Consumers Energy Foundation Provides $50,000 in Grants to Help Gaylord Community with Tornado Recovery

Gaylord, Mich. Thursday, May 26, 2022

The Consumers Energy Foundation today announced $50,000 in grants to help two Gaylord area nonprofits provide critical help to residents and businesses affected by Friday’s tornado.

“Consumers Energy is committed to being part of the solution as our friends and neighbors in Gaylord recover from this devastation,” said Carolyn Bloodworth, secretary/treasurer of the Consumers Energy Foundation. “We recognize the critical need and are humbled to play a part in supporting the Gaylord community during this difficult time.”

The Consumers Energy Foundation grants support the Otsego County United Way’s Disaster Relief Fund and the Otsego Community Foundation's Tornado Response Fund. Both organizations are working to address urgent needs and identify long-term solutions.

“We thank Consumers Energy for its continued support of Otsego County. This generous grant will ensure those traumatized by the tornado feel autonomy, safety, and some semblance of control over their lives in a time of such uncertainty,” said Erin Mann, executive director of Otsego United Way. “This collaboration represents both of our organizations' higher ideals of serving our constituents with speed, compassion, and justice.”

Dana Bensinger, executive director of the Otsego Community Foundation, said 100% of the proceeds from the Tornado Response Fund will go back into the community through “immediate relief, short-term recovery and long-term building.”

The Consumers Energy foundation will also match donations from Consumers Energy employees and retirees.

“We know the challenges of addressing both the immediate needs and the long-term rebuilding that will need to come,” Bloodworth said. “As we saw last week with the tornado, support for disaster relief is never planned and always important.”

The Consumers Energy Foundation is the charitable arm of Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider. The Foundation enables communities to thrive and grow by investing in what’s most important to Michigan — its people, our planet and Michigan’s prosperity. In 2021, the Consumers Energy Foundation, Consumers Energy, its employees and retirees contributed over $17.5 million to Michigan nonprofits. For more information, visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/foundation.

Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

###

Media Contacts: Josh Paciorek, 517-243-9036 or Terry Dedoes, 517-243-9908