About Waypost
We help people build safe, healthy relationships. We provide support and resources so people can rebuild their lives and find real connection.
The name
We started in 1975 as the Yankton Women and Children’s Center. Later we became the River City Domestic Violence Center. Today we’re Waypost.
The name marks the road — it shows where you are and what paths are open, and leaves the choice of route to you.
Why we changed it
For years we worked quietly, to protect people’s privacy. That care was right. But the old name also kept people away — some wouldn’t walk in a door with “domestic violence” written on it, and some didn’t think what happened to them counted.
The work didn’t change. The sign did.
What we believe
- We believe survivors. That’s the first thing, and everything else follows it.
- Compassion. We meet people where they are.
- Community. This is a small place. Ending abuse here takes all of it.
- Integrity. Trust, safety, and dignity above all.
- Hope. People rebuild. We’ve watched it for fifty years.
What we do
Shelter, advocacy, counseling, occupational therapy, support groups, court and hospital accompaniment, supervised visitation, and prevention education — across Yankton, Bon Homme, Charles Mix, Clay and Union counties and the southern halves of Hutchinson and Turner.
We work on domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abuse, and elder abuse — and for a lot of the people we see, more than one at once.
The Diane M. Reese Welcome Center
A welcoming, dignified space in Yankton — built for privacy, safety, and comfort from the moment you walk in, with private rooms rather than a dormitory.
Where we work
We partner with the University of South Dakota, Mount Marty University, the federal prison in Yankton, and Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield, with a growing presence in Vermillion and Clay County. When Domestic Violence Safe Option Services closed, we took on their service area.
Next: prevention in schools and on campuses, parent education, and support that lasts past the crisis. Help us build it.
The people behind Waypost
A small staff, a rotating group of on-call advocates who cover the nights and weekends, and a board drawn from around Yankton.
Reaching someone
We read email Monday to Friday. If you need help now, call (605) 665-1448 — someone answers any hour.
News & Newsletter
Our newsletter goes out a few times a year — what’s changed, what we’re working on, and where the money went.
Work here
This work is hard and it matters. You’ll have real ownership, and nobody will make you wait for permission.
We’re a flat organization. That means you’ll do things outside your title, and you won’t sit in a queue waiting for a decision.
What we look for
- Learning and growth — the work changes, and so does the law
- Collaboration — a small team covers for each other, constantly
- Compassionate presence — being with someone on a bad night without trying to fix it
- Resilience and self-care — you can’t do this for long without it, and we mean it
Open now — on-call advocate
Nights and weekends, on a rotation with several other advocates. You answer the crisis line, respond to shelter alarms, and go to the hospital or the police station when someone needs company.
What’s hard about it: the phone rings at 3am, and you don’t know what’s on the other end. Some calls are a five-minute conversation. Some are a whole night.
To apply, call (605) 665-4811 or email us.
When nothing is open
No openings right now. Check back, or send us a note — we’d rather know who you are before we’re hiring.
Get in touch
If you need support or have a question, reach out. Everything you share is private.
24/7 Help Line — (605) 665-1448. Free and confidential, day or night.
Details
Office — (605) 665-4811, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Family Connections — (605) 665-1204
Email — info@waypostsd.org
Mail — PO Box 626, Yankton, SD 57078
Our shelter location is confidential.