for 2024 People Awards

Grand Rapids, MI, July 26, 2024 -- The Consumers Energy Foundation unveiled the Community Food Club of Grand Rapids as one of their 2024 People Award winners today, distributing $250,000 to the area nonprofit to alleviate food insecurity in the community.

“Access to basic, affordable food is critical not only to sustaining individuals and families, but to ensuring whole communities thrive,” said Brandon Hofmeister, president of the Consumers Energy Foundation. “It is a privilege to be able to work with an organization striving to address that need in one of our state’s largest cities, and we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with them to help reduce the number of Michiganders struggling to put food on the table.”

The Community Food Club will use the grant to make facility upgrades, purchase equipment, and make other enhancements to increase its capacity to serve Kent County residents. The project will add a produce cooler and additional storage shelving, an additional checkout lane to reduce wait times, upgrade software for better product delivery and other improvements.    

"Through the partnership with the Consumers Energy Foundation, the Community Food Club will be able to implement crucial facility upgrades,” said AJ Fossel, Executive Director of the Community Food Club. “This will allow our nonprofit grocery store to serve an additional 3,500 people a month and provide the fresh produce, dairy, meat, and dry goods they need to thrive. A big thank you to the Consumers Energy Foundation for investing in our model which is focused on dignity, choice, and our members who shop in our store."

The People Awards are the second of three signature grant allocations in 2024 totaling $1.5 million. The Foundation previously awarded the Planet Awards in April, and will present the Prosperity Awards this fall to support nonprofit efforts that support economic development.

The Consumers Energy Foundation is the charitable arm of Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider. The Foundation contributes to the growth and strengthening of Michigan communities by investing in what’s most important — our people, our planet and Michigan’s prosperity. In 2023, the Consumers Energy Foundation, Consumers Energy, its employees and retirees contributed more than $11 million to Michigan nonprofits. For more information, visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/foundation. 

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