BROOKINGS — The city’s policy of providing a boost to folks in need was reaffirmed at the Brookings City Council meeting on March 10 when councilors approved $274,254 in 2026 funding for social service agencies.
The 5-0 vote, with councilors Holly Tilton Byrne and Nick Wendell absent, came after a presentation from Heidi Gullickson, the executive director of Brookings Area United Way. The organization is charged with providing funding recommendations for each agency seeking aid.
Fifteen agencies sought help totaling $424,500, but Gullickson pointed to the notable absence of the Brookings County Food Pantry this year.
“The food pantry did not request this year. When they got down to the time for requesting and looking at their financials, they said the community has been very generous this year and they would forgo an allocation this year and let those dollars go other places in the community where they needed to make an impact right now,” she explained.
A breakdown of the other requests, and final funding, follows:
• Brookings Area Transit Authority: $120,000 requested, $90,000 provided.
• Boys & Girls Club of Brookings: $85,000 requested, $58,000 provided.
• Brookings Behavioral Health & Wellness: $50,000 requested, $19,500 provided.
• Avera Behavioral Health: $40,000 requested, $19,500 provided.
• Feeding Brookings: $26,000 requested, $15,000 provided.
• Habitat For Humanity: $20,000 requested, $6,500 provided.
• The Salvation Army: $20,000 requested, $19,000 provided.
• Great After School Place: $20,000 requested, $12,000 provided.
• Harvest Table: $10,000 requested, $7,500 provided.
• Brookings Backpack Project: $10,000 requested, $10,000 provided.
• Brookings County Youth Mentoring: $8,000 requested, $6,000 provided.
• Margo’s Place domestic abuse shelter: $5,000 requested, $5,000 provided.
• E.C. CASA: $5,000 requested, $3,250 provided.
• Lutheran Social Services: $4,500 requested, $2,004 provided.
• Brookings Area Crime Stoppers: $1,000 requested, $1,000 provided.
Gullickson took questions following her presentation, and Councilor Brianna Doran took her up on that.
“For those who maybe aren’t familiar of the work of nonprofits and want to understand the needs more, if these programs disappeared tomorrow — and kind of showing the impact of the support — what measurable impact would the community experience?”
“Everything is so intertwined. We have about … 30 percent of our students on free and reduced lunch,” Gullickson said. “So, we know that we have about that percentage of folks who are financially struggling in our community.”
She further noted that, “If these organizations weren’t there to help support and lift up, we would see … an increase in evictions, we would see an increase in folks not being able to get to work, and then when they lose their job because they don’t have the transportation or the childcare, those resources, then we’re going to see higher unemployment and … we’ll see an increase in crime. That’s just the way it lays out.”
Gullickson said nonprofits play key roles in keeping the worst-case scenarios from becoming reality.
“The nonprofits really are helping our community members be able to be our community members and to be our employees and to be our neighbors and to be our helpers,” she said. “It’s that step up, and it’s helping them do what they need to do and for Brookings to be who we are.”
Doran then inquired about what other needs the community has beyond food insecurity and rental assistance, which by themselves have seen a consistent rise since 2020.
“We continue to see the mental health resources — we’ve got some great organizations and nonprofits in our community that work in that area,” Gullickson said, pointing to Avera Behavioral Health and Brookings Behavioral Health & Wellness.
She mentioned other organizations as well. “Even within our Brookings County Youth Mentoring, within our school districts, within Harvest Table — all of these other ones have that component, too.”
Gullickson explained that, while services may be performed by just a couple of organizations, the resulting information and resources are used to benefit all the organizations.
“So, we continue to see that as a need in our community,” she said.
Regarding food insecurity, Gullickson said there are many programs to assist with different types of situations.
“We want to be able to make sure that folks who qualify for those programs do have access to those programs — to be able to get those resources into their home — so they don’t have to make the decision of ‘Are my kids going to eat tonight, or am I going to pay my rent?’”
The city’s funding for 2026 is a bit higher than 2025, when it totaled $263,715. The BAUW’s recommendations are assisted by an impact rubric, per information from the city, and food security and rental assistance are prioritized.
In closing, Doran spoke to the benefits of such annual funding from the city.
“A lot of our residents are experiencing hardships or are one or two paychecks away from struggling financially,” she said. “So, this is just one way that the community can come together and deliver quality services while reaching our vulnerable populations and creating solutions for all of our residents.”
— Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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