Feeding Brookings was established as an outreach ministry at Ascension Lutheran Church in 2010. Following Jesus example of feeding the crowd with just two loaves and five fish, this ministry feeds the hungry of the Brookings area. The food distribution is weekly on Thursdays. For the first eight years, the average number of households was 90-102 (household members totaled more than 200 individuals).
Following COVID, the number of households served weekly grew steadily and is currently at 400 to 450. This multiplies to more than 2,000 individuals from singles (primarily seniors) to families. Food insecurity is an extremely scary situation for anyone. A faithful group of volunteers plans, orders, organizes, and distributes the food from a variety of sources each week.
Cans and boxes of non-perishables come from Feeding America to Feeding South Dakota to Feeding Brookings. These subsidies are shrinking or already cut. Commodities from Feeding South Dakota include free food that comes in from the USDA and other commodities, paid for by the Feeding Brookings budget through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP that has income restrictions) and local donations, e.g., in September and October 2024, the Feeding Brookings budget spent $8,200 on hamburger, pork, hot dogs (protein) that would have cost $77,341 retail accounting detail from Feeding Brookings volunteers.
Donations of food from local sources such as Sanderson and Madsen gardens, SIPKA Meats (local beef producer), Bel Brands Cheese, Hy-Vee, Walmart, KFC, Kwik Star, Dakota Layers, Farmers Market and Fresh Food Co-op are extremely appreciated. Over the years a variety of grants applied for and awarded from the city of Brookings and local banks have augmented the Feeding Brookings budget.
In April 2025, USDA cut $500 million in funding to food banks. TEFAP, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and LFPA (Local Food Assistance Program) are also on the chopping block. At a recent meeting with CEO Lori Dykstra of Feeding South Dakota and the South Dakota legislators, Dykstra informed the committee that unintentional consequences of federal funding cuts for food the food safety net for Feeding South Dakota will ripple out to all of the legislators neighbors who experience food insecurity. Feeding South Dakota noted a $2.5 million budget shortfall for 2026 because of the federal funding cuts by the current administration. This will affect the 21 food distribution sites in 15 counties that face elimination. Dykstra also noted that 3,400 families would no longer receive assistance and more than 1.7 million meals will not be available annually. South Dakotans need to step up to remedy this unfortunate situation.
As cuts are made or threatened from the national level to deprive individuals of basic nutritional supplies in all communities and grocery prices continue to rise, it is expected that the weekly distribution of the food available in the Feeding Brookings Community will increase steadily to more than 450 households each week.
Feeding Brookings continues to welcome monetary and food donations to this ministry through Ascension Lutheran Church. The tax-deductible check can be made out to Ascension Lutheran with Feeding Brookings in the memo line. The monetary donations go into a separate Feeding Brookings budget that covers the $10,000 to $14,000 of monthly expenses locally purchased for fresh fruits, vegetables and a few hygiene items. Volunteers are needed weekly to assist with the food distribution and can use this link to sign up: www.feedingbrookings.org
The South Dakota congressional delegation needs to step up and vote against any cuts to federal food and health programs. When cuts continue to be made or threatened, a high level of uncertainty is created for the health and welfare of individuals.
There is a dichotomy between MAGA (Make America Great Again) and meeting basic nutrition levels for millions of individuals, and that is truly stupid.
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