Sioux Falls, S.D. — Community Action for Veterans (CAV) has received a $344,990 federal award through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP), supporting expanded outreach, research, and care coordination for veterans across 14 eastern South Dakota counties.
The award comes as CAV expands into four offices in Building 1 at the USD Discovery District, transitioning from a one-person operation to a growing regional hub for veteran and family wellness. Community Action for Veterans is the newest tenant in Building 1, South Dakota’s first purpose-built life sciences facility in Sioux Falls.
The SSG Fox grant program funds community-based organizations working to reduce veteran suicide, particularly among veterans not currently receiving services through the VA healthcare system. In South Dakota, the award supports outreach and case management services in Brookings, Clark, Clay, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, Moody, and Turner counties within the VA’s VISN 19 Rocky Mountain Network.
“This funding allows us to reach veterans who are not connected to the VA system — the ones who often fall through the cracks,” said Jill Baker, Executive Director of Community Action for Veterans. “Much of what is considered best practice in veteran care has been developed for urban environments. We need research-informed systems that work in rural states like ours.”
Founded in 2013 as a volunteer Community Veterans Engagement Board, CAV formally incorporated as a nonprofit in 2022. Since then, the organization has expanded programming focused on upstream suicide prevention, including addressing housing instability, financial hardship, food insecurity, and social isolation — key risk factors identified in suicide prevention research.
The federal grant enables CAV to hire additional staff, including a care coordinator and a community outreach coordinator, tripling its staffing capacity and strengthening its ability to provide direct outreach and care coordination. The nonprofit is also embedding social work interns through partnerships with the University of South Dakota and Augustana University, strengthening both service delivery and data-informed evaluation.
Janet Brekke, President of the CAV Board of Directors, said the expansion marks a foundational moment for the organization.
“We’ve been building the plane while flying it,” Brekke said. “This grant allows us to put wings beneath it, building infrastructure that ensures veterans and their families don’t face barriers to care.”
CAV’s move into the USD Discovery District reflects a growing collaboration between community health, higher education, and regional economic development. Building 1, South Dakota’s first purpose-built life sciences facility, houses growing organizations that are research focused and mission-driven working at the intersection of innovation and public good.
Ryan Oines, President and CEO of the USD Discovery District, said CAV’s presence broadens the district’s vision.
“The USD Discovery District connects higher education, research, and economic development,” Oines said. “Community Action for Veterans brings a critical dimension, applying research and partnership to real-world solutions for South Dakota veterans and their families.”
With expanded staff and space, CAV is advancing its long-term vision for the Center for Rural Veterans and Military Family Wellness, a statewide, “no wrong door” model ensuring veterans and their families can access coordinated care, whether through VA services or community-based partners.For more information about Community Action for Veterans and its programs, visit https://www.sdvets.org/.
###
About the USD Discovery District
The USD Discovery District is a university-anchored innovation community in Sioux Falls designed to accelerate bioscience, life science, and technology-based development. Formed through a public-private partnership, the District is supported by the University of South Dakota, the South Dakota Board of Regents, the SD Governor’s Office of Economic Development, the City of Sioux Falls, and Forward Sioux Falls. Learn more at usddiscovery.com.
About Community Action for Veterans
Community Action for Veterans (CAV) is a South Dakota–based nonprofit focused on strengthening the health and wellbeing of veterans and their families through community collaboration and upstream suicide prevention. Founded in 2013 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 2022, CAV works to ensure there is “no wrong door” for veterans seeking support. Through initiatives such as VetConnect SD and Compass Corps, CAV partners with service providers, higher education institutions, and public agencies to address risk factors including housing instability, financial hardship, food insecurity, and social isolation — particularly among veterans not currently connected to VA services.
Media Contacts
Ryan Oines
President, USD Discovery District
ryan@usddiscovery.com | 605-728-7926
Jill Baker, MSA, MSW, CSW
Executive Director, Community Action for Veterans
jill@sdvets.org | 605-910-4045
Media Resources
A full press kit is available here.
For additional requests or materials, please contact Ngoc Thach at nthach@thelconsulting.com.