Sioux Falls Thrive Closes After Seven Impactful Years

Residents of Sioux Falls are losing a valuable resource for food, housing, and education.

Sudden Closure

In a surprise announcement on Monday (September 29), Sioux Falls Thrive said it will close its doors on Tuesday (September 30).

Valuable Services

For seven years, Thrive has assisted churches, community organizations, businesses, nonprofits, individual stakeholders, and local government, focusing on food security, affordable housing, and out-of-school enrichment through programs like:

• Eat Well Sioux Falls Mobile Market - The first affordable grocery store on wheels in South Dakota.
• Kid Link Initiative - The foundation for the school district’s Community Learning Centers.
• Food Rescue 605 - A community-based system for reducing food waste and increasing access to nutritious meals.
• Sioux Falls Youth Connect - A website that supports youth, parents, and educators in connecting teens to community-based activities.
• The Community Housing Education and Resource Fair - A free, two-track course designed to provide participants with information on the homebuying process or renter rights and responsibilities.
• Advocacy for the creation of an Affordable Housing Fund using local tax dollars to support new and rehabilitated housing projects.
• The community’s first Housing Retention Specialist, now housed at East River Legal Services.
• One Roof - A program of The Community Outreach that supports at-risk tenants.

Financial Struggles

The first sign of trouble for Thrive came in June when a lack of finances forced the closure of the Mobile Market.

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Thrive officials confirm that the past two years 'presented significant challenges both for Thrive and the broader Sioux Falls community.'

Difficult Decision

The organization issued a statement explaining the closure on the Thrive website:

'Despite diligent efforts and strong community support, these financial pressures have made it increasingly difficult for Thrive to maintain operations at the scale and quality the community expects and deserves.'

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