The Gibson Area Food Pantry today was awarded a $10,000 RISE Grant award from Earthrise Energy. The funds will be used to support the food pantry’s work to feed families in Ford County, the Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley School District, and other community members in need.

“The Gibson Area Food Pantry serves an average of 250 households per month, and we have served 596 unique households this year. Our success is a reflection of our community including churches, individuals, and local businesses lending their support to our effort,” said Rick Ertel, president of the Gibson Area Food Pantry. “We are very fortunate to have Earthrise Energy, a local business that believes in our cause, join us in this important work and offer their very generous support.”

Founded to accelerate the clean energy transition, Earthrise Energy owns and operates five natural gas plants in Illinois, including the Gibson City Energy Center in Gibson City, Shelby County Energy Center in Neoga, and the Tilton Energy power plant in Tilton. The company acquired the Tilton, Gibson City, and Shelby County plants in December 2021 and launched its RISE Grant program this fall to help fund local initiatives that promote excellence in education, protect the environment, and support the communities where Earthrise has operations.

“Like many food pantries across the nation, the Gibson Area Food Pantry has had to contend with inflationary pressures and supply chain issues that have forced it to source food supplies locally at higher prices,” said Carla Tully, Chief Executive Officer of Earthrise Energy. “We think there is no better way to celebrate our one-year anniversary in Gibson City than by giving back. We are proud to help the Gibson City Area Food Pantry combat hunger in the community and help them in their fight to provide nutritious food to our neighbors in need.”

The Gibson Area Food Pantry, the nonprofit arm of the Gibson Community Hospital Association, opened its doors nearly eight years ago. Since then, the pantry has been a reliable resource for the community and is on pace to serve its 500,000th meal this Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, two months ahead of what the organization originally anticipated because of increased demand.

To learn more about how you can support the Gibson Area Food Pantry, go to https://www.gibsonareafoodpantry.org.

About Earthrise Energy

Earthrise Energy, PBC, is an independent power producer advancing the clean energy transition. As a public benefit corporation, Earthrise seeks to power our world more responsibly, sustainably, and equitably than ever before. The company acquires, develops, and operates power generation facilities to provide reliable electricity, support decarbonizing the grid, and meet the evolving needs of our customers and communities. The company is developing more than 1.5 gigawatts of renewable energy projects and has an operating portfolio of flexible natural gas peaking plants that provide nearly 1.7 gigawatts of capacity to support a future energy system that is reliable, resilient, and renewable. Learn about Earthrise Energy at earthriseenergy.com.