OUR Partners
The Brookings Area United Way is uniting people, sharing resources, inspiring hope, and enriching lives for a stronger Brookings County by promoting three pillars of a solid foundation - Education, Health and Self-Sufficiency.
IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITY
United Way is joining forces with over 200 Funded and Community Partners to better understand the needs of Brookings County and provide creative solutions for ours toughest social issues. We leverage community donations to provide mental and emotional wellness programs, access to health services, out-of-school support, fight food insecurity and much more.
Change doesn't happen alone. We are the hand-raisers, the game-changers and the problem-solvers. We are making our home a better, brighter place. Make a difference today by volunteering, advocating and donating.
CONTACT: MATT SIMET
MATT.SIMET@ADVANCEBKG.COM
605.692.7852
ADVANCE supports people in self-direction through person-centered plans aimed at achieving the outcomes people want for their lives. While providing a wide array of services at a variety of levels to support people at home, at work, and within their community. In all these things, we are working towards our mission to "offer opportunities for people to live their lives to fullest.
CONTACT: GAIL SEEKLANDER
BKFOODPANTRY@SWIFTEL.NET
605.692.5007
The Brookings County Food Pantry fights food insecurity by serving individuals and families through providing an emergency supply of both perishable and non-perishable food items. Recipients can be self-referred or are referred by service agencies, churches, and other local organizations. Anyone in need of assistance can receive food.
CONTACT: JENNY HALLAN
JHALLAN@ILCCHOICES.ORG
605.692.5550
Independent Living Choices provides services to people with disabilities who make independence their choice. The Home Assistance program provides Home Modifications (i.e. ramps, doorways, kitchen and bathroom modifications) and Adaptive Devices (i.e. eating utensils, vehicle hand controls, etc.) based on economic need along with peer group counseling.
CONTACT: PATTY BROOKS
PATTY.BROOKS@REDCROSS.ORG
605.697.5046
The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies and as they begin the recovery process following a disaster by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Free smoke alarms are available to any Brookings area resident, in partnership with the fire department, through getasmokealarm.org
CONTACT: ALI TEESEDALE
BCYMENTORING@GMAIL.COM
605.697.0444
Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program is a community-based youth mentoring program that provides an opportunity for K-12 grade youth in Brookings County to benefit from an intentional, purposeful relationship with a caring, trained and stable adult. Through large group events and shared one-on-one activities, youth are better set up for long-term relationships and life.
CONTACT: JAMIE KESSLER
JKESSLER@INTERLAKESCAP.COM
605.692.6391
Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership provides children, individuals, and families a wide array of services including education, nutrition, mental health/health, family services, and transportation. Head Start caters to children ages 3-5 while Sixties Plus dining is available to anyone in Brookings County over 60. The VITA program offers free assistance with basic tax returns.
CONTACT: CURSTIE KONOLD
CURSTIE.KONOLD@AVERA.ORG
605.692.8092
Coping with today’s fast-paced world often presents challenges. Avera Behavioral Health of Brookings provides client-centered outpatient mental health care for patients across the care spectrum. The Avera Behavioral Health approach is non-judgmental and supportive in nature. We collaborate and communicate with the school and family to provide coordination of services, parent coaching, therapy, and psychiatry as directed following an extensive needs evaluation and a jointly developed care plan.
CONTACT: VONDA KIRKHAM
BROOKINGSHARVESTTABLE@GMAIL.COM
605.692.4345
Free meal every Monday night (except major holidays) at 5:30 p.m.! Please come if you are in need of any of the following: a no cost meal, fellowship, children's activities, healthy living information, or diapers. Everyone is welcome!
CONTACT: AMY FETERL
AMY.FETERL@LSSD.ORG
605.444.7500
Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota carries out its mission of improving lives emotionally and financially. Better Together socially connects isolated adults with caring volunteers and their community. The Center for Financial Resources provides financial and housing counseling and education.
CONTACT: AMBER KOLLARS
AKOLLARS@GREATFUTURESSD.ORG
605.692.3333
Brookings County youth have the opportunity to learn and grow through programs centered on Academic Success, Character & Leadership and Healthy Lifestyles. Youth is served in a safe place with caring and qualified staff create hope and opportunity through life-enhancing programs and character development experiences.
CONTACT: LINDA BRANDT
BANDLBRANDT@GMAIL.COM
Brookings Area Camp Adventure provides a barrier-free day camp experience for children with disabilities. Children participate in arts and crafts, a community service activity, and daily field trips. STARS is a recreational, therapeutic horsemanship program for persons with disabilities. The program is devised to teach basic horsemanship skills and physically benefit the riders.
CONTACT: CAROLYN GROVES
DOMESTIC@BROOKINGS.NET
605.692.7233 (SAFE)
The Brookings Domestic Abuse Shelter seeks to empower survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking through 24-hour emergency shelter and medial response, crisis intervention, advocacy, legal advocacy, peer support, education, and referral information/networking with area agencies. All services provided are free and confidential.
CONTACT: United Way Office
uw@brookingsunitedway.org
The trails create free, evidence-based developmental learning experiences to increase school readiness for children in Brookings County. Trails in Brookings can be found at Hillcrest Park, McClemans Park, & First Lutheran Church. There is a trail in Volga at their "secret" sidewalk" between Jefferson Ave. & Adams Ave. along with another trail in White located at Arthur Graslie City Park.
CONTACT: RACHEL BUSMANN
RACHEL.BUSMANN@SDSTATE.EDU
605.688.5730
The Family Resource Network provides early childhood enrichment services to child care providers, parents, and others who care for young children. The vision and hearing screenings are offered to local preschool-age children in registered/licensed child care programs.
CONTACT: DAWN TWEDT
INFO@MYNEIGHBORBROOKINGS.NET
605.691.3225
My Neighbor creates community outreach to help families and individuals facing a crisis situation. Financial assistance supplements existing assistance programs for people falling through the cracks, by meeting the goal of solving an immediate crisis situation and is not meant to be ongoing, but preventative. My Neighbor assesses the root problem and works to prevent future issues.
CONTACT: ANGI STROHFUS
BROOKINGSACTIVITYCENTER.SD@GMAIL.COM
605.692.2708
Dedicated to the golden age of Brookings area residents, the Brookings Activity Center has many programs to offer to the 50+ generation. Members enjoy exploring activities such as low impact aerobics, easy stretch yoga, crafts, dances, nutrition classes. The center also provides opportunities for get-togethers, receptions, meetings, graduation parties, and more!
CONTACT: UNITED WAY OFFICE
UW@BROOKINGSUNITEDWAY.ORG
605.692.4979
Delta Dental Mobile Program provides dental care at no-cost for families for children from their first tooth through age 21. The Dental Van will visit Brookings County four times in 2019 in January, May, August, and October.
In 2018, 195 children received $139, 523 worth of care.
CONTACT: NANCY SONNENBURG
NSONNENBURG@GMAIL.COM
605.692.8948
National Alliance on Mental Illness provides support to families who have a member who has a brain-based disorder. The Family to Family course offers education while the Connections program is a peer to peer support group. NAMI also offers education courses on parenting at developmental stages as well as classes to family members who have someone with a mental illness in their home.
CONTACT: CARLA STEFFENSON
CARLA.STEFFENSEN@SWIFTEL.NET
605.688.4370
The Brookings Adult Education and Literacy Program strives to improve the quality of participants' lives by providing educational opportunities that will help to build literacy knowledge and skills needed to continue at higher education levels. Participants also have the opportunity to earn a GED.
CONTACT: JENNIFER OLSON
605-629-1101
The Deubrook Backpack Project (DBP) works to provide a free supply of meals and snacks to Deubrook Area School students in PreK- grade 12 who may need an additional food resource over weekends during the school year. The food is given to the children before they leave school each Friday (or, in case of holiday, the last day before break). By helping these children, the DBP seeks to not only meet their nutritional needs, but also promote their physical, cognitive and social development and also to enhance their overall well-being.
All children enrolled in the Deubrook Area School District are eligible. There is no other eligibility requirement. This program is not associated with the free or reduced-cost lunch program.
CONTACT: HUNTER HARVEY
HUNTER.HARVEY@USC.SALVATIONARMY.ORG
605.692.8863
Salvation Army provides temporary, emergency, welfare assistance to those in need. The temporary emergency welfare assistance is limited to twice a year/household, for two different types of requests. The Salvation Army distributes emergency kits, mobilizes local volunteers and hosts seasonal clothing and supply drives.
CONTACT: DANA MARTENS
DANA.MARTENS@K12.SD.US
605.688.4330
The Brookings Area Child Protection Team is composed of individuals from a variety of disciplines and agencies who work together toward a common goal of improving the life situations of children. The philosophy shall be to protect children from abuse and neglect while at the same time maintaining the family unit whenever possible.
CONTACT: UNITED WAY OFFICE
UW@BROOKINGSUNITEDWAY.ORG
605.692.4979
Dolly Parton Imagination Library provides one age-appropriate book each month to children from birth to age 5. All families in Brookings County are eligible to participate.
In 2023, over 1,000 children received a book each month.
CONTACT: UNITED WAY OFFICE
DUNCAN@BROOKINGSUNITEDWAY.ORG
605.692.4979 OR 605.651.1454
The Senior Box Program, a USDA Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) administered by Feeding South Dakota, distributes free food to limited income adults 60 years and older. Each month, eligible adults will receive a box filled with a 2-pound block of fresh cheese and 25 pounds of non-perishable food.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider. Reach out to Duncan to check your eligibility and apply.
CONTACT: ANNA TELLEKSON
baca57006@gmail.com
We Identify unmet needs, assess the need for new services and promote the establishment of new services. To Educate the community on the existing and potential issues of aging. To Network among service providers and increase the effectiveness of these services. To meet regularly and discuss the needs of our community.
CONTACT: JULIE WERMERS
JULIE@EASTCENTRALCASA.COM
605.697.6106
The East-Central Court Appointed Special Advocates Program seeks to promote and protect the best interests of children who have been the victims of abuse and neglect by providing the skilled, dedicated, and compassionate advocacy efforts of trained volunteers. CASA reminds everyone involved that, at the heart of each case, is a child who deserves a safe and loving home.
CONTACT: UNITED WAY OFFICE
UW@BROOKINGSUNITEDWAY.ORG
605.692.4979
FamilyWize prescription discount program provides FamilyWize Prescription Savings Cards for everyone with or without insurance. FamilyWize offers prescription savings through a mobile app, website, or a physical card. Cost comparison of prescriptions at over 60,000 pharmacies are available as well as automatically applied discounts when shown to a pharmacist.
CONTACT: MATT LAGERSTROM
Brookings Area Crime Stoppers encourages members of the Brookings area to assist local law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime, by offering citizens an anonymous method of providing vital information about crimes. Crime Stoppers may pay a financial reward to the citizen that makes the tip that leads to an arrest.
CONTACT: ALLISON SINNING
ASINNING@EMBE.ORG
605-681-8328
Girls on the Run is a character development and empowerment program that uses non-competitive running and training to achieve the goal of completing a 5K run/walk event and to teach life lessons that encourage positive emotional, physical, social and mental development. Local women have the opportunity to be positive role models in healthy living as volunteers.
CONTACT: BRYAN KNOBLICH
BRYAN.KNOBLICH@SCOUTING.ORG
605.323.0712
The Sioux Council Boy Scouts provides programs for young people to build character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness. Scouts offers five programs for all youth based on interests and ages: Cub Scouts, Scouting, Venturing, Exploring, and Water Scouts.
CONTACT:
INFO@BROOKINGSHABITAT.ORG
605.697.2540
Brookings Area Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Through zero-interest mortgages, local and national partnerships and volunteers, Habitat works to create a decent place to live at as low of a cost as possible. A Brush with Kindness and Home Essential Repairs allows low-income and aging homeowners to stay independent in their homes.
CONTACT: KRISTY CARLSON
KCARLSON@FCA.ORG
605.695.7041
Fellowship of Christian Athletes seeks to train coaches to actively develop athletes in three dimensions: physical, emotional/mental, spiritual. FCA trains coaches to be "transformational" using sport as a platform to develop the entire person vs "transactional" where the relationship is based solely on athletic performance and outcomes.
CONTACT: REECE WEBER
execdir@sodakspurs.com
Adult Super Spurs is an adaptive program that provides a safe, fun environment for those with disabilities in the Brookings community to come once a week year long to exercise in a climate controlled supervised environment. This program provides guided exercise and "free time" to encourage and promote physical activity and wellness to some of our most vulnerable Brookings residents.
CONTACT: TRAVIS BORTNEM
TBORTNEM@BROOKINGSAREATRANSIT.COM
605.692.5416
Brookings Area Transit helps ensure that Brookings County residents have access to safe and reliable public transportation. BATA helps kids get to and from school, employees to and from their jobs, and local residents to appointments, even in Sioux Falls. as well as SafeRide Home for SDSU students. To schedule a ride, please call 692 - 2222.
CONTACT: JENNIFER HOESING
JHOESING@GSDAKOTAHORIZONS.ORG
800-666-2141
Girl Scouts - Dakota Horizons believes that every girl has the potential for success. Girl Scouts has an exciting array of choices to suit every interest at every age -- from building a robot, coding an app, or packing for a hike -- to help girls discover their talents, connect with others, and take action to solve issues they are passionate about.
CONTACT: PASTOR MIKE
MIKE@TCDAKOTAS.ORG
605.693.9753
The Teen Challenge of the Dakotas provides relevant and proven solutions to the epidemic of substance abuse and addiction issues facing our communities and their families. An intensive long-term residential program gives individuals the necessary time and effort they deserve invested in their life. The holistic approach helps people transform their lives to be successful community members.
CONTACT: RACHEL FUNK
DIRECTORBAC@SWIFTEL.NET
605.692.4177
The Brookings Arts Council provides a platform for developmentally and physically challenged adults to create projects. It promotes how to pursue a livelihood as a visual artist by creating and operating a full viable and profitable business. Artists are introduced to different mediums to not only become independent in their work, but reach a deep engagement with art.
CONTACT: STACEY ZERFAS
GAPOST@BROOKINGS.NET
605.692.8066
Great After-School Place is a school-age program providing before and after school and summer care for children going into kindergarten through sixth grade. Activities provided are hands-on and age-appropriate, with an emphasis on building social skills. A variety of experiences are integrated for the children from academic activities, field trips, and community outreach.
CONTACT: MOLLY PERRY
VSBCOORDINATOR@GMAIL.COM
605.692.6102
The Volunteer Service Bank (VSB) connects volunteers with those in need of assistance. VSB provides medical transportation for area residents at no-cost to the rider and is available to anyone in need. Rides are provided to by volunteers who are reimbursed only for out-of-town mileage. VSB also offers snow removal services by volunteers during the winter months.
CONTACT: CATHY CHING
COORDINATORBBP@GMAIL.COM
605.651.3900
The Brookings Backpack Project provides children and youth in Brookings County who may not have sufficient food to eat on weekends with healthy, easy-to-prepare meals and snacks year-round. Weekly deliveries to schools or from packing sites ensure children are sustained nutritionally, physically, and socially.
CONTACT: HELP@HELPLINECENTER.ORG
2.1.1 OR 9.8.8
The Helpline Center serves thousands of people every year by connecting individuals to resources and support, providing referrals, connecting volunteer opportunities, and offering hope to individuals affected by mental illness. 988 is a direct connection to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress, suicide crisis, or substance use. Calling "2-1-1" anywhere in Brookings County connects you to the Helpline call center for simple questions to serious help. In an emergency, please call 9-1-1.
CONTACT: UNITED WAY OFFICE AUNNA@BROOKINGSUNITEDWAY.ORG 605.692.4979
In 2022, Brookings Area United Way launched Volunteer United. Volunteer United works with nonprofits to create volunteer opportunities, matches volunteers with nonprofits, celebrates Volunteers of the Month and trains future volunteer managers.
CONTACT: MARY BETH FISHBACK
MFISHBACK@BROOKINGSIVYCENTER.ORG
605.697.2850
Brookings Behavioral Health & Wellness is focused on providing comprehensive, evidence-based services in the community. Particular specialization is on working with children, adolescents & families. Through United Way funding, clinical staff provides services to local school districts to help youth achieve their greatest potential through the Education Collaborations program.
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CONTACT US
ADDRESS
908 Hope Drive
Brookings, SD 57006Mail to: P.O. Box 750, Brookings
PHONE
(605) 692-4979
EMAIL
uw@brookingsunitedway.org
EIN: 23-7151498
