Team Building Experiences: Escape Room

Hope Haven Ambassadors: Changing the Narrative

By 7017444915 • June 26, 2026
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others…” 1 Peter 4:10 At Hope Haven, we believe every person has God-given gifts to share. That belief is at the heart of the Hope Haven Ambassadors, a group of individuals served through Hope Haven’s My Day program who are learning to use their voices, share their stories, and advocate for themselves and others. The Ambassadors were formed in January 2025 after a community experience sparked a bigger conversation about inclusion, dignity, and the way individuals with disabilities are perceived. Since then, the group has been working to help change that narrative. The Ambassadors have presented to community groups, attended advocacy trainings, traveled to the Capitol, and spoken about issues that matter. Along the way, they are building confidence, developing leadership skills, and helping others understand that every person deserves to be included and respected. For Maggie, being an Ambassador is about helping her community see people with disabilities as equals. “I want individuals with disabilities to be treated as equal to everybody else,” she shared. “I want my community to know it’s okay to be different.” For Lori, the message is simple but powerful. “We are regular people who have different challenges,” she said. “I want to help my community understand that people with disabilities are not less of a person because of their disabilities.” For Octavio, advocacy means using his voice not only for himself, but also for others who may struggle to speak up for what they need. Through his experience with the Ambassadors, he has learned something important: “Our voice matters.” Programs like My Day are about so much more than daily activities. They are about friendship, confidence, purpose, community, and belonging. They create opportunities for people to discover their strengths, build relationships, serve others, and take part in the world around them. Your support helps us continue creating opportunities like the Hope Haven Ambassadors, where individuals can build confidence, share their stories, and discover the power of their voice. Your gift allows us to keep growing alongside those we serve, making an impact that lasts. If you wish to contribute, plea se CLICK HERE to donate today. Thank you for your continued support, prayers, and partnership in Hope Haven’s mission .
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By now most of you have probably heard of the “escape rooms” offered in Sioux Falls and other places as a fun activity for families friends and co-workers. The premise? Get locked in a room with your nearest and dearest with a puzzle to solve before time runs out. I’ve wanted to try out this activity since I first started hearing about them so when Life 96.5 announced they were giving away chances for non-profit organizations to participate in the mobile version of “The Escape Unit ” I registered the Orange City office in a heartbeat.

And we won!

Two short weeks later our Community Living team sat outside The Escape Unit trailer enjoying a delicious lunch courtesy of the Pita Pit (also part of the winning package) before it was our time to enter. We didn’t know what to expect because the puzzles for escape rooms vary; sometimes they involve reaching a distant object with only the tools you are given decoding a cipher determining the lock combination or as it turned out in our case defusing a (make-believe) bomb.

Our mission which we were happy to accept was to get through all the clues to diffuse the explosive and save our town from destruction. Luckily my group and I are no strangers to challenges surprises and problem-solving. We approached each task with enthusiasm intelligence and a sense of humor. Despite our best and brightest efforts however were ultimately unsuccessful in disarming the bomb in time (sorry Orange City). 

The larger lesson was obvious: the escape room reminded us what strengths we each brought to the team how to lean on each other when needed and how to laugh when the best efforts went awry. While it’s unfortunate we had to blow up our lovely hometown in the process it was a great experience that helped us grow as a group—and one I would recommend to any organization or family looking to strengthen connections and have a little fun.

We ended the day with Culver’s ice cream (concrete mixers seemed appropriate). 

Huge thanks to Life 96.5  Pita Pit and Culver’s for a day none of us will soon forget. And thankfully the town of Orange City escaped unscathed.