Heart of Cook Awards More Than $80,000 to Area Organizations

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            Heart of Cook Foundation grant recipients gather for a photo September 3.

More than $80,000 is heading back into local communities thanks to The Heart of Cook Foundation. At a September 3 grant reception held at Indiana Michigan Power’s Cook Nuclear Plant, 35 nonprofit and governmental organizations were awarded funding to support projects and programs that make a difference across the region.

The Heart of Cook is a corporate-advised fund held by Berrien Community Foundation. Heart of Cook grants support a wide range of community programs, from providing training tools for first responders to mentoring local youth to expanding access to arts education. Grants focus on education, human services and environmental projects, with priority given to projects in Indiana Michigan Power’s service area and involve Cook Nuclear Plant employees. A committee comprised of Cook Nuclear Plant employees reviews all grant applications and makes funding decisions.

One of those committee members, Cook Plant Technical Training Supervisor Jason Dienes, described just how difficult the decisions can be.

“The requests in our 2026 grant packet totaled nearly $380,000 showing just how great the needs are in our community,” Jason said. “With limited grant dollars available, you really have to weigh each application very carefully.”

Cook Plant Site Vice President Scott Dailey, who was on hand to present checks to the grant recipients agreed.

“It really is difficult,” Scott said. “We wish we could support every single applicant, and I applaud our committee for their dedication in a process that means so much to the nonprofit organizations that serve our community so well. We are grateful to all of them, and are proud to support them through our Heart of Cook program”

This year, the Heart of Cook committee selected the following organizations to receive funding:

  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Indiana Chapter – Reach Out and Read program support for Elkhart, LaPorte and St. Joseph counties
  • Berrien County Health Department – Raising Up Healthy Babies education program
  • Benton Harbor Community Development Corporation – Food Rescue Operations
  • Biggest Little Baseball Museum – Museum outreach education programming
  • Brandywine Community Schools – Gill to Garden: The Living Watershed Project
  • Buchanan Charter Township – FireSled Functional Training System for first responders
  • Buchanan Community Schools – ADA-accessible outdoor seating at Buchanan Middle School
  • Chambers Strength & Stability Foundation – Pathways to Stability: Youth & Workforce Development Program
  • Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Michigan – Child abuse prevention and outreach programming
  • City of Benton Harbor – Li-Ion battery disposal equipment
  • City of Bridgman – Plant It Forward: Heart of Cook Rain Garden Program
  • Disability Network of Southwest Michigan – Ramp Up Program
  • Dunebrook, Inc. – Child Advocacy Center (LaPorte County) support
  • Elistrong Foundation – Grants for families battling pediatric cancer
  • Five Pines Ministries – Project: Making Waves swimming pool replacement
  • Franciscan Health Foundations – Dinner in a Box – Combating Food Insecurity
  • Friends of Berrien County Trails – Niles-Buchanan Trail wayfinding signage
  • Friends of New Troy – New Troy Community Center roof replacement
  • GhostLight Productions, Inc. – GhostLight Theater Youth Arts Initiative
  • Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana – Girl Scout Leadership Experience in Berrien County
  • Habitat for Humanity of Elkhart County – Financial Literacy Program
  • Heart of God, Inc. – Warmth for New Beginnings winter clothing program
  • Lakeshore Band Parents – Band uniform maintenance and upkeep
  • Logan Community Resources, Inc. – Water Day and year-round field trip support
  • Michiana Metro Lighthouse Chorus – Sheet music purchases
  • Michiana Public Broadcasting Corporation/WNIT – PBS KIDS and outreach support
  • Ohana Heritage Foundation (A Rosie Place for Children) – Sleepovers for medically-fragile children at A Rosie Place  
  • Region IV Area Agency on Aging – Memory Café implementation  
  • Royalton Township – Milwaukee Power tools purchase for first responders
  • Southwest Bridge Health – Free clinic launch
  • The Avenue Family Network (Caring Connection) – Emergency AED system replacement
  • The Bark Angels – Liability insurance coverage support
  • Tri-County Council for Child Development – CPR training for staff
  • Water Street Glassworks – Glass studio equipment upgrade
  • YMCA of Greater Michiana – Choking prevention training for childcare staff and community programming