The Heart of Cook awarded grants to 25 area nonprofit and governmental organizations totaling more than $67,000 at a grant reception at Indiana Michigan Power’s Cook Nuclear Plant this week. The Heart of Cook is a corporate-advised fund held by Berrien Community Foundation.
“This year, Cook Plant is celebrating 50 years of providing safe, clean, reliable power to our community,” said Executive Vice President & Chief Nuclear Officer Kelly Ferneau. “We’ve worked hard to be good, reliable neighbors during that span as well, and our Heart of Cook program is just one of the ways we’re able to show that kind of support apart from keeping the lights on. We want to keep that great relationship going for another 50 years and beyond.”
The 2025 Heart of Cook grants support a wide range of community programs, from providing playground equipment for local schools and training tools for first responders to strengthening food pantries that serve families in need.
This year, the Heart of Cook committee selected the following organizations as recipients of 2025 Heart of Cook Grants:
- 2nd Chance True Gospel Ministries – 2nd Chance Community Outreach
- Boy Scout Troop 603 – Utility Trailer Upgrades
- Buchanan Charter Township – AED Equipment Purchase
- Cass County Council on Aging – Adult Day Service Expansion
- Collective Mess – Feeding Benton Harbor Program
- Court Appointed Special Advocates of SW MI – Expanding Advocacy for Foster Youth
- Dunebrook, Inc. – Child Advocacy Center support
- Edwardsburg Public Schools – Building Minds Through “Loose Parts” Play
- Elistrong Foundation – Supporting Families Battling Childhood Cancer
- Harbor Country Rotary Foundation – Personal Hygiene Items for Students
- LOGAN Community Resources – Summer Water Day and Fieldtrip support
- Michiana Public Broadcasting/WNIT – PBS Kids Outreach
- New Heights CCDA – Benton Heights Community Dinners
- Ohana Heritage Foundation – “A Rosie Place” support
- Our Lady of the Lake Elementary School – Playground Equipment upgrade
- Present Pillars Foundation – “All Pro Dad” Initiative
- Region IV Area Agency on Aging – Memory Cafes
- Royalton Township – Training Equipment for First Responders
- Joseph Department of Public Safety – Operation Door Breach
- Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra – 2026 Educational Concert
- Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church – Food Pantry support
- Saint Joseph Public Schools – Key Club Blankets for Hospice Patients program
- Salvation Army – Niles Corps – Feeding His Sheep
- United Through Motherhood – Diaper Bank support
- Watervliet Panther PTO – New Playground Equipment for South Elementary
Grants focus on education, human services, and environmental projects, with priority given to initiatives that involve Cook Nuclear Plant employees. A committee comprised of Cook Nuclear Plant employees reviews all grant applications and makes funding decisions. Nonprofit organizations located within the Indiana Michigan Power service territory are eligible to apply.
Cook Nuclear Plant is owned and operated by Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an AEP company, headquartered in Fort Wayne, IN. At full capacity, the plant’s two units – a 1,084-net MW Unit 1 and a 1,19-net MW Unit 2 – generate enough emission-free electricity to power more than 1.5 million homes.
I & M employs approximately 2,000 people and serves more than 600,000 customers. In 2023, over 85% of the company’s energy delivery was emission-free. Its diverse generation portfolio includes 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind energy from Indiana, more than 22 MW of hydroelectric generation across both states, approximately 35 MW of large-scale solar generation, and 1,497 MW of coal-fueled generation. For more information, visit www.indianamichiganpower.com or www.cookinfo.com.
