Codington County Welfare Office awarded $100,000 grant
January 25, 2024
PIERRE – The South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) recently awarded a $100,000 Beyond Idea Grant (BIG) to the Codington County Welfare Office. Funding will support establishing a sustainable Collective Impact Program (CIP).
“Codington County is so excited for the opportunities the Beyond Idea Grant will provide for our community. Over the past two years, there have been great successes as the result of community members working together. This grant is essential for moving to the next level of addressing community needs. It will allow us to better identify those needs and work together more effectively,” says Sara Fouse, Director, Codington County Welfare Office. “We cannot wait to see the accomplishments this next year holds with the support of this grant.”
The Codington County Social Services Advisory Council started a strategic planning process in 2022 which identified five priority areas: Housing, Mental Health, Childcare, Community Transformation, and Centralized Services. Action Teams have been established to address these needs and the community is meeting the identified goals.
The grant will allow the establishment of the Collective Impact model so the progress made is not only sustained but expanded.
“We see the partnership with the Codington County Welfare Office a very positive one,” says Ginger Niemann, SDCF Senior Program Officer. “Their grass roots approach encourages fellow residents to contribute to improving the social, cultural, and economic concerns in the Watertown area.”
Photo left to right: Ginger Niemann, Senior Program Officer, SDCF; Shannon Schafer, Case Worker, Salvation Army; Don Roby, Board Member, SDCF; Sara Foust, Director, Codington County Community Services; Kari Kraayanbrink, Admin Assistant, Codington County Community Services; Andrea Schulz, Social Worker, Watertown School District; Paige Welling, Community Health Worker, Codington County Community Services; Stacy Hendricks, Executive Director, Brothers & Sisters Behind Bars and Stephanie Judson, President & CEO, SDCF.