Duke Energy Provides Critical Summer Support to Care Center Families

Grace Care Center volunteers help a Friend load up box fans and water to beat the heat.

Summer is a difficult time for families battling food insecurity and poverty. This week, Duke Energy stepped in to help in a big way with a $7,500 grant dedicated to providing critical summer support. 

The grant is already fulfilling two immediate needs. $5,000 is going toward providing additional groceries for families with children during the summer months. $2,500 is supporting heat relief efforts, including the distribution of fans and other cooling resources to vulnerable households. 

During the summer, many Central Indiana families face a double burden: higher grocery bills as children are home from school all day and increased utility costs as temperatures rise. For many households already living on the margins, these added expenses create real hardship. 

Grace Care Center is stepping in to meet this seasonal spike in need, providing both extra groceries and critical cooling resources to help families stay nourished, safe, and stable. 

Every week this summer, families are receiving five extra points to use as they “shop” in the Choice Food Pantry, a choice-based system that empowers families to select groceries that meet their needs. And, in mid-July, Grace Care Center hosted a fan distribution event to provide cooling support to families and seniors who may be at risk due to lack of air conditioning or reliable cooling at home.

The Duke Energy Grant helps us make all of this possible. 

“Summer can be brutal for families already stretched thin,” said Cara Augspurger, Executive Director of Grace Care Center Foundation. “Thanks to Duke Energy Foundation, we can show up with what’s needed most — groceries, fans, and a whole lot of care.”

“Duke Energy is pleased to support Grace Care Center’s efforts to provide relief from summer hardship and strengthen families across Hamilton County,” said Duke Energy Government and Community Relations Manager Mark LaBarr.

Thank you, Duke Energy, for your continued support of Central Indiana families, throughout this difficult season and beyond.

Interested in learning more or supporting the Grace Care Center through GCC Foundation? Please contact Executive Director Cara Augspurger via email. You may also make a gift online here.