Citizens for Backus and the Falls Hunger Coalition were among 66 recipients of grants authorized at a recent meeting of the Otto Bremer Foundation board.

Citizens for Backus AB was awarded $50,000 cash, which it received just a week ago, to be used exclusively on a kitchen project, said Ward Merrill, executive director of Citizens for Backus AB.

The grant also involves a $30,000 match, he said.

“It means if we can raise $30,000 on our own, Bremer will give us another $30,000; and we’ve already started to work on that,” he said.

Because of the match, Merrill said now would be a good time for anyone who would like to help support the kitchen project to donate.

“For every dollar received locally, we will receive another dollar from Bremer,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity to make your dollar go a lot further than it normally would.”

Citizens for Backus AB has begun to install a commercial-quality kitchen, which will allow the group to increase its food service for the community center.

The Falls Hunger Coalition food shelf received $15,000 from the Otto Bremer Foundation. This funding is for general operations of the non-profit food shelf.

The food shelf continues to see an increase in need within the service area of Koochiching County. As a result, during 2008, the amount of food available per person decreased by more than five pounds.

“This operational grant will assist the food shelf in weathering the current economic situation and maintain service at an acceptable Blue Ribbon Food Shelf standard,” said Nancy Anderson, director of Falls Hunger Coalition.

Falls Hunger Coalition’s yearly budget is based almost totally on hopeful direct public support, and local fund raising, Anderson said. Operational and program-specific grants help to offset what cannot be raised at the local level.

“Our community is extremely fortunate to have the ongoing support of the Otto Bremer Foundation,” Anderson commented.

Meanwhile, Merrill said the kitchen project is viewed as a source of sustainable revenue for the Backus Community Center.

“It means long-term financial stability for us,” he said. The kitchen will allow Backus to offer lunches and meals for gatherings, workshops and training sessions; enhance the menu offerings by moving from basic Soup Suppers and Top the Tater dinners to more elaborate offerings; and to potentially offer school lunches to St. Thomas School and the tenants that rent space in the building.

The estimated cost of the kitchen project is $170,000 to $180,000, Merrill said, noting that the Bremer grant and match helps with a large chunk of the cost.

“Our board set this — a community kitchen — as a top priority one year ago when we did long-range planning,” he said.

Other funding for the project includes $10,000 from the Paul Casey Foundation, and Merrill said he has submitted an application for $10,000 from the Marshall N. Knudson Family Community Fund. Merrill said he is also considering other sources of funding for the project.

Citizens for Backus AB is also preparing a kitchen plan application for the Minnesota Department of Health, staff of which have been working on the plan for some months, Merrill said.

“We hope to put the kitchen in where the old school kitchen once existed and to open the home ec and sewing room with an archway to create a larger dining room,” Merrill explained.

The dining room is expected to be styled in the Art Deco period, he said.

“We’re really excited about this,” Merrill said. “This just seems to be the next natural step for us to take to really make this into a well-rounded community center that will serve the needs of our clients and meet the real social need in our community.”

Merrill said the Bremer Foundation has been generous to Backus in the last two years, when it provided $75,000 for roof repairs and now the grant for the kitchen.

The foundation is a private charitable foundation established in 1944 by Otto Bremer. In accordance with the principles set forth by Otto Bremer in his Trust Agreement, the mission of the Otto Bremer Foundation is to assist people in achieving full economic, civic and social participation and for the betterment of their communities. Beneficiaries must reside in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, or North Dakota, with preference given to those in regions served by Bremer Banks.