South Michigan Food Bank
South Michigan Food Bank (SMFB) received $10,000 from the Fund for Greater Albion for purchasing fresh food for Albion. SMFB’s Albion Fresh Food and Pantry Staples Distributions serve approximately 325 Albion households every month. This grant will help with the costs of produce and pantry staples for a year. As Lori Sunie, the Director of Development, expressed this grant will help supply food, for reference one semi-truck load costs about $38,000.
The sites that SMFB support in Albion include a backpack program at Harrington Elementary, the holiday program at Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ, fresh food distribution through the Community Table of Albion and Network Family Church, as well as food pantries at the Christ Apostolic Church Pantry and Community Table of Albion.
SMFB is one of seven food banks in Michigan and one of 200 food banks in the United States. They partner with 300+ hunger-relief partners across the eight counties (Calhoun, Barry, Branch, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lenawee, and St. Joseph). Their mission is to enhance the lives of those struggling with hunger. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Food Bank has seen a large uptick of individuals in need. Sunie stated that the need for food has changed dramatically since the beginning of Covid, “pre Covid we supplied approximately 7 million pounds of food a year, Covid year it doubled to 14 million, and we’ve sustained that to almost 12 million every year since, and we don’t see it going down.”
Any individual who needs these services can access it “as many times as they need”, Sunie stated, “we are a resource, 100%.”
American Red Cross of Southwest Michigan
The American Red Cross of Southwest Michigan received $2,500 for Blood Saves Lives from the Fund for Greater Albion. This funding will support the cost of two community blood drives to be held in Albion, although they plan on having twelve or more blood drives this year. The Regional Philanthropy Officer in Southwest Michigan, Joy Fill stated that “we are hoping that this grant will help expand the community’s awareness of the importance of blood collection, and also the importance of the Sickle Cell Initiative.”
A goal of these drives to engage and encourage individuals who are Black to donate blood to increase the supply of blood available for sickle cell patients as a part of the Blood Saves Lives Sickle Cell Initiative. Sickle cell disease is an inherited red blood cell disorder that causes a shortage in good red blood cells. Sickle cell patients who need blood transfusions can develop antibodies to blood that is not closed matched, which can lead to an increased risk of poor reactions to the treatment. The best matches for blood donations come from people of the same ethnicity. Holding two blood drives in Albion generates approximately 60 units of blood or blood products, impacting as many as 180 patients.
The mission of the American Red Cross is to prevent and relieve human suffering in the face of emergencies through the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. The goal is to turn compassion into action so everyone in the greater Albion community has access to safe, lifesaving blood and blood products.
To learn more about eligible donors, what the donations are used for, and to sign up visit redcrossblood.org.
INNOVATE Albion
INNOVATE Albion received $1,000 from the Kingsley Fund and $1,500 from the Youth Fund. These grants will support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Saturdays Everywhere, a once monthly open-house style morning program to expose children to hands-on activities with robots, science, math, and technology-based education. The Executive Director, Caroline Hurteau stated that“it’s important for students to be exposed to STEM opportunities because it can open their eyes and minds to new career opportunities and new ways to be creative.”
STEM Saturdays are designed to spark interest in the STEM fields while offering hands on opportunities. It estimated that that INNOVATE Albion will impact over 1,000 students throughout the year. Hurteau hopes that “students and families leave STEM Saturdays excited about finding new and additional STEM activities in their community.”
INNOVATEAlbion is committed to STEM education and provide high-quality learn opportunities in the greater Albion area. The teachings are focused on STEM and robotics. The hope is that STEM Saturdays will directly impact students’ interest in STEM education leading to more engagement in other INNOVATE Albion activities.
The next STEM Saturday is June 17th at INNOVATE Albion, families with kids of all ages are welcome. They are held every 3rd Saturday of each month with varying locations.
Play Right Sports Academy
Play Right Sports Academy (PRSA) received $3,000 from the Kingsley Fund and $2,500 from the Youth Fund. These grants will support after-school programming for the Albion youth and other team activity needs such as equipment, uniforms, and snacks. Founder and President of PRSA, Milton Barnes, stated that “[these grants] give us the opportunity to continue to do more things, and expand beyond just the simple weekly activities that we have.”
The activities that PRSA youth can participate in include open gym time and team participation in basketball, cheerleading, tee-ball, flag football, golf, and tennis. They serve between 25 to 30 youths daily during the week and between 75 to 90 youths on the weekends. When asked about the impacts Barnes has seen on the youth, he stated that “the biggest impact I would say comes from the attitude change, understanding the importance of getting along, and the comradery that we try to create.”
PRSA provides an environment in which Albion youth may learn and appreciate the core values of good citizens including but not limited to honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment, through the instruction and participation in the games of basketball, tee-ball, golf, cheerleading and other sporting activities. Another driving force that Barnes expressed was that PRSP educations kids on the importance of fitness and taking care of their bodies.
Substance Abuse Prevention Services
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tance Abuse Prevention Services received $2,750 from the Youth Fund. This grant will help fund Strong Families, Safe Children. It is estimated to impact 60 people in the Albion community by giving support to families through opportunities to explore Albion. The Executive Director, Harry Bonner Sr. is hoping that this program will support youth and families to feel safe and cared for in the Albion community.
The goal of Strong Families, Safe Children is to support parents, emphasizing mothers, in their efforts of providing for and supporting their children as they are growing into adults. This project will give families an opportunity to go out and explore small businesses in Albion and surrounding cities and participate in children-based activities like Kids ‘N’ Stuff Museum and YMCA. The Youth Director at Substance Abuse Prevention Services, Christopher Gibson emphasized the need for supporting the youth in these ways.
Substance Abuse Prevention Services is committed to a community where all people have access to good health through support and health resources. They support in primary and secondary care as part of the healthy community goals. Bonner stated the importance of the youth having a supportive community and that “the community can’t grow if young people don’t grow.”