The latest Heart of Cook grants have been announced by the Berrien Community Foundation.
The BCF’s Susan Matheny tells us the Heart of Cook this time around is supporting 24 non-profits with a total of $75,000 in grants.
“They are the sort of the charitable arm of the Cook nuclear plant,” Matheny said. “They focus on programs that address education, human services, environmental projects, and give priority to programs that involve Cook nuclear plant employees.”
Matheny says Cook plant employees select the recipients of Heart of Cook Grants. They’ve made quite the difference over the years.
“In total, for this is about the 20th year, I believe, for doing this program, they’ve given over $1.2 million in grants to Berrien County and surrounding communities to support the community.”
The grants range from $500 up to $10,000.
Among the recipients announced at a celebration this week was Silver Beach County Park, which is receiving $4,000 for its playground project. Other recipients include Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southwest Michigan, the Disability Network of Southwest Michigan, Neighbor by Neighbor, New Heights CCDA, and Paws of Hope. There were also grants to police and fire agencies in Benton Harbor, Chikaming Township, St. Joseph, and St. Joseph Township.
You can see a full list of the grant recipients below.
This year, the Heart of Cook committee selected the following organizations as winners of the 2024 Heart of Cook Grant:
Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety – Water rescue equipment
Berrien Community Foundation – Care Kits for Seniors
Berrien County – Silver Beach County Park Playground Project
Chikaming Township Fire Department – Thermal imaging cameras
City of St. Joseph Public Safety – Electric vehicle and lithium-ion fire response equipment
College Mentors For Kids – Fighting Irish – Building Up Grit, Determination and Tenacity for South Bend Youth program
Court Appointed Special Advocates of SW MI – Operational support and mileage reimbursement for volunteers
Disability Network Southwest Michigan – Ramp Up program
Ducks Unlimited – Wood duck nest box project
Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana – Girl Scout Leadership Experience for Berrien County youth
Grace Christian School – Keep Cold and Cook Well program
LOGAN Community Resources – Life-enriching field trips for clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Mosaic CCDA – Financial assistance to Jobs For Life students and coaches
Neighbor by Neighbor – A Roof Over Their Heads program
New Heights CCDA – Purchase of automated external defibrillators (AED’s)
Paws of Hope – Funding for critical medical expenses of fostered animals
Present Pillars Foundation – 3rd Annual Shop With A Pillar event
Roosevelt PTO – Book vending machine
School of American Music – Scholarships
Servants at Work – Building wheelchair ramps in St. Joseph County
Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra – Symphony: Unexpected
St. Joseph Charter Township Fire Station #2 – Public safety initiative
St. Joseph Parish Conference, Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Paying for transportation needs of low-income neighbors
Tri-County Council for Child Development – Purchase of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) mannequin