Bremer Foundation Provides $7 Million to Help Vulnerable Populations

The St. Paul-based Otto Bremer Foundation has announced fifty-two grants totaling $7 million to community organizations in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin working to address both the immediate and long-term needs of vulnerable populations.

The year-end grants will enable the recipients to help meet basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and access to medical care for families living in poverty, homeless youth, and others. The grants also will boost their access to the tools, skills, connections, and other resources they need to secure financial stability for the future.

The grants include $1.1 million to thirty-one organizations to meet basic needs in less populous areas of the three-state region, including $75,000 to the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center in Fargo, North Dakota; $1.4 million to fourteen organizations for poverty relief efforts in St. Paul, including $150,000 to the Salvation Army; $4 million to six organizations working to provide homeless youth with safety, short-term stability, and connections to educational and employment opportunities, including $1.2 million to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis; and $468,000 to the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library in support of the library's role in combating poverty.

"This two-pronged approach — addressing immediate needs during a time of crisis and providing opportunities to achieve long-term economic stability — is part of a deep tradition at the Otto Bremer Foundation," said trustee William H. Lipschultz. "Otto Bremer believed that people could survive and flourish if they had help at critical times."

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

“The Otto Bremer Foundation Provides $7 Million to Help Communities Meet Basic Needs and Provide Opportunities for People in Poverty.” Otto Bremer Foundation Press Release 12/19/11.

Primary Subject: Community Improvement/Development
Secondary Subject(s): Children and Youth, Human Services, Health, Economic Crisis
Location(s): Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin

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