“When a community-serving organization becomes a climate resilience hub, it means their building is better prepared to operate during the harsh the conditions of our destabilized climate: storms, flooding, extreme temperatures, and power outages,” said Leah Wiste, executive director of  Michigan IPL. “It can generate and store its own power (often using solar panels, battery backup and generators) so that it can offer continuous services to the community when the power grid is down. It might be a refuge for community members seeking warmth or cooling, or a place where people can charge their cell phones or operate medical devices when they don’t have power at home.”

Added Wiste: “We are so proud that we get to help bring federal resources to the grassroots level, including to some of our most vulnerable neighbors: people experiencing food insecurity. We look forward to sharing more about these projects and stories as they unfold over the next 3 years.”