Walmart Associate’s Choice Program

Are you a Walmart Associate or do you know of one? Feeding South Dakota could be chosen as the winner of Walmart Associate's Choice Program and receive $100,000 to help support vital programming to feed hungry residents across the state of South Dakota.

We need your VOTE!

Why? Food insecurity is a stark reality throughout South Dakota.  In a state with a population just over 812,000, 14.2 % of all South Dakotans or 1 out of every 8 people lives below poverty. With the children of South Dakota the statistics are even worse. Of all the children 18 years of age and below 18.9% (36,884) live below poverty and even more startling is that 22.9% of those children 5 years of age and younger (13,266) are living in poverty.

In some of our most rural counties, poverty and its impact is even more significant. South Dakota’s Ziebach County has the distinction of being the number one poorest county in the United States. Along with Ziebach, there are seven more that fall within the top thirty, and three of those are in the top ten. Ironically, all of these counties either lie within or border one of South Dakotas nine Indian Reservations.

Feeding South Dakota is a 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to the fight against hunger. As South Dakota’s largest charitable hunger relief organization we provide food to both families and non-profit organizations. Through our food bank warehouse locations in Sioux Falls, Pierre and Rapid City we distribute donated, reclaimed and purchased food to over 500 nonprofit charitable organizations who then use this food to provide meals and emergency food boxes to those in need. In 2010, we distributed over 10.5 million pounds of food to help reach hungry families.

With the BackPack Program we are providing 5,075 at-risk area school children nutritious, child-friendly, easy-to-prepare foods for the weekends and out-of-school times. These are children who live in homes where there is not enough food for them to eat on the weekends when schools are closed and there is no access to school meal programs. Were it not for these meals far too many school children would be trying to learn on an empty stomach, a situation in which very few can be successful. For $4.00 we are able to provide a child with a weekend food package and for just $145 we can provide them one for the entire school year.

From our community pantries in Sioux Falls and Rapid City we provide emergency food to local individuals and families who are in need of food assistance. A city wide network of referral agencies directs those with hunger needs to the pantry where they receive a 5 day emergency supply of food. In 2010, we provided over 1.5 million pounds of food and grocery products to over 65,300 individuals and family members in need of assistance.

Feeding South Dakota respectfully requests your vote!

This is an opportunity to make a huge difference in the lives of less fortunate people. We are always available to share more information and to answer any questions you might have regarding this unique opportunity to combat hunger in South Dakota. Please see the contact numbers below:

Pierre – 605.494.3663, Bernie Jassmann

Rapid City – 605.348.2689, Monica Leitheiser

Sioux Falls – 605.335.0364, Kay Torney