Food Security Action Team

Increasing neighborhood access to food

Vision

Create equitable and sustainable access to food in each neighborhood in a dignified and culturally appropriate manner.

Primary Goals:

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Facilitate collaboration among food rescue/recovery efforts in the Sioux Falls area.

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Identify and support community builders in and for each neighborhood.

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Create opportunities for people to buy affordable food in their neighborhoods.

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Reduce the distance between the people who produce the food and those who need the food.

Ask any teacher. Hungry kids don’t do well in the classroom. Even short-term food insecurity can cause behaviors that affect academic achievement, and ultimately impact high school graduation rates.

That’s a big deal to Thrive’s Food Security Action Team, or FSAT.

Feeding America estimates that 7,000 kids growing up in Sioux Falls live in households that struggle to put adequate food on the table.

FSAT works to align local charitable food resources and close hunger gaps. But sometimes our job feels like a never-ending game of Whac-A-Mole.

Of course, childhood hunger and food insecurity are not amusing. But the frustration is real as the targets continue to move.

Food Insecurity: There Is Good News

FSAT members have helped whack several moles during the pandemic:

Thrive’s Kid Link Riverside became the test case for Feeding South Dakota’s “get food to the people who need it, don’t make them come to us” strategy. Three of Feeding South Dakota’s new neighborhood distribution centers now serve families of Laura B. Anderson Elementary School. Surveys show that families are pleased with the new access points.
Faith Temple Food Giveaway hasn’t let up on its commitment to distribute food on Friday afternoons at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds. Generally, between 800 and 900 families are served each week, and there’s no limit to how many times a family can get help.
At the height of the pandemic in the summer of 2020, 211 Helpline fielded thousands of calls for food assistance. Logistical challenges forced distribution sites to move, so 211 and other agencies helped families track the changes.
And Helpline partnered with Faith Temple to access a United Way Worldwide grant to get charitable food to households without transportation via DoorDash.
These programs are supplemented by The Salvation Army’s food pantry and delivery program, which abolished photo ID requirements and diversified its food selection.

That’s a lot of progress. Combine that with expanded food resources available through the American Rescue Plan and you’d think it was time to declare victory and go home.

Too bad moles keep popping up. Things like:

Getting to food distribution sites and hauling groceries home for families without vehicles.
Arranging work schedules to line up with the days and times food distribution sites are open.
Working around limits on how often a family in need can request help.
Figuring out why low-income families don’t sign up for SNAP (food stamps) or WIC benefits.

And here’s the monster mole: Communication.

FSAT continues to work toward a solution that helps ensure families in need — from all the diverse communities in Sioux Falls — find and reach the groceries and meals they need to keep their kids well fed.

Check out the research

What Are Thrive’s Action Teams?

Thrive Action Teams are key to achieving the organization’s mission to remove obstacles to student success and foster opportunities for all children, from cradle to career.

Action Teams use a collective impact approach to focus on creating systemic change in the conditions surrounding the educational system.

Success is achieved when an outcome or goal has been attained, with the result that either the cause of the obstacle is eliminated or that programs, policies, funding streams, and/or services are permanently altered, reducing the impact of the problem on a continuing basis.

Action Teams are comprised of individuals who:

- Represent a cross-section of business, government, nonprofit, education and faith-based communities.
- Have knowledge and experience to contribute to the ecosystem issue being addressed.
- Are willing to make a commitment to participate regularly in Action Team activities.

Action Team membership is generally around 15 people but participation levels ebb and flow with current needs and topics. Volunteer opportunities often become available as each team continuously evaluates its requirements for expertise and participation. Occasional opportunities arise for short-term task-oriented teams, as well. If you’re interested in working as a Thrive volunteer, contact us.