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Goodwill gives veterans new winter boots, coats, hats & more during South Dakota Stand Down events

Generous donations help veterans get ready for the cold winter weather ahead

Hundreds of veterans received new winter boots, coats, hats and gloves, at no cost to them, thanks to Goodwill and other volunteers at two different Veterans Stand Down events in both Rapid City and Sioux Falls, South Dakota this September.

Volunteers were handing out the supplies during the Veterans Stand Down in Rapid City on Thursday, Sept. 19th and at the event in Sioux Falls on Friday, Sept. 20th.

128 veterans were served at the event in Sioux Falls, while 108 were served during Rapid City’s event.

All leftover clothing was given to other South Dakota groups, including the VA, to distribute to local veterans before the end of the year.

Goodwill of the Great Plains donates more than $13,000 to American Red Cross flood relief efforts

Goodwill customers ‘Round up at the Register’ for flood relief

During a presentation on Thursday, Aug. 8th in Sioux City, Goodwill of the Great Plains donated $13,619.57 to the American Red Cross – Disaster Response: Spring Storms and Floods.

Throughout July, “round up” donations received from Goodwill of the Great Plains’ customers as part of the ‘Round up at the Register’ drive were collected to be donated to the American Red Cross to support those affected by extreme flooding in June.

“As those affected by the flooding experienced a physical and emotionally exhausting process of rebuilding their lives, Goodwill wanted to help contribute toward the community outreach efforts,” said Briget Solomon, President & CEO of Goodwill of the Great Plains. “I’m constantly amazed by the compassion and kindness throughout our organization and in the communities we get to call home.”

In addition to the ‘Round up at the Register’ initiative, Goodwill distributed additional store vouchers to agencies within the communities we serve that provide disaster relief.

Goodwill’s mission is to build independence for the people it serves through employment, training and community support.

In 2023, Goodwill of the Great Plains served 33,049 people throughout its four-state region.

Goodwill to expand services in South Dakota

Day Services will now be offered in Rapid City

After more than a decade of providing employment skills training to help people with barriers find successful employment in Rapid City, Goodwill is pleased to announce it will be expanding services offered in South Dakota to include Day Services.

What are Day Services?

Goodwill helps people with intellectual disabilities meet personal goals and grow as individuals, teaching daily living skills, goal setting, socialization and offering community engagement in a fun, energetic setting – a chance to go out and be part of the community.

These expanded services come after Goodwill went through a two-and-a-half-year certification process to earn Community Support Provider status through the State of South Dakota. In May, Goodwill obtained Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) accreditation.