How SF Simplified readers showed up for Owen's Outfitters

Megan Raposa -

Simplified: Sioux Falls Simplified's second annual A Little Help give-back campaign raised approximately $4,300 for medical device lending library Owen's Outfitters. Here's what that means for the nonprofit.

Why it matters

  • Funding a nonprofit is tricky, co-founder Eleanor Turner said, especially when it comes to basic needs like paying rent or keeping the lights on. Often grant funding is very specific in how money can be used, she added.
  • The unrestricted gifts from Sioux Falls Simplified readers will be used to help Owen's Outfitters continue their mission of providing necessary medical equipment at no charge to the folks that need it.
  • In addition to the funds raised, Turner said the Sioux Falls Simplified give-back campaign helped the nonprofit connect with a commercial real estate agent who's found a potential new, larger location for Owen's Outfitters.
"That’s been something we’ve been trying to accomplish for the last year," Turner said. "This money is going to help us get into a larger property, and it's going to help us equip that property."

Tell me more

Owen's Outfitters continues to see growing demand for services.

  • When the organization first started, Executive Director Mike Turner said they gave away 103 items in a month. In February alone, the nonprofit gave away 4,385 items.

In total, Owen's Outfitters has given away nearly $1.5 million worth of medical equipment since its founding.

Owen’s Outfitters is keeping literal tons of medical supplies out of the landfill
Owen’s Outfitters, a medical device lending library serving the Sioux Falls area, has saved more than 56,000 pounds – or 28 tons – of medical supplies from being added to the landfill.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa

That includes families like Tammy and Loren Roth, who received an accessible minivan for free.

How a 16-year-old van became a life-changing gift
“You don’t expect something like this to happen, but then when it does, it’s humbling the number of people who want to help,” Tammy Roth said.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa

That also includes partnerships with dozens of community organizations who rely on Owen's Outfitters to help provide medical supplies.

Why accessible medical supplies can be life changing
“No matter how good services are, no matter how well-managed big organizations are, there are gonna be cracks for people to fall through,” Board Member Elizabeth Hanson said. “Owen’s Outfitters is one of those entities that is there to catch those people that fall through the cracks.”
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa

Really, at the heart of the organization, though, is two parents working to create a legacy for their late son.

Owen’s Outfitters is simplifying how folks in need get medical equipment
The organization has given away more than $1.4 million worth of medical supplies since opening in 2022.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa

What happens next?

The best way to keep up with the latest from Owen's Outfitters is to follow the organization on Facebook.