South Dakota Community Foundation Awards $20,000 Grant to Volunteers of America Northern Rockies
July 30, 2025 // Grants, South Dakota Fund Grants
Pierre, S.D. – South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) has awarded a $20,000 South Dakota Fund grant to Volunteers of America Northern Rockies (VOA) to support Mommy’s Closet with diapers in Rapid City.
Mommy's Closet is a free crisis resource center that offers childcare essentials to western South Dakota's parents of infants, toddlers, and school-aged children. Parents may also utilize the help of a case manager to identify barriers to self-sufficiency, form service plans, and receive referrals to local partner agencies.
"Diaper Awareness Week shines a light on a silent struggle faced by many families in our community. The National Diaper Bank Network reports that 1 in 2 U.S. families with young children cannot afford enough diapers to keep their infants clean, dry, and healthy. With the funds raised, we will be able to provide diapers for nine months to families in need across our community, ensuring that no child goes without this basic necessity. Together, we can support families in maintaining their children's health and wellbeing during these critical early years said Kelly Folsom, Advancement Director, VOA Northern Rockies”.
In Fiscal Year 2023, VOA Black Hills Community Outreach Program, which includes Mommy’s Closet, served more than 5,700 clients, including over 2,500 children under the age of five, and distributed over 50,000 diapers, 782 food bags, and 258 instances of homelessness assistance. With anticipated increases in demand and the sunset of several federal funding sources, the grant from SDCF will help VOA continue to deliver these life-changing services to families in need in the coming year.
Volunteers of America Northern Rockies provides essential support for western South Dakotans working toward stability,” said Ginger Niemann, SDCF Senior Program Officer. “This grant will help ensure their team can continue to meet the growing need of families in need of diapers in the region with compassion.
To learn more about funding opportunities through SDCF, visit SDCommunityFoundation.org.
SDCF is a public non-profit organization established in 1987. SDCF, with offices in Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Aberdeen administers 1,300 funds benefiting hundreds of charitable organizations annually. The Foundation distributed nearly $40 million in grants in 2024 which made a tremendous difference in communities statewide. This would not have been possible without the generosity of our donors. If you have a specific cause you would like to support or would prefer to give for the general good of our state, please visit https://sdcommunityfoundation.org/giving to learn more or call 1-800-888-1842.