By Heather Graves
Correspondent
ASHWAUBENON – One spoonful at a time.
Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of community members, the St. John’s Evangelist Homeless Shelter and The Micah Center will be able to continue its summer grill-outs with Grand Grillmaster James.
The nonprofit organization was awarded a micro-grant at the Greater Green Bay S.O.U.P. (Support Of Urban Projects) event on Tuesday, May 7.
The event is part of a dinner series where attendees listen to five grant proposals, then vote for one project to receive proceeds from the $5 ticket sales and donations.
According to Mallory Nash, Current program director, nearly 200 people attended the event at Stadium View Sports Bar, Grill & Banquet Hall in Ashwaubenon, and $1,495 was raised and awarded to the St. John’s Evangelist Homeless Shelter.
“This is the highest amount we’ve ever raised,” Nash said.
The Micah Center is a not-for-profit, year-round, daytime resource center for adult men and women.
According to organizers, the summer grill-out events help break down barriers between homeless individuals and the community and help create connections for individuals who desperately need it.
Each grill-out event includes brats, burgers, hot dogs, basketball, corn hole and other games – the grant will go toward food costs.
The other projects up for the grant included Barkhausen Sensory Woods addition, GBASO (Green Bay Action Sports) Skate Camp Revamp, PARK(ing) Day – On Broadway Inc., and No Limits Collaborative Mural (CP Center, Curative Connections & Aspiro).
“The event was really nice,” said attendee Heidi Marquis, of De Pere. “All (proposals) were great programs for the Green Bay community. (The event) was very well organized and the bowl of soup and bread you got for a meal was well worth the $5.”
Tuesday’s event was part of CurrentWeek, a full week of events and activities celebrating young professionals.