Creating Community through Kindness
Rainbow Project Sioux Falls WRITTEN BY MADDILYNN KALLSEN + PHOTOS BY KAYLA JOHNSON
Gabriela Morales founded Rainbow Project Sioux Falls as a Girl Scout , earning them the esteemed Girl Scout Gold Award in 2023. It has since blossomed into the nonprofit organization it is today, supporting the mental and emotional wellbeing of LGBTQIA2S+, BIPOC, and other marginalized youth and young adults. This all happened with the help and support of Gabriela's mom, Florangel "Angel," (finance and grant coordinator), and sister,
“We want to be able to give them safe care, a nurturing space, and offer needed resources early on,” said Florangel. “Someone's here to help.” These functions include youth ceramics classes at Augustana University , yoga and mind-body wellness programs at The Joy Collective with Sarah Joy Lindemulder , and Queer Words at Full Circle Book Co-op in partnership with Sion Lidster , along with additional programming to be announced in the coming months.
Angelica (community engagement coordinator). Seeing, feeling, and experiencing discrimination and discrepancies with a lack of care, support, and community, the family says they saw a way to help fill in the gaps, connecting people to needed help. “We want to see civil communication, civil dialog, and basic respect,” said Florangel. “We hope we can change people's minds, but we know that may not be possible. At the very least, let us and the community be so we don't have to worry about being targeted.” Rainbow Project Sioux Falls is the first South Dakota organization to receive a Kindness in Community Fund grant from the Born This Way Foundation , co-founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Bissett Germanotta .
“What is special about our initiative is that we are committed to actively engaging with other organizations whose goals align with ours,” said Angelica. House of Marsha , named after activist Marsha P. Johnson , and Rainbow Project Sioux Falls are collaborating to help co-create shared spaces to foster consistent care and support. Tattoo artist Amanda Kendall and advocate Jack Fonder co-founded House of Marsha, which is built on the belief that visibility creates connection. “There is not enough collaboration amongst
“We can only speak for our experiences we've had in Sioux Falls, and we take that and put it into our mission and the organization.” Florangel "Angel" Morales
organizations year-round, and we want to further help this community recognize there is solidarity and collaboration,” added Angelica. Fonder will be serving as a Rainbow Project Sioux Falls board member, continuing to actively collaborate with Kendall to create safe spaces for the marginalized youth. “A safe space feels singular, but creating a safe community is collective," said Angelica. According to Florangel and Angelica, this past year of connecting with local organizations has transformed how interconnected they are with the city. They hope to foster even more relationships. “It's been quite an eventful year, and we're really excited to see what everything will look like by the end of 2026,” said Angelica.
The Born This Way Foundation recognizes the scientific link between kindness and mental health, and aims to build partnership and accessible mental health resources. This summer, Rainbow Project Sioux Falls will be offering a variety of different programs, workshops, and events promoting wellness to help bring connection through the Creating Self for Oneself Initiative , “strengthening the communal fabric that ties us all together.” Florangel mentioned how important it is for the youth to feel accepted, be taken care of, and to be active participants in the fabric of the Sioux Falls community.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT RAINBOWPROJECTSIOUXFALLS.ORG+
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