Consumers Energy Foundation Awards Grant to Allen Market Place

LANSING, Mich., May 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers Energy Foundation has awarded Allen Neighborhood Center $15,000 in support of its emerging Allen Market Place. 

When it opens this summer, the Allen Market Place will be the first non-profit food hub in mid-Michigan, helping to connect regional farmers and food producers with retail merchants, restaurants, schools and others interested in 'buying local.'

"The Allen Neighborhood Center is very grateful for the continued support that the Consumers Energy Foundation has given us through the years," said Joan Nelson, director of the Allen Neighborhood Center. "This donation will help with the completion of the Allen Market Place, which will open early this summer."

Located within the Allen Neighborhood Center, the market place will also feature the award-winning Allen Street Farmers Market during the winter months and a licensed commercial kitchen to support food entrepreneurism and culinary job skill training.

"The Consumers Energy Foundation is committed to helping build stronger communities and is proud to support the continued growth of the Allen Neighborhood Center," said David G. Mengebier, president of the Consumers Energy Foundation.

About the Consumers Energy Foundation

The Consumers Energy Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Consumers Energy.  It provides funding for a variety of areas including education, community, civic and cultural development, social services, the environment, and emerging issues.   For more information about the Consumers Energy Foundation visit www.consumersenergy.com/foundation.

About Allen Neighborhood Center

Established in 1999, Allen Neighborhood Center is a dynamic hub for capacity building and for activities that promote the health, safety, stability and economic well-being of Lansing Eastside residents and other stakeholders. 

The Eastside of Lansing is home to a diverse mix of people from a variety of socio-economic, cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds.

This rich blend of ideas, lifestyles, and traditions is reflected in a long history of people committed to preserving and improving their neighborhood and celebrating its uniqueness.  While our 'place-based' mission focuses on the Eastside, we work in close collaboration with regional institutions and organizations that share our broad agenda.

SOURCE Consumers Energy Foundation; Allen Market Place