Serving 14 Counties

About Western South Dakota Community Action Agency (WSDCAA)

Founded in 1965, WSDCAA is a non-profit organization with a mission to address poverty-related challenges in the western half of South Dakota. Initially established to tackle the War on Poverty in Rapid City, SD, the organization has since expanded its reach to cover a total of 15 counties, including Bennett, Butte, Corson, Custer, Dewey, Fall River, Haakon, Harding, Jackson, Lawrence, Meade, Pennington, Perkins, and Ziebach.

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Representation and Collaboration:

The agency is governed by a Board of Directors, which includes representatives from low-income communities, government, and civic sectors in each of the served counties. Additionally, WSDCAA collaborates with the Oglala Sioux Tribe to provide community-based services in Shannon County.

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Geographic Scope:

Covering an extensive area of 29,741 square miles, representing almost 50 percent of the state's land, these counties have a combined population of 184,530, with 26,469 individuals classified as low-income.

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Community Engagement:

To serve this dispersed low-income population, WSDCAA has established a network of 14 low-income volunteer organizations, involving over 200 volunteers. Many of these organizations have been serving their communities for over two decades.

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Addressing Budget Gaps:

In partnership with the administrative office in Rapid City, these local organizations operate on a volunteer basis to deliver essential goods and services. This effort aims to bridge the financial gap in the budgets of low-income households. For instance, a household with three members earning minimum wage may face an annual budget deficit of at least $4,000, excluding health insurance costs. Annually, this initiative assists over 12,000 low-income individuals, representing about 45 percent of the poverty population in the service area, in reducing their budget shortfalls, though not eliminating them entirely.