Join Ameren and the St. Louis Area Foodbank to provide 1.5 million meals to local families

Company announces up to $200,000 match as part of its annual Thanks for Giving Community Challenge Grant

ST. LOUIS (Nov. 1, 2024) - This November, Ameren is once again kicking off its Thanks for Giving Community Challenge Grant to help feed families across Missouri and Illinois. Ameren is matching all donations made to the St. Louis Area Foodbank, up to $200,000. Visit www.stlfoodbank.org/thanks4giving to donate.

This year, the goal is to raise a total of $500,000 in foodbank donations, which is equivalent to approximately 1.5 million meals.

"Our continued partnership with the St. Louis Area Foodbank helps provide nutritious food for individuals, families, and communities in 26 counties in Missouri and Illinois," said Gwen Mizell, senior vice president and chief sustainability, diversity and philanthropy officer at Ameren. "People in our communities can't flourish if they're worried about meeting basic needs, like feeding their families. Through AmerenCares, we are supporting nonprofits that help meet those critical needs, like food, health care and housing."

One in seven area residents in the bistate region are in need of food assistance, including one in six children. The Foodbank has increased distribution by 11% and the number of food drives by 47% in the past year, and donations are needed to meet the rising cost of food and growing hunger needs in our area.

Why monetary donations?

The Foodbank is able to purchase food items at significantly reduced costs, allowing a donation of just $100 to feed one family for a whole month. With Ameren's matching contribution, each donation from community members will have twice the impact.

Ameren will match donations made between now and Nov. 30, or until donations reach $200,000, whichever comes first. Last year, Ameren's challenge grant propelled the foodbank to raise more than $530,000. Donate now at www.stlfoodbank.org/thanks4giving.

"With the holidays just around the corner, we believe that our mission of 'nourishing people, empowering communities, and transforming systems' is more important than ever," said Meredith Knopp, president and CEO of the St. Louis Area Foodbank. "Meals are an important part of holiday traditions, and they bring friends and families together. Through our continued partnership with our friends at Ameren, we will be able to bring food and support to families during this time of great need. Through this opportunity, we challenge our community to give food, give love, and give now to make an impact this year."

Each year, the St. Louis Area Foodbank and its 600+ partners distribute between 40 million and 50 million pounds of food annually to neighbors in need across Missouri and Illinois. Through Mobile Markets, FARMs food distributions, and the Food on the Move program, the foodbank is able to deliver food to those who do not have the means of transportation to access it themselves.

The Ameren Corporation Charitable Trust was established in 1944 to serve as a principal source of the company's philanthropic investments in community projects and programs. Allocations from the Trust's AmerenCares program come entirely from corporate earnings.

About the St. Louis Area Foodbank
The St. Louis Area Foodbank began its service to the community in 1975. Through a robust network of community partners and programs throughout 26 counties in Missouri and Illinois, the Foodbank helps provide access to food and resources to individuals facing food insecurity. More than 500,000 people in the bistate region rely on the Foodbank for assistance each year. For 49 years, the St. Louis Area Foodbank has been there for people dealing with crisis, be it a natural disaster, a global pandemic, or the everyday crisis of food or nutritional insecurity. To learn more about the work of the St. Louis Area Foodbank or for resources for those in need, call (314) 292-6262 or visit STLFoodbank.org or follow us at @STLFoodbank, https://www.facebook.com/stlfoodbank or https://www.linkedin.com/company/st-louis-area-foodbank/.

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 transmission and distribution service and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Missouri provides electric generation, transmission and distribution services, as well as natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops, owns and operates rate-regulated regional electric transmission projects in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. For more information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us on X at @AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp, or LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren.