Alliant Energy Foundation awards $15,000 flood recovery grant to Broken Bread Food Program

Rebuilding Our Communities Grant will help group replace food lost during flooding

The Alliant Energy Foundation is pleased to announce that The Broken Bread Food Program has been awarded a $15,000 flood recovery grant. The dollars are coming from the Foundation’s Rebuilding Our Communities Grant Program. The program was established to provide unrestricted grants to help non-profit groups throughout Alliant Energy’s utility service territory with recovery from this summer’s flooding.

“Broken Bread provides food and other critical supplies to thousands of Fond du Lac area individuals each year and it’s very important that they continue to do so,” said Marthea Fox, Alliant Energy Foundation Executive Director. “The Alliant Energy Foundation wants to support Broken Bread and help the group get back into full operation as quickly as possible.”

Broken Bread operates out of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Fond du Lac and utilizes the structure’s basement as its food storage area. During the June flooding, six feet of water rushed into the basement and did significant damage. Food losses included 530 crates and 30 large boxes of food as well as the flooding of a small room that had shelves packed with food. In addition, two walk-in coolers, a walk-in freezer and a large chest freezer were destroyed.

“We lost about 17,500 units of food during the flooding, as well as equipment that was critical to our ongoing operation,” said Everett Schwalbe, Director of Broken Bread. “We appreciate the grant from the Alliant Energy Foundation as well as the many other groups that have stepped forward with assistance during our time of need. The additional dollars will help carry us over until are fall food drives take place.”

Broken Bread distributes food and other supplies on Friday afternoons to needy families and individuals in the Fond du Lac area. Over a hundred volunteers collect and distribute food gathered from grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries, correctional institutions, as well as produce and dairy items purchased by Broken Bread. Other large contributions of food are received from the Boy Scout, Girl Scout, and Letter Carrier fall food drives.

The group is in the process of preparing another storage area on the first floor of their building and is hoping to be fully-operational by the end of August. In 2008, Broken Bread has provided food to 25,800 people in the Fond du Lac area and served between 500 and 750 families per month.

The Alliant Energy Foundation’s Rebuilding Our Communities Grant Program was created in response to the extensive flooding across Alliant Energy’s utility service territory in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. The Foundation has allocated $1 million for the program and non-profit groups can apply through October 1st for $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 unrestricted flood recovery grants. Funds are to be used to help non-profits resume or maintain operations.

Non-profit groups can request funds by submitting a brief application form explaining their need and the population they serve that was affected by the flooding. A determination of grant eligibility will be made within 14 days of submission.

To be eligible, an organization must be a registered non-profit organization as defined by Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Service Code. Organizations are encouraged to review eligibility guidelines before applying. Government entities (i.e. schools and public libraries) are not eligible for this program.