Ameren launches companywide fundraising effort to help communities in Missouri and Illinois recover from COVID-19

Rhea-AI Summary

Ameren Corporation has launched the AmerenCares 'Power of Giving' COVID-19 Relief Fund, raising over $500,000 from employees and board members within two weeks. This fund aims to assist nonprofit programs in Missouri and Illinois, addressing urgent community needs during the pandemic. The initiative supports ten designated organizations, focusing on food security, housing, and essential supplies. CEO Warner Baxter emphasizes the company's commitment to community recovery and the campaign will continue through August.

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• Raised over $500,000 for COVID-19 relief in two weeks.
• Supports ten nonprofit organizations addressing community needs.
• Emphasizes commitment to community recovery and corporate responsibility.

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• None.

ST. LOUIS, June 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To help customers and communities in need, Ameren Corporation has launched the AmerenCares "Power of Giving" COVID-19 Relief Fund, which has more than $500,000 of commitments from its employees and Board of Directors in the campaign's first two weeks. Funds will be used to directly support nonprofit programs for COVID-19 relief across Missouri and Illinois. 

"We recognize that the needs of our customers and communities in Missouri and Illinois during this unprecedented time are significant," said Warner Baxter, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Ameren Corporation. "While our co-workers are focused on delivering safe and reliable electricity and natural gas every day during this challenging period of time, they wanted to do more to personally assist our neighbors in need and help our communities recover from this pandemic. The campaign is off to a great start and we are not finished. Looking ahead, we will remain focused on 'powering the quality of life' for our customers and communities through our core business operations, as well as through our significant philanthropic and volunteerism efforts."

The campaign will run through the end of August. Funds will be disseminated to 10 designated nonprofit organizations serving customers throughout the company's 64,000-mile service territory in Missouri and Illinois. From providing food and other basic necessities for families in need to ensuring proper cleaning supplies for child care centers to reopen, the donations made to the 'Power of Giving' fund support those families and businesses most severely impacted by the pandemic. Ameren's donations will be directed specifically to the organizations' COVID-19 responses including:

• Community Foundation of the Ozarks: Support for food needs, services for victims of domestic violence, educational technology improvements and emergency living expenses.
• Dream Center: Food for families, technology for students and keeping its shelter open to those who need housing.
• Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis: Large scale drive-through food and toiletry distribution for the community (including door-to-door), and leveraging the nonprofit's St. Louis County Outreach Center as a testing site.
• Feeding Missouri: Hunger relief through a coalition of six Missouri food banks.
• Jackie Joyner Kersee Foundation: Food for families and free COVID-19 testing.
• Neighborhood House: Meals on Wheels for seniors and Critter Meals on Wheels for pets in need.
• Poshard Foundation: Diapers and baby wipes, to-go meals for children and learning resources for children at home.
• The Salvation Army Midland Division: Rent and mortgage assistance, hotline support for emotional care and food assistance.
• Senior Services Plus: Meals on Wheels and curbside pickup for seniors.
• United 4 Children: Supporting the early childhood industry to assist families going back to work.

About Ameren Corporation
St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric distribution and transmission service, as well as natural gas distribution service, while Ameren Missouri provides vertically integrated electric service, with generating capacity of approximately 10,100 megawatts, and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops regional electric transmission projects. For more information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us on Twitter at @AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp, or LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren.

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SOURCE Ameren Corporation

FAQ

What is the purpose of the Ameren COVID-19 Relief Fund?

The Ameren COVID-19 Relief Fund aims to support nonprofit programs that assist communities in Missouri and Illinois during the pandemic.

How much has Ameren raised for the COVID-19 Relief Fund?

Ameren has raised over $500,000 from its employees and Board of Directors for the COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Which organizations are receiving support from the Ameren Relief Fund?

The fund is supporting ten organizations, including Community Foundation of the Ozarks and Feeding Missouri.

How long will the Ameren 'Power of Giving' campaign run?

The campaign will run through the end of August.

Who is leading the Ameren COVID-19 Relief Fund initiative?

The initiative is led by Warner Baxter, chairman, president, and CEO of Ameren Corporation.