SIOUX FALLS, S.D., November 19, 2025 — The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust on Wednesday granted $15,000 to Midwest Street Medicine to support the organization’s mission to provide compassionate, low-barrier healthcare to people experiencing homelessness and housing instability.
Staff from Helmsley’s Sioux Falls office volunteered at Midwest Street Medicine’s office on Wednesday, helping to assemble winter supply packs that include notes of encouragement.
“Helmsley’s Sioux Falls staff is honored to support Midwest Street Medicine’s compassionate work helping individuals experiencing homelessness,” said Walter Panzirer, a Helmsley Trustee. “The Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives through health and select place-based initiatives, and part of that commitment involves giving back to the communities we call home.”
The grant will help Midwest Street Medicine deliver urgent and ongoing care to individuals where they are—on the streets, in encampments, and in shelters, said Midwest Street Medicine Co-Founder and Executive Director Melissa Dittberner, PhD.
“Midwest Street Medicine is built on the belief that everyone deserves care, dignity, and connection—no matter where they sleep at night. We are deeply grateful to the Helmsley Charitable Trust for recognizing that healthcare must meet people where they are. Their support helps us expand our reach, strengthen our team, and continue bringing healing to the streets of South Dakota,” said Dittberner.
With volunteers including licensed medical providers, community health workers, and peer support specialists, Midwest Street Medicine offers core services that include medical management, access to medications, harm reduction, and Narcan distribution. The organization also provides emergency transportation and bus passes to ensure individuals can reach medical appointments, shelters, recovery programs, and other critical services.
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About the Helmsley Charitable Trust
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has granted more than $4.5 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. Helmsley’s Rural Healthcare Program funds innovative projects that use information technologies to connect rural patients to emergency medical care, bring the latest medical therapies to patients in remote areas, and provide state-of-the-art training for rural hospitals and EMS personnel. To date, this program has awarded more than $850 million to organizations and initiatives in the states of Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and two U.S. Pacific territories, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. For more information, visit www.helmsleytrust.org.
About Midwest Street Medicine
Midwest Street Medicine is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing healthcare directly to people who need it most. The organization provides low-barrier medical, behavioral, and addiction care, along with social support, to individuals experiencing homelessness and other vulnerabilities across South Dakota. By meeting people where they are – on the streets, in encampments, and in shelters. Midwest Street Medicine works to close the gaps in health outcomes and mortality caused by stigma and systemic barriers. Guided by its core values of Compassion, Dignity, Cultural Humility, and Advocacy, the organization builds trust, restores hope, and ensures that every person has a chance at health and human connection.
