Lester at 605-440-1024. He can also be reached by calling Custer Do It Best hardware.
Jane said donations have come in from those helped and from others as well and donations to organization can be made at Dakotah Bank. She expressed her thanks to all the donors and clients who have been a part of making the first year a success.
The group will be applying for its IRS 501(c)(3) tax exempt status soon.
Wise has high hopes for the second year and the future of the organization, stating “Maybe every town should have a God Bless All Inc.”

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