For more than a decade, VOA Dakotas’ Veterans Services Center has been a place where Veterans can find basic necessities, connection, and a path forward. Now, thanks to renewed federal funding and the support of local community partners who helped bridge a critical funding gap, even more Veterans will be able to access employment services that lead to long-term stability and self-sufficiency.
VOA Dakotas has been awarded $305,040 in first-year funding through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP), restoring a program the organization successfully operated from 2016 through 2025. The funding will expand employment and supportive services for Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, and Turner counties.
The award follows a year in which federal funding for the program was not renewed. Even so, VOA Dakotas remained committed to supporting Veterans working toward employment and stability.
That continued support was made possible through investments from public contributions, including grants from the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, South Dakota Community Foundation, and DAV Charitable Service Trust, whose funding allowed VOA Dakotas to maintain key employment services while pursuing the return of federal funding.
“We never stopped serving Veterans,” said Ben Klusmann, Director of Veterans Services. “What this grant does is allows us to expand a program with a proven track record of helping Veterans find employment and stability.”
Their support reflects what is possible when communities come together around a shared commitment to those who have served. During the funding gap, those partnerships ensured Veterans could continue receiving employment assistance, career guidance, and connections to critical community resources while VOA Dakotas worked to secure long-term sustainability for the program.
Today, the return of HVRP funding means VOA Dakotas can once again grow its impact.
The grant will support expanded staffing, including an additional Employment Specialist and a new Intake & Outreach Specialist. The program will help Veterans navigate employment challenges, build job skills, connect with housing and supportive services, and pursue meaningful careers that align with their goals.
The program focuses on helping Veterans access opportunities in high-demand industries, including construction, transportation, manufacturing, skilled trades, healthcare support, truck driving, welding, plumbing, and electrical trades. Veterans receive individualized employment plans, job-readiness training, certifications, apprenticeship opportunities, and direct connections to employers.
Services are based out of the VOA Dakotas Veterans Services Center, a trusted community hub where Veterans can access meals, showers, laundry services, emergency assistance, and connections to housing, healthcare, and other essential resources. The center’s low-barrier approach reflects VOA Dakotas’ belief in meeting immediate needs while helping individuals build toward long-term success.
The program has a strong history of results. Before the funding interruption, VOA Dakotas consistently exceeded federal performance goals, most recently achieving an average employment placement rate of 70.5% while surpassing federal wage benchmarks.
For Klusmann, the impact extends beyond individual Veterans.
“This investment benefits Veterans, employers and the entire community,” said Klusmann. “By helping Veterans secure meaningful employment, we are addressing homelessness while strengthening South Dakota’s workforce.”
The grant is part of a three-year funding opportunity that could provide up to $933,433 through June 2029, contingent upon continued federal funding availability, satisfactory program performance, and compliance with grant requirements.