Donation to Great Plains Food Bank made in honor of Bremer’s 80th anniversary
In celebration of its 80th anniversary, Bremer Bank today announced a donation of $10,000 to the Fargo-area nonprofit organization Great Plains Food Bank. The donation is one of eight total that Bremer is making to nonprofits that embody the bank’s three philanthropic pillars of economic empowerment, affordable housing and financial education across its footprint of Minnesota, western Wisconsin and North Dakota.
“Fargo has been an important, long-standing part of our eight-decade story,” said Bremer Bank President and CEO Jeanne Crain. “Great Plains Food Bank does critical work in this community, and we are honored for the opportunity to support them through this donation as we further Bremer’s 80-year legacy, established by our founder Otto Bremer, of cultivating thriving communities.”
German immigrant Otto Bremer founded Bremer Bank in St. Paul, Minnesota, guided by his belief that if banks helped businesses in both the good times and the bad, then communities could thrive. Eighty years later, Otto’s legacy of cultivating thriving communities lives on through Bremer’s customers and employees, who help grow our region’s food, build our region’s economies and serve our region’s neighbors. Click here to watch a video about Bremer Bank’s deep commitment to the many communities it serves.
Great Plains Food Bank is the only food bank in the state of North Dakota. The organization recovers food from industry partners that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to those in need throughout North Dakota and Clay County, Minnesota. The Great Plains Food Bank is a distributor to over 200 food pantry partners, shelters, and soup kitchens across the same footprint and on average, supplies 80% of the food distributed by its food pantry network. This network provides needed nutritional assistance to more than 10,000 households each month.
Bremer’s donation will support the recently launched Great Plains Food Bank Kitchen Coalition program, which works with local restaurants passionate about ending hunger and preparing well-balanced, freshly prepared meals for distribution to those in need. The $10,000 gift from Bremer will provide more than 2,300 meals through the program.
“We are thrilled to be able to continue working with Bremer Bank and thank them immensely for the difference they are making in the fight to end hunger,” Great Plains Food Bank CEO Melissa Sobolik said. “Our Kitchen Coalition program is doing a lot of good work for our hungry neighbors. This is a nice boost from Bremer that will help us provide even more nutritious meals to those in need.”