News

May 22, 2023

Helping hands: GM announces $100K in grants to Pontiac and Lake Orion nonprofits; Children’s Hospital hosts cereal drive; Olga’s Kitchen awards grants

General Motors Orion Assembly, Pontiac Pre-Production Operations and Pontiac

General Motors Orion Assembly, Pontiac Pre-Production Operations and Pontiac Stamping announced charitable grants to five nonprofit organizations in the community surrounding its manufacturing facilities.

Each nonprofit was awarded $20,000 for a total of $100,000 in grants, provided through GM's Community Impact Grants program, according to a press release.

An event celebrating the local grants was held June 1, at GM Orion Assembly plant in Orion Township.

"As part of our mission at GM, we recognize our company's responsibility to make a positive social impact" said Jim Quick, Orion Assembly Executive Director. "We’re proud to support these non-profit organizations that strengthen the communities where we live and work."

Local nonprofits that received funding include:

• The Baldwin Center's After School program, which provides academic enrichment activities for youth grades K-12 in Pontiac at little or no charge to families.

• Blessings in a Backpack Lake Orion, which feeds Lake Orion school children weekends during the school year, for children whose families qualify for the federal Free and Reduced-Price Meal program.

• International Technology Academy Initiatives Foundation program includes two Young Engineers Clubs and two Gaming and Artificial Intelligence Clubs (Elementary and Secondary).

• Center for Success Network's program provides structured, literacy focused out-of-school learning programs for elementary-aged students in Pontiac. The center transports students to after-school program sites and provides meals during each session.

• Reroot Pontiac installed a two-acre community garden using sustainable gardening methods. This year produce will be available for residents.

GM's 2023 Community Impact Grants totaled $3 million in grants to 157 nonprofits across its U.S. manufacturing communities.  Since 2019, GM has granted more than $13 million to nonprofits in its facility communities, and $460,000 to Lake Orion and Pontiac.

For more information, visit gm.com/commitments/communities.

Children's Hospital of Michigan kicked off its annual Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive to benefit Gleaners to support children during summer break. Community members can donate online through June 9 at www.childrensdmc.org/CerealDrive, or drop off boxes of unopened cereal at Royal Oak Kroger, 2200 Twelve Mile Road, Royal Oak, 6 a.m. to noon, Thursday, June 8.

Olga's Kitchen announced that its foundation has awarded $50,000 in grants to four Michigan-based women entrepreneurs through the Olga Loizon Memorial Foundation. The four business owners were each awarded a $12,500 grant to continue to build their business. Their businesses are: Welcome Home Yoga and Wellness of Detroit, No Fear Cafe of Detroit, DA BOMB TACO of Detroit, and Muirneen Equestrian of New Baltimore, according to a press release.

TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants and Olga's Kitchen founded the Olga Loizon Memorial Foundation in honor of the restaurant chain's founder, Olga Loizon.

For more information, visit www.olgas.com.

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