The organizations who have received Community Innovation grants so far in 2020 are examples of the community problem solving happening to make our region better for everyone. They're working on solutions for homelessness, workforce inclusion, increasing home-ownership opportunities and issues related to COVID-19.
Second Harvest Heartland is mobilizing a collaborative effort to ensure families receive meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the innovative Minnesota Central Kitchen. This project brings together restaurants, caterers and hunger-fighting organizations to address food insecurity and job losses brought on by the pandemic.
Project for Pride in Living, Aeon and Common Bond are coming together to work with staff and residents to rapidly address significant and life-threatening problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic in their housing complexes across the region. They will also bring together a number of other affordable housing providers and stakeholders to create broader systemic responses and financial resources to aid all affordable housing providers and their residents in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and unfolding economic crisis.
South Dakota Voices for Peace (sponsored by Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ) has brought together the South Dakota Dream Coalition to support immigrant, refugee and undocumented communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Working primarily in the Sioux Falls area, organizations within the Coalition are collaborating to create a fund for emergency relief and filling gaps in emergency response, including the translation of local COVID-19 information and increasing access to services and benefits.