Amazon Web Services announced the recipients of the first Amazon St. Joseph County Community Fund.
The Amazon Community Fund provides grants to individuals, community groups, schools, nonprofits and other organizations making an impact in the community. Amazon Web Services celebrated the awardees during a reception at the Dainty Maid Food Hall in South Bend.
Applicants submitted projects focusing on areas such as STEM education, sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, homelessness, hunger and health. Thirty-one projects received a collective total of $250,000 in grants, managed by nonprofit organization ChangeX.
The Amazon St. Joseph County Community Fund reception provided recipients and community leaders with the opportunity to enjoy morning tea, network and hear from Amazon leaders and awardees on the commitment to positive local change.
“Amazon has a long-standing commitment to support meaningful programs in the communities where our employees live and work,” said Sarah Georgiades, head of InCommunities, Americas, AWS, in a press release. “By empowering local individuals and organizations with the resources they need, we're not only investing in projects that address critical community needs, but we're also building a stronger, more resilient St. Joseph County together.”
Awardees included Cultivate Food Rescue, an organization dedicated to ending food insecurity and food waste.
“I never imagined having the opportunity to partner with Amazon to combat hunger and food waste in our community,” Jim Conklin, Cultivate Food Rescue executive director and co-founder, said. “The generous support from The St. Joseph County Community Fund will enable us to provide more than 14,000 meals to our food-insecure neighbors.”
Another awardee, Unity Gardens, is taking a grassroots approach to food insecurity through community gardening and education. The St. Joseph Community Fund will support its LaSalle Square Unity Garden.
“Everything grown in this seven-acre space is free to pick and all who visit will be greeted by a garden guide,” Katie Lane, Unity Gardens director operations, said. “Through this grant, we can continue our mission of connecting the community to fresh food, nature and one another.”
