Courtesy Photo Above, Boys and Girls Club of Alpena Executive Director Bradley Somers (left) poses with Meijer team members from Alpena, who donated $10,000 to the club.

ALPENA — Alpena Meijer team members chose to support the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena as part of a nearly $3 million Meijer Team Gives fall donation program.

The Boys and Girls Club of Alpena will receive $10,000 through the Meijer Team Gives fall donation program. The organization is one of an estimated 500 nonprofits to receive a surprise donation after being selected by a diverse panel of Meijer team members at the Alpena Meijer store.

“This donation from our local Meijer team means so much to our organization. We are so thankful that our local Meijer team recognizes the work that we do and allocates resources to help us sustain our mission,” said Bradley Somers, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena. “Donations like this literally open the door for more youth to receive impactful programming and resources.”

Somers explained the impact the club had on the community over the past year.

“We served over 19,500 free meals in 2021, provided mentorships, volunteerism and have seen more youth walk through our doors,” Somers said. “As our organization looks to make a monumental move to our new facility, contributions like this help us continue momentum to support our growth in youth attendance, collaborations and resources provided to young people and their families.”

He continued to explain the importance of the club’s presence in the community, and his gratefulness for local generosity.

“The Boys and Girls Club of Alpena has seen tremendous growth in the last five years, and because of partners like Meijer, we can sustain our growth model and continue looking to the future,” Somers said. “On behalf of the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena, we thank each and every local Meijer team member for their kindness and allowing us the ability to continue our mission in the community.”

The first-ever Meijer Team Gives event will donate an estimated $3 million to nonprofits, such as Boys and Girls Club of Alpena, identified by local Meijer team members in their communities across the Midwest.

“What makes this event so special is the hands-on role our team members played in nominating and selecting the nonprofits that would benefit in their own communities,” said Cathy Cooper, senior director of Community Partnerships and Giving for Meijer. “Our stores and distribution facilities know the needs of their communities because they live in and serve them every day, so we’re pleased to have them lead this giving effort by identifying the local causes that matter most to them.”

Earlier this fall, Meijer team members in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin formed a diverse committee at each store and distribution facility to nominate a local nonprofit organization or two for consideration of a fall donation. Each store and distribution facility chose to award one local nonprofit $10,000 or two nonprofits $5,000 apiece in the Meijer Team Gives donation event.

Boys of Girls Club of Alpena is committed to inspire and enable all youth, especially those who need it most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. The $10,000 donation will be used for operational costs to ensure that the club can provide an enhanced level of quality services to the youth within our community.

For more information on the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena, its efforts and how to support them, please visit bgcalpena.org

For more information on Meijer and the retailer’s commitment to its communities, team members and customers, visit meijercommunity.com.