Pierre Area Referral Service and the Hand County Memorial Hospital in Miller are getting grants from statewide funds designated to provide financial assistance for COVID-19 related costs.
PARS will get $4500 and Hand County Memorial will get $2000 from the South Dakota Community Foundation’s Coronavirus Response Fund. The fund addresses immediate needs of communities and nonprofits including access to food, shortage of volunteers, healthcare sector support and human services sector support.
The South Dakota Community Foundation Board of Directors reprioritized the South Dakota Fund and Community Innovation Grants programs to focus solely on COVID-19 related needs. Usually, South Dakota Fund grants focus on culture, economic development, education and health and human services programs. The Community Innovation Grants were applied to support community problem-solving projects.
Three organizations received a grant from the Coronavirus Response Fund:
- Pierre Area Referral Service at Pierre/Fort Pierre received $4,500 to provide support for their food pantry program, emergency fund, backpack program and school supplies. Pierre Area Referral Service began as a legal aid program in 1974. Since then it has expanded to include information and referral services to callers from Hughes and Stanley Counties and across the state.
- Pine Ridge Girls School located in Porcupine features an academically rigorous program grounded in Lakota culture and language. A grant in the amount of $2,000 will help provide meals for students.
- The Community Outreach in Sioux Falls was awarded $20,000. Dollars will support families in financial crisis due to unemployment necessitated by the Coronavirus. The Community Outreach assists residents of Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha and Turner counties who are struggling financially.
Nine organizations received grants from the repurposed South Dakota Fund:
- The Hand County Memorial Hospital in Miller was granted $2,000 for Personal Protective Equipment and to cover revenue loss due to forced closure of services. Hand County Memorial Hospital is a community-based organization that provides health, education and promotes healthy lifestyles in Hand and Hyde counties.
- Located in Rapid City, Catholic Social Services was the recipient of a $10,000 grant. Catholic Social Services provides outpatient therapy, behavioral health programs, adoption services and other professional social services to individuals and families of all faiths in 22 counties of western South Dakota. The grant will provide emergency funds to help individuals and families meet basic needs if they have suffered a financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Fork Real Community Café, Rapid City, received $2,500 to help fight food insecurity. Fork Real uses a unique approach to combat hunger by using a “pay-what-you can” café concept. They were forced to adjust from serving the general public as a “dine-in” operation during the pandemic and have gifted many meals to the community including families with children front-line workers and people that did not have the option to stay home.
- Serving a 14-county area based around Yankton, Heartland Humane Society’s animal shelter provides housing for approximately 700 animals per year plus offers multiple community programs. This organization was the recipient of a $2,000 grant to be used to support animal care.
- The Huron Regional Medical Center Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Huron Regional Medical Center. A $20,000 grant will assist with the expansion of their telemedicine program to better serve their patients during this pandemic.
- LifeQuest, in Mitchell, was awarded a $5,000 grant to offset expenses related to COVID-19 prevention and mitigation efforts. LifeQuest helps people with disabilities in Mitchell and its surrounding area.
- Located in Pine Ridge, the Red Cloud Indian School was granted $5,000 to support continued on-line learning. Established in 1888, Red Cloud now includes three schools serving nearly 600 students, reservation-wide pastoral services and The Heritage Center.
- St. Francis House in Sioux Falls is an ecumenical ministry to the homeless in their community. This nonprofit was awarded a $7,000 grant to support their food, shelter and mental health needs.
- An award in the amount of $5,000 was presented to Youth & Family Services, Inc. located in Rapid City. Youth & Family Services reaches approximately 14,000 families through youth development, counseling Head Start, childcare, nutrition, relationship, case management and prevention programs. Dollars will support nutrition programs for vulnerable children.
