In an effort to help area residents combat hunger this winter, Ameren Illinois officials distributed nearly 15,000 non-perishable food items and a total of $32,394 to seven different food pantries in central and southern Illinois.
In addition to providing an initial grant of $2,500 to selected local pantries, Ameren Illinois pledged an additional dollar for each non-perishable food item collected by employees between November 6 and December 8. The collection drives supported these food pantries:
First Baptist Church of Canton 1,122 cans ($3,622)
Northeast Community Fund, Decatur 3,400 cans ($5,900)
FISH of Galesburg 1,700 cans ($4,200)
Social Action Ministry, Tuscola 1,218 cans ($3,718)
Niedringhaus United Methodist Church, Granite City 1,500 cans ($4,000)
Community Interfaith Food Pantry, Belleville 3,190 cans ($5,690)
Herrin House of Hope, Herrin 2,764 cans ($5,264)
“This initiative was driven by the desire of our local employees to support the organizations in the communities where they live and work," said Ameren Illinois Chairman and President, Richard J. Mark. "We are proud to assist these local food pantries in carrying out their missions and hope these donations have a positive impact on local families not only during the holidays, but into the New Year.”
“I want to thank Ameren Illinois and its employees for this generous donation," said Diane Copeland, president of FISH of Galesburg. “The winter months are a difficult time of year for many people and the proceeds from this collection drive will help us ensure that our local needs are met."
The grant funds were made available through the Ameren Cares program, which connects Ameren Illinois with the communities it serves through charitable giving and volunteering. A key focus of this program is to partner with nonprofit organizations to give back to communities across the 43,700-square-mile Ameren Illinois service territory.
About Ameren Illinois
Ameren Illinois delivers energy to 1.2 million electric and 816,000 natural gas customers throughout central and southern Illinois. Our service territory covers more than 1,200 communities and 43,700 square miles and our mission is to power the quality of life. For more information, visit AmerenIllinois.com. Follow us on Twitter @AmerenIllinois and Facebook.
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