SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO) — Nearly $10 million in federal spending cuts are striking organizations of all sizes across South Dakota.
The list of cuts includes school districts, universities and hospitals, along with dozens of agencies that offer treatment for mental health and substance use.
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ELOLAND News reached out to several organizations on the list of federal spending cuts, including Children's Home Society which lost $325,000. The agency, which helps vulnerable children, adults and families, says it's disheartened. Children's Home Society planned to use the funding for a new service and is now looking at other ways to continue that mission.
Another organization seeing a $10,000 grant cut is Feeding South Dakota.
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"The impact of losing that $10,000 grant to Feeding South Dakota means that we're unable to connect to the Nexus system, which would allow us to connect to other partners and really help us just with technology," CEO of Feeding South Dakota Lori Dykstra said.
But the nonprofit said it's even more concerned about U.S. Department of Agriculture cuts happening at the federal level.
"About 30% of the food that we received in our 2024 fiscal year was received through the USDA programs," Vice President of Public Relations for Feeding South Dakota Stacey Andernacht said. "We use that food in our mobile food distribution programs. We use it to serve our senior box program."
The USDA recently cut $500 million specifically intended for food banks. Feeding South Dakota said it's already been notified about discontinued funding.
"We know that that food is essential food that we get out to our neighbors in need. We'll have to take a look at that," Dykstra said. "That could mean up to 14% of our food is cut in the near future."
Even during an uncertain time, Feeding South Dakota said it is confident it will continue to serve South Dakotans.
"We're keeping an eye on things. We are not changing any of our programs or the way that we're serving our communities across the state at this point," Andernacht said. "But the process has just started." ...read more read less
