Three dozen area nonprofit agencies will share in $92,000 in grant monies thanks to the ongoing overwhelming generosity of the men and women who work at the Cook Nuclear Plant near Bridgman and their Heart of Cook grants for 2021.
The Heart of Cook is a corporate-advised fund held by the Berrien Community Foundation, and traditionally, their Heart of Cook Grant Awards are presented in person at a grant reception hosted by the Cook Nuclear Plant’s Heart of Cook Grant Committee. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, the decision was made to once again forego the in-person reception in order to get the much-needed dollars into the hands of the recipients more quickly.
AEP Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Joel Gebbie says, “There may be a light at the end of the tunnel for getting out of the pandemic with the acceleration in vaccines, but the economic impact will certainly be felt for some time to come,” while adding, “Community need has never been greater, and we are fortunate to be able to give some additional dollars this year that normally aren’t available, simply because of the extraordinary need. These organizations do amazing work. We must continue to do what we can to support that.”
The 2021 Heart of Cook grants will support a wide range of programming with everything from food pantries to animal care to services for seniors and people with disabilities. The Heart of Cook focuses on programs that address education, human services and environmental projects, and gives priority to programs that involve a Cook Nuclear plant employee.
While the Heart of Cook grant program is administered by the Berrien Community Foundation, a committee comprised of Cook Nuclear Plant employees reviews all grant applications and makes decisions. This year, the Heart of Cook committee received and reviewed grant applications requesting more than $249,000.
Organizations receiving 2021 grants were:
- Acorn Center for the Performing Arts
- The Avenue Family Network, Inc
- Benton Harbor Public Library
- Berrien Conservation District
- Berrien County Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
- Berrien County Youth Fair Association
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor
- Bridgman Public Library
- CASA of SW Michigan, Inc
- Cass County Council on Aging
- Children’s Music Workshop
- Chikaming Open Lands
- Christ Lutheran School
- Coloma Township Police
- Community Healing Centers
- Disability Network SW Michigan
- Dunebrook, Inc.
- Fernwood Botanical Gardens
- Girl Scouts of Northern IN-Michigan
- Green Bridge Growers
- Hidden Acres Safe Haven
- Lest We Forget
- Living Epistle Fellowship
- LOGAN Community Resources, Inc
- Paris’ Purse
- Paws of Hope
- Rotary Club of BH Sunrise Foundation
- Servants at Work, Inc
- St. Margaret’s House
- St. Paul’s Lutheran School
- St. Joseph Parish Conference
- STEM 4 Them
- Therapeutic Equestrian Center
- Watervliet Public Schools
- Well of Grace Ministries
- Youth Development Co/PAL
Grant applications for 2022 will be available beginning in January by contacting the Berrien Community Foundation at http://www.berriencommunity.org.
Indiana Michigan Power is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its 2,370 employees serve more than 597,000 customers. More than half of its generation is emission-free, including 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind generation from Indiana, 22 MW of hydro generation in both states and approximately 15 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states. The company’s generation portfolio also includes 2,600 MW of coal-fueled generation in Indiana. For more information visit http://www.cookinfo.com
The goal of the Berrien Community Foundation is to connect needs with resources in the community. Working with individuals, corporations and other foundations, BCF creates endowments and other funds that support the ever-changing needs of Berrien County. For more information about BCF and how you can create your own legacy of giving, you can visit online at http://www.BerrienCommunity.org or call (269) 983-3304.
