To help families put food on the table this holiday, Earthrise Energy recently awarded an $8,000 RISE Grant to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. The funds will be allocated to four food bank member agencies serving Crete, Manhattan, and Monee to help restock their pantry shelves.
“We thank Earthrise Energy and all those helping us meet the demand for nutritious food during this holiday season,” said Maeven Sipes, Chief Philanthropy Officer of the Northern Illinois Food Bank. “Rising costs and the elimination of emergency allotments made to households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have increased food insecurity for many in need. This only compounds the stress many of our neighbors already feel during the holiday season.”
Grant funds will be allocated to the Jackson Creek Fellowship Church Food Pantry and the Action Love Food Pantry in Monee, Christ’s Mission Church in Manhattan, and Faith Movers Church Food Pantry in University Park.
“Many holiday customs involve gift giving and sharing meals with loved ones. Today, we honor both these traditions, while helping to alleviate the food insecurity many of our neighbors contend with,” said Earthrise Energy Senior Director of Development Jonathan Pike. “In doing so, we are proud to support the good work of the Northern Illinois Food Bank, its member agencies, and the food pantry volunteers who work tirelessly to help combat hunger.”
Earthrise Energy is an independent power producer that owns and operates five natural gas plants in Illinois, including the Lincoln Generation Facility in Manhattan and the Crete Energy Venture in Crete. The company is building on that foundation to develop more than two gigawatts of renewable energy projects to accelerate the country’s clean energy transition. To support local community members, the company founded its RISE Grant program to support initiatives that provide critical services to local communities, advance excellence in education, and help protect the environment.