Latest News

The Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation has announced its fiscal sponsorship of the Operation Hope Fund, an effort to help improve the continuum of care for individuals served by The Link, the city’s newly opened community triage center.

Via grants made to Avera McKennan, operator of The Link, the Operation Hope Fund will support clients of The Link as they move forward in their recovery process. The Fund will help defray costs associated with:

• Short-term or transitional housing
• Transportation
• Medication and/or medical supplies
• Payment of co-pays, deductibles and provider visits
• Personal care and/or hygiene needs

"We want to give people a means to get the help they need to continue forward on their path to recovery," said Marshall Selberg, Sioux Falls City Councilor for the Southwest District.

The Community Foundation has served as a strategic partner for The Link since the idea for the facility was born. Foundation President Andy Patterson said the Operation Hope Fund will bring the idea “full circle,” helping The Link realize its mission of not only providing care, but of also creating critical and strategic connections to services that will help its clients thrive. The goal of the Fund, Patterson said, is to avoid duplicating other available community-based resources.

“Central to our mission at the Community Foundation is helping our neighbors in need, including those struggling with mental health or addiction issues,” said Andy Patterson, president of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation. “We’ve been proud to serve as a strategic partner for The Link since its inception and we believe the Operation Hope Fund will play a key role in helping its clients move forward in their recovery by reducing financial barriers and increasing access to necessary services and resources in the most efficient way possible.

The Operation Hope Fund launches with a $500,000 gift from the City of Sioux Falls. Members of the public who wish to contribute to the Fund may do so online.