Posted on December 1, 2010

Otto Bremer Foundation Announces $3 Million in Emergency Grants

The St. Paul-based Otto Bremer Foundation has announced Bremer Emergency Fund grants totaling $3 million to community organizations in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin working to provide emergency financial assistance to people struggling to pay for food, housing, health care, and transportation.

The eighty grants announced by the foundation supplement grants totaling $4.2 million awarded through the fund in January 2009 in response to ongoing economic challenges in the region; at that time, grants from the foundation were supplemented by donations from Bremer banks. The foundation has released a report that outlines the impact of the initial emergency funding and highlights ongoing needs in the region.

"These supplemental grants are made by the Otto Bremer Foundation in recognition of continuing economic challenges," said William Lipschultz, a foundation trustee. "We learned from the initial Bremer Emergency Fund grants that timely financial assistance can enable individuals and families to meet emergency needs and retain housing or jobs. Then, once a crisis is averted, people are in a better position to access community programs that can help them achieve long-term stability."

For a complete list of emergency grant recipients, visit the Bremer Foundation Web site.