Consumers Energy Foundation gives $250,000 to the Community Food Club I Sponsored

YOU CAN REGISTER ON THE EVENTBRITE PAGE WE ALL KNOW CONSUMERS ENERGY IS THAT UTILITY TO KEEP HOMES WARM COOL IN WELL LIT BUT THE FOUNDATION ARM HAS SPECIFIC GOALS OF MAKING OUR COMMUNITIES BETTER PLACES TO LIVE THEY DO THAT THROUGH PEOPLE PLANET AND PROSPERITY THE FOUNDATION RECENTLY SELECTED COMMUNITY FOOD CLUB AS A RECIPIENT OF THEIR PEOPLE AWARD WE GOT NATE HENN SHOW HE'S HERE FROM CONSUMERS AND AJ POSSIBLE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY FOOD THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE FIRST LET'S TALK ABOUT THESE AWARDS ADAM WHY CONSUMERS DOES THIS AND WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT WELL THIS IS PART OF OUR SIGNATURE WORDS TO CONSUMERS ENERGY FOUNDATION HAS 3 EACH YEAR IT'S PEOPLE PLANET AND PROSPERITY AND SO THIS IS OUR PEOPLE WORD >> WE KNOW WHAT THE FOUNDATION THAT ACCESS TO BASIC AFFORDABLE NEEDS AND GOODS ESPECIALLY FOOD IS CRITICAL FOR THRIVING COMMUNITIES TO HAPPEN AND WE'RE SO THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO FIND THIS GIFT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR CLUB SO THEY CAN EXPAND THAT AMAZING WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING RIGHT HERE GRAND RAPIDS REGION WONDERFUL SO TALK TO US ABOUT FOOD COURT AND ALL THE GOOD WORK YOU DO ABSOLUTELY SO THE COMMUNITY COULD CLUB IS A NONPROFIT GROCERY STORE WE SERVE EVERYBODY IN KENT COUNTY WHO INCOME QUALIFIES >> OUR MEMBERS PAY A SMALL MONTHLY FEE TO SHOP WITH US AND IN RETURN THEY GET ABOUT A WEEK'S WORTH OF FOOD AND WE SPECIALIZE IN GETTING HEALTHY FRESH FOODS OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE JUST REALLY THRILLED TO BE A PART OF THE CONSUMERS ENERGY FOUNDATION AWARD THIS YEAR THEY ABSOLUTELY AND SO TALK ABOUT YOU KNOW WHY WHY YOU GUYS CHOSE THEM THAT'S THE WORK THAT THEY DO RIGHT AND IT'S YOU KNOW SADLY FOOD INSECURITY IS >> PROMISE SO MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS FACE HERE AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING TO ADDRESS THAT AND THE THAT THEY HAVE TO WRITE YOU GO IN YOUR SHOPPING AND YOU CAN SELECT THE GOODS IN THAT THE FOCUS ON HEALTHY FOOD TO TRY TO IS A BIG PIECE OF IT IT'S REALLY JUST INCREDIBLE THE MODEL THAT THEY'VE COME UP WITH AND WHAT THEY DO FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS AND WE'RE JUST THRILLED TO COMING ALONGSIDE WONDERFUL AND SO HOW MUCH IS THE IS THE GRANT AND TO TALK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GONNA USE THAT SO WE'RE THRILLED $250,000 AT SUCH HONOR TO BE A PART OF THIS AWARD >> WE WILL BE USING IT FOR FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS SO OUR BURSTING AT THE SEAMS WE'VE WELCOMED OVER 47% MEMBER GROWTH LAST YEAR AND SO IT'S GOING TO GO TOWARD THINGS LIKE AN EXTRA CHECK OUT NEW PRODUCE COOLER COMPLETING OUR WALK-IN COOLER THAT WE NEEDED SO ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO REALLY HELP MAKE OUR FACILITY THE ABSOLUTE BEST IT CAN BE TO SERVE THE INCREASED NUMBER OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT YOU HOW THIS WORKS AND HOW IT REALLY EMPOWERS PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU KNOW PEOPLE THANK YOU TO HEAR YOU NEED HELP GETTING FOOD YOU GET A BOX AND YOU OR SHOULD BE OUR DOOR BUT THIS IS GIVING PEOPLE THAT THE AUTONOMY TO CHOOSE WHAT THEY WANT ABSOLUTELY AND SO WE DEEPLY BELIEVE THAT YOUR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS SHOULD NOT DICTATE WHAT YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND YOUR GROCERY STORE EXPERIENCES >> SO ARE MEMBERS WHEN THEY WALK IN THEY HAVE ACCESS TO EVERY KIND PRODUCT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO SEE AT A NORMAL GROCERY STORE WE HAVE FRESH PRODUCE WE HAVE DAIRY WE DON'T TELL PEOPLE WHAT OPTIONS THEY MAKE THEY GET TO CHOOSE WHATEVER THEY COME IN SO IT REALLY IS JUST ABOUT DIGNITY FIRST SPOKE PEOPLE FIRST AND THAT'S REALLY WHY WE ALWAYS FEEL IT'S SUCH A WIN TO PARTNER WITH THE CONSUMERS ENERGY FOUNDATION BECAUSE THEY GET PEOPLE YEAH ABSOLUTELY >> AND TO TALK LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THESE AWARDS HOW PEOPLE CAN APPLY FOR THEM AND TALK ABOUT YOU KNOW THE OTHER GIFTS THAT YOU THAT YOU'RE GETTING >> SURE AND OUR PROSPERITY PHASE NOW SET TO BEGIN THE YEAR WE DO PLANET THEN IT GOES PEOPLE AND PROSPERITY AND SO THESE GRANTS 2 AWARDS PER CATEGORY FOR 250,000 STAY ONE RECIPIENT >> IN ANOTHER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO OUR PROSPERITY WORDS ARE TO HAVE THE APPLICATIONS IN FOR THOSE PEOPLE IN MOURNING GO TO CONSUMERS AND DOT COM SLASH FOUNDATION TO FIGHT FOR THOSE GRANTS OK PERFECT ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROJECTS THE FOUNDATION IS WORKING ON RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NOT WHOSE WILL BE ON THE PROSPERITY WORD BUT GOOD BOUNCE COMING PINE THE NEXT COUPLE WEEK OKAY SO GOING TO THE REVIEW PROCESS NOW WONDERFUL WE ARE WE ARE SO APPRECIATIVE AJ ALL YOU DO AND OF COURSE THE CONSUMERS ENERGY FOUNDATION FOR SUPPORTING ALL OF THE GREAT WORK AROUND OUR COMMUNITY SO THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH THANK YOU ALL RIGHT YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT >> CONSUMERS YOU WANT TO GO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FOUNDATION OR APPLY FOR SOME OF THESE GRANTS CONSUMERS ENERGY DOT COM AND THEN OF COURSE COMMUNITY